Southwest Montana Mountain Bicycle Association

What Southwest Montana Mountain Bicycle Association does

Southwest Montana Mountain Bicycle Association (SWMMBA) is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Bozeman, Montana. The organization builds, maintains, and advocates for mountain bike trails across roughly 20,000 square miles of southwest Montana, with local chapters in Bozeman (The Dirt Concern) and Big Sky (Trail Dogs Big Sky). Its flagship deliverable is physical trail infrastructure, most notably the 20+ mile Copper City trail system on BLM land near Three Forks, valued at over $500,000, alongside maintenance of hundreds of miles of multi-user trails on the Custer Gallatin National Forest. SWMMBA also engages in formal land-use advocacy, including participation in the Gallatin Forest Partnership, which aims to secure specific trail designations for mountain bike access for the next 40 years on regional National Forests.

SWMMBA's product surface is service- and community-oriented rather than technology-based. Core offerings include trail building and maintenance services, public-lands advocacy programs, the Dirt Hero League monthly donor program (starting at $15/month) that funds a part-time Trails Manager and volunteer dig days, a free membership program (3,038 members as of May 2023), the Bike Ambassador community outreach program, organized group rides, the annual Spoke 'N Trail Film Festival fundraiser, trail condition reporting, and a web store. Technology infrastructure is lightweight: Trailforks for trail maps and information, Election Buddy for board governance voting, and Squarespace for web operations. The organization does not appear to develop proprietary technology platforms.

SWMMBA's revenue model is diversified across individual donations and monthly recurring contributions (Dirt Heroes), event fundraising (Spoke 'N Trail, Ales for Trails, Give Big Gallatin Valley, Tour de SWMMBA), business sponsorships and corporate giving, merchandise sales, and grants from entities such as the Yellowstone Community Foundation. GTM is community-led and event-driven rather than sales-led: the organization mobilizes volunteers through trail work days, group rides, and chapter-level engagement, and has not disclosed paid acquisition channels. Customer segments are predominantly mountain bikers of all experience levels, youth and families, trail volunteers, and partner land management agencies (US Forest Service, BLM). The organization is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors and runs with a small paid staff (Trails Manager hired in 2020, Executive Director hired in August 2022, plus seasonal hires).

Name

Southwest Montana Mountain Bicycle Association

Legal name

Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association

Website

https://southwestmontanamba.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Southwest Montana Mountain Bicycle Association (SWMMBA) is a Bozeman, MT-based 501(c)3 nonprofit that builds, maintains, and advocates for mountain bike trails across southwest Montana, serving a community of 3,000+ members through volunteer trail work, monthly donor programs, advocacy partnerships with the USFS and BLM, and local chapters in Bozeman and Big Sky.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bozeman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Membership: Free membership program started April 2019 to maximize advocacy voice. Monthly donor program (Dirt Hero League) starting at $15/month provides recurring revenue to fund trails manager, volunteer dig days, and access advocacy. One-time donations also accepted.
2. Event Fundraising: Annual fundraising events including Spoke 'N Trail Film Festival, Ales for Trails, Give Big Gallatin Valley campaign, and Tour de SWMMBA. These events raise funds for trail projects and provide community engagement opportunities.
3. Business Sponsorships: Business Sponsor Program offers corporate giving opportunities for businesses to support mountain biking in southwest Montana. Sponsors receive recognition and benefits through the organization's marketing channels.
4. Store and Merchandise: SWMMBA operates a web store selling merchandise including the Mountain Bike Montana license plate merchandise and potentially other products.
5. Grant Funding: SWMMBA receives grant funding from organizations such as Yellowstone Community Foundation ($2,500 grant for tool storage at pump track in Bozeman) and supports Great American Outdoors Act funding for deferred maintenance on federal lands.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Southwest Montana Mountain Bicycle Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds, maintains, and advocates for sustainable mountain bike trail systems across southwest Montana. It engages volunteer labor, individual members, corporate sponsors, and public land managers (including the U.S. Forest Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks) to expand and protect riding access. The organization also runs group rides, youth cycling programs (NICA), and community events.

Product overview

SWMMBA is a nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) that operates as a unified advocacy and trail stewardship service rather than a platform-plus-modules product architecture. The organization's primary offerings consist of trail building and maintenance services across southwest Montana (including the flagship Copper City 20+ mile trail system), combined with advocacy programs protecting mountain bike access to public lands. Supporting services include a free membership program, the Dirt Hero League monthly donor initiative, Bike Ambassador community outreach, organized group rides, the annual Spoke 'N Trail Film Festival fundraiser, and trail condition reporting. The organization has chapters in Bozeman and Big Sky, and maintains relationships with land management agencies including Custer Gallatin National Forest and BLM.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trail Building & Maintenance Service Volunteer-driven construction, repair, and ongoing maintenance of mountain bike trail systems on public and partner lands across southwest Montana, including coordination of work days with land management agencies.
• Advocacy & Public Land Access Program Policy and stakeholder advocacy with the U.S. Forest Service, Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks, and county forestry departments to protect, expand, and legalize mountain bike trail access on public lands.
• Group Rides Organized group mountain bike rides led by SWMMBA ride leaders for members and the broader southwest Montana riding community.
• Youth Cycling Program (NICA) National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) youth mountain bike team and related programming for student riders in southwest Montana.
• Individual Membership Paid annual memberships that fund SWMMBA's trail, advocacy, and community programs and provide supporters with organizational benefits.
• Corporate Sponsorship Program Tiered sponsorship packages for businesses that support SWMMBA trail projects, events, and youth programs in exchange for community visibility and brand association.
• Community Events and Race Support SWMMBA-organized community events, fundraisers, and race support activities that engage riders and raise funds for trail and advocacy programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Built over 20 miles of singletrack at Copper City, valued at over $500,000, now the most popular riding destination in the area hosting youth races, trail-running events, and industry demo days
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gallatin Forest Partnership (GFP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiverse groups including SWMMBA collaborated to develop a plan for public lands in the Gallatin Range and parts of the Madison Range. The agreement ties into the Custer Gallatin Forest Plan and aims to ensure specific trails for mountain-bike access for the next 40 years on regional National Forests. SWMMBA works through this partnership for land-management legislation and advocacy.
• Custer Gallatin National Forest / US Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWMMBA partners with the Custer Gallatin National Forest for trail maintenance and new trail construction. They host trail work days on hundreds of miles of Forest Service trail and advocate for mountain bike access through Forest Plan revision processes.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLM manages Copper City trails near Three Forks, a major 20+ mile trail system built and maintained by SWMMBA. This is SWMMBA's flagship project and the most popular riding destination in the area.
• IMBA (International Mountain Bike Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWMMBA received recognition as an IMBA Chapter in summer 2016. Following the loss of the Regional Director model, SWMMBA Board felt the local community would benefit more from free membership and local advocacy platform. Beginning April 2019, SWMMBA became an IMBA Affiliate while remaining an independent 501(c)3 organization.
• Big Sky Community OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWMMBA Big Sky Chapter partnered with Big Sky Community Organization, Integrated Trail LAB, and others to develop Phase 1 of a new pump track at the town's Community Park.
• Freshies CafeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFreshies Cafe supports SWMMBA through the 'Mud Mocha' promotion where they donate $1 from every Mud Mocha sold to raise awareness about avoiding muddy trails during shoulder seasons.
• MAP Brewing and Bridger BrewingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal breweries donate beer for the Spoke 'N Trail Film Festival fundraiser. Represents community business partnerships supporting trail initiatives.
• The Dirt Concern (Bozeman Chapter)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal chapter representing SWMMBA in Bozeman, organizing local volunteers, initiating projects, and working with local land managers. Led by a 4-person board with president serving on SWMMBA Board.
• Trail Dogs Big Sky (Big Sky Chapter)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal chapter representing SWMMBA in Big Sky, organizing local volunteers, initiating projects, and working with local land managers. Led by a 4-person board with president serving on SWMMBA Board.
• Crosscut Mountain Sports CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWMMBA partnered with Crosscut Mountain Sports Center to break ground on a new flow trail in Bridger Canyon in 2020.
• Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWMMBA worked with GVLT on trail projects including the Painted Hills Gap connector and Highland Glen maintenance. GVLT recognized SWMMBA as Trail Partner of the Year in 2018.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pisgah Area SORBA: North Carolina regional mountain bike advocacy chapter affiliated with SORBA, focused on trail building, maintenance, and access advocacy in the Pisgah region; comparable grassroots nonprofit structure.
• Arizona Trail Association: Nonprofit that builds, maintains, and advocates for long-distance trail corridors across Arizona with volunteer work days and agency partnerships; comparable to SWMMBA's trail-building, maintenance, and advocacy mandate.
• New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA): Regional mountain bike advocacy nonprofit in New England with chapter structure, volunteer trail programs, and land-manager partnerships; directly comparable mission and member-led operating model to SWMMBA.
• Boulder Mountainbike Alliance: Colorado-based regional mountain bike advocacy nonprofit focused on trail access, volunteer stewardship, and public-lands partnerships; very similar operating model and revenue mix (donations, events, sponsorships) to SWMMBA.
• Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance: Washington-state regional 501(c)3 mountain bike advocacy nonprofit that builds and maintains singletrack, runs volunteer trail days, and engages public land managers — a directly comparable operating model to SWMMBA at similar regional scale.

Broad incumbents

• PeopleForBikes: National bicycle advocacy and industry coalition advancing policy, infrastructure funding, and riding access; broader-incumbent peer sharing SWMMBA's advocacy mission but operating at national-policy scale.
• International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA): National umbrella organization for mountain bike advocacy and trail stewardship; SWMMBA was an IMBA Chapter until 2019 and remains an IMBA Affiliate, making IMBA the closest broad-incumbent peer operating at a national scale with similar mission.

Others

• Outdoor Alliance: Coalition of outdoor recreation user groups that engages in federal public-lands policy advocacy; adjacent peer since SWMMBA participates in similar Forest Plan and access-advocacy processes through partnerships like the Gallatin Forest Partnership.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SWMMBAmt
• Instagraminstagram.com/swmontanamba
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mtb-mt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Southwest Montana Mountain Bicycle Association