Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance

What Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance does

Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance (MTGA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, founded in 2004 to serve as the statewide voice for non-motorized trail users. The organization advocates for, promotes, and enables the development and maintenance of a connected statewide trail and greenway network, working at both state and local levels with public and private stakeholders. Its core offerings include the Michigan Multi-Use Trails Directory & Map (covering 2,100+ miles of trails, updated biennially), the Michigan Great Lakes Water Trails system, the MTGA Catalyst Fund (capacity-building grants of up to $5,000 for local trail organizations), the E-Bike Toolkit, and the GIS Trail Map Modernization Project. MTGA also co-administers the Pure Michigan Trail and Trail Town Designation Program in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).

MTGA serves four primary segments: individual non-motorized trail users (hikers, cyclists, runners, paddlers), local trail organizations and Friends of Trails groups, local units of government investing in trail infrastructure, and a secondary segment of Detroit-area trail users. The organization's go-to-market motion combines community-led engagement (membership programs, donations, events, free resources) with strategic channel partnerships, most notably with Pure Michigan, MDNR, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the League of Michigan Bicyclists, Heart of the Lakes, and mParks.

The business model is structured around nonprofit revenue mechanics: annual membership fees with subscription-style renewals (including a newsletter, trail maps, and member resources), tax-deductible individual and organizational donations, Catalyst Fund grantmaking funded by an anonymous donor, and event proceeds via the Michigander multi-day bike tour partnership with the League of Michigan Bicyclists (with 20% of net proceeds committed to linear trail projects). Distribution is primarily domestic to Michigan, with limited digital infrastructure (website, Instagram, monthly electronic newsletter) and no proprietary software platform, mobile app, or API surface. The organization operates with a small staff (1–10 employees) supported by a board of directors and community coalition partners.

Name

Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance

Legal name

Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance

Website

https://michigantrails.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving as Michigan's statewide voice for non-motorized trail users, advocating for and enabling the development of a connected trail network through mapping, capacity-building grants, partnerships with state agencies, and community coalition building.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership program with benefits including newsletter, trail maps, and access to resources.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting trail advocacy.
3. MTGA Catalyst Fund grants: Capacity-building grants up to $5,000 for trail organizations; funded by anonymous donor and distributed to local nonprofits and Friends of the Trail groups.
4. Events: Partnership with League of Michigan Bicyclists for Michigander multi-day bike tour, with 20% of net proceeds granted to linear trail projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MTGA advocates for and enables the development of non-motorized trails across Michigan through statewide coordination, trail mapping products, grant programs, and community resources. Its substantive offerings include the biennial Michigan Multi-Use Trails Directory & Map, the Michigan Great Lakes Water Trails system, the Catalyst Fund grant program (up to $5,000), the E-Bike Toolkit, and the Pure Michigan Trail and Trail Town Designation Program.

Product overview

Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance offers a portfolio of trail-related products and services centered on trail advocacy, mapping, and community development. The core offerings include the Michigan Multi-Use Trails Directory & Map (a biennially updated guide to over 2,100 miles of trails) and the Michigan Great Lakes Water Trails system. Supporting services include the MTGA Catalyst Fund (grants up to $5,000 for trail projects), an E-Bike Toolkit for community guidance, and a GIS Modernization Project to digitize trail mapping. Additionally, MTGA administers the Pure Michigan Trail and Trail Town Designation Program in partnership with MDNR. The organization does not operate a unified software platform but provides informational resources, grant programs, and advocacy services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Michigan Multi-Use Trails Directory & Map

Quantifiable outcome

• $13.9 billion economic impact from outdoor recreation in Michigan (2023)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pure Michigan / MDNRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in the Pure Michigan Trail and Trail Town Designation Program, highlighting Michigan's best trails, water trails, and trail towns as part of Michigan's position as the nation's Trails State.
• League of Michigan Bicyclists (LMB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership transition of the Michigander multi-day bike tour to LMB, with LMB committed to granting 20% of net proceeds to linear trail projects across Michigan.
• Heart of the LakescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partnership for outdoor recreation advocacy, sharing data from 2025 Outdoor Participation Trends Report and Outdoor Consumer Trends 2025.
• mParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partnership for outdoor recreation advocacy, promoting inclusive outdoor policy, funding, and community-driven programming across Michigan.
• Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Trail Funding Programs, representing MTGA in discussions about various funding opportunities for trail projects.
• Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on trail funding programs and initiatives including the Pure Michigan Trail program and Michigan Spark Grants.
• Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in Trail Funding Programs discussions representing trail development perspectives.
• American TrailsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Trails Capacity Program as part of Trails Move People Coalition, investing in building trail community capacity nationwide.
• Parallel SolutionsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFacilitated three collaborative workshops developing the crowdsourced E-Bike Toolkit for Michigan communities.
• Detroit Greenways CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation working to find common ground and promote cooperation among trail interests.
• Detroit Riverfront ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation promoting cooperation for trail development and access along Detroit waterways.
• Rails to Trails ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association sharing goals of promoting cooperation among trail interests.
• Michigan Recreation & Park AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation working to promote cooperation among parks and recreation trail interests.
• Tri-County Bicycle AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDALMAC Fund has granted over $1.5 Million to bicycling activities in Michigan, from safety programs to trail development.
• Friends of Betsie Valley TrailminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends group providing advocacy, fundraising, and outreach for trail development and maintenance.
• Iron Ore Heritage TrailminorStrategic or Co-development Partner47-mile interpretive trail organization in Upper Peninsula; MTGA Catalyst Fund recipient.
• TART TrailsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional trail network in Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties; Friends group partnership.
• West Michigan Trails and Greenways CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional coalition connecting multi-use trails in western Michigan; MTGA Catalyst Fund recipient.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club: Large national environmental advocacy organization with active Michigan chapters and overlapping conservation and outdoor recreation policy priorities; broader remit but competes for donor mindshare.
• American Hiking Society: National nonprofit advocating for hikers and trails nationwide; broader remit than MTGA but pursues overlapping policy, funding, and National Trails Day mobilization goals.
• Rails to Trails Conservancy: National nonprofit advocating for rail-trail conversion and trail networks; a national-scale counterpart to MTGA's statewide advocacy and an active minor partner of MTGA.

Direct peers

• East Coast Greenway Alliance: Statewide/multi-state nonprofit building and advocating for a continuous greenway for non-motorized users — directly analogous in mission, advocacy model, and coalition-building to MTGA.
• Washington Trails Association: State-level nonprofit advocating for, maintaining, and providing trail information across Washington — comparable scale and statewide trail-advocacy remit as MTGA.
• Heart of the Lakes: Michigan-based conservation nonprofit representing land conservancies; a coalition partner of MTGA with overlapping environmental advocacy and stewardship interests in the state.
• New York-New Jersey Trail Conference: Regional trail nonprofit maintaining and publishing trail maps and advocating for trail networks across two states — a strong operational analog for MTGA's statewide mapping and advocacy work.
• League of Michigan Bicyclists: Michigan statewide bicycle advocacy nonprofit; now hosts the Michigander event transferred from MTGA, making it a closely related and partially overlapping peer in bicycling advocacy.

Emerging players

• Land Trust Alliance: National umbrella for local land trusts; adjacent to MTGA's greenway and conservation mission and a potential upstream partner on corridor preservation.

Regional players

• Michigan Recreation and Park Association: Michigan-based trade association for parks and recreation providers; partners with MTGA on shared advocacy but serves a broader parks-and-rec membership rather than trails specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/michtrails
• Xx.com/michtrails
• Facebookfacebook.com/michigantrails
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/michigan-trails-and-greenways-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance