Tread Lightly

What Tread Lightly does

Tread Lightly! is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in North Salt Lake, Utah, that promotes responsible motorized and mechanized outdoor recreation across the United States. Its mission centers on protecting off-road, boating, and snowmobile trail access through education, stewardship projects, and advocacy, with primary audiences being OHV/4x4 enthusiasts, snowmobilers, boaters, off-road clubs, and the powersports industry. The organization operates from a 12-person staff team supported by an 18+ member board of directors and a network of 10,996+ volunteers who have executed 506 stewardship projects, improved 20,090 miles of trail, and removed 1.17 million pounds of trash over the past five years.

The core technology platform is the T.R.E.A.D. Principles framework (Travel Responsibly, Respect Rights of Others, Educate Yourself, Avoid Sensitive Areas, Do Your Part), delivered through the Responsible Rider Masterclass on LearnWorlds (Offroad 101, Water 101, Snow 101), the Tread Trainer volunteer certification program, and the TL! Kids youth education program. The organization also administers a grants program that funds stewardship work on federal and state lands, and maintains formal co-development relationships with the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Membership and donor data is managed in HubSpot and merchandise is sold through a Shopify storefront.

Tread Lightly!'s revenue model is diversified across recurring membership fees ($10–$500 tiered annual dues, auto-renewing since May 2025), tax-deductible donations, restricted and unrestricted corporate partnerships (BRP $35 per Masterclass completion, Cardo Systems ORV, Yokohama Tire, Ford Bronco Wild Fund, Can-Am, BFGoodrich), event sponsorships, and government/foundation grants (e.g., $100,000 from Utah State Parks). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: stewardship projects, online courses, and partner-amplified co-marketing reach the 7,646+ member base, with strategic leadership under Executive Director James Boyd (appointed January 2025).

Name

Tread Lightly

Legal name

Tread Lightly! Inc.

Website

https://treadlightly.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tread Lightly! is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that educates off-road, boating, and snowmobile enthusiasts on responsible motorized recreation and coordinates volunteer stewardship projects that protect U.S. public lands and trail access, serving 7,646+ members and 100+ corporate and agency partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

North Salt Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual memberships at various tiers ($10-$500) providing member benefits including FCA discounts, BFGoodrich tire rebates, and access to exclusive content. Memberships auto-renew as of May 1, 2025.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations supporting day-to-day operations and mission promotion. Website includes donation form.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Companies like BRP donate per course completion ($35 per Responsible Rider Masterclass completion) and provide funding for specific stewardship projects. Partnerships can be unrestricted or restricted to specific programs.
4. Event Sponsorships: Tread Lightly! provides Outdoor Ethics Sponsorships to events promoting responsible recreation. Events agree to encourage T.R.E.A.D. principles in exchange for official sponsorship recognition.
5. Grants: Grants from government agencies (e.g., $100,000 from Utah State Parks Recreational Trails Program) and foundations for education and outreach initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tread Lightly! is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes responsible outdoor motorized recreation through education, training, and stewardship programs. It delivers online courses (Responsible Rider Masterclass), volunteer trainer programs (Tread Trainer), youth education (TL! Kids), and a unified T.R.E.A.D. Principles framework, alongside organizing trail cleanups, restoration projects, and signage installations across U.S. public lands.

Product overview

Tread Lightly! is a nonprofit organization operating a platform of educational programs and stewardship services focused on responsible outdoor recreation. The core offerings include the Responsible Rider Masterclass (delivered via LearnWorlds as free online courses: Offroad 101, Water 101, and Snow 101), the Tread Trainer program for volunteer ethics educators, and TL! Kids for youth education. These are unified by the T.R.E.A.D. Principles framework. The organization also coordinates over 500 stewardship projects annually including trail cleanups, signage installations, and habitat restoration, supported by a grants program and membership community. The Drive 35 campaign extends reach through a BRP partnership. Online courses are accessed through treadlightly.learnworlds.com, membership is managed via HubSpot and a donor portal, and merchandise is sold through a Shopify store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Responsible Rider Masterclass Free online courses (Offroad 101, Water 101, Snow 101) educating off-road riders, boaters, and snow recreation users on minimizing environmental impact and protecting trails, waterways, and winter recreation areas.
• Tread Trainer Program Volunteer training program that equips participants with practical, hands-on strategies for promoting outdoor ethics specifically tailored to motorized and mechanized recreation.
• TL! Kids Program Educational program teaching outdoor enthusiasts of all ages about safe and responsible outdoor recreation, including youth-focused curriculum.
• Membership Program Tiered annual membership ($10-$500) with individual, club, business, and dealer tiers providing benefits including FCA vehicle discounts, BFGoodrich tire rebates, and access to the stewardship community.
• Stewardship Projects Trail maintenance, restoration, cleanup, and signage installation projects executed across U.S. public lands with volunteer engagement, supported by grants and partner funding.
• Outdoor Ethics Sponsorship Sponsorship program for events promoting responsible outdoor recreation, where events agree to encourage and promote T.R.E.A.D. Principles in exchange for official sponsorship recognition.

Quantifiable outcome

• 506 projects completed, 20,090 miles of trail improved, 1,171,938 pounds of trash cleaned in 5 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 June 2026BRP powers the Responsible Rider Masterclass through the Drive 35 campaign, donating $35 per course completion to Tread Lightly! stewardship projects. Reached milestone of 1,000 completions ($35,000 donated). Partnership includes Offroad 101, Water 101, and Snow 101 courses available free to riders.
• Cardo Systems ORVcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 June 2026Cardo Systems ORV partnered with Tread Lightly! to support responsible riding through education and stewardship. Focuses on promoting communication for responsible trail use and environmental stewardship. Will support stewardship projects and educational initiatives.
• Yokohama TirecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 December 2025Partnership renewal with Yokohama Tire to support stewardship and education initiatives. Yokohama supports trail projects and responsible recreation messaging.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partner for trail maintenance, stewardship projects, and responsible recreation education. Collaborates on travel management and public land access initiatives.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partner for off-highway vehicle management, trail projects, and recreation site improvements across BLM-managed lands.
• Overland Expo FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported kiosk installation at Edge of the World trail in Arizona, complementing 2024 installation. Helps provide maps, trail education, and responsible recreation messaging.
• Florida Off-Road FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors cleanup events including Florida Jeep Jam Clean & Krawl Beach Cleanup. Donated $35,000 to support Tread Lightly! stewardship across Florida with 10+ projects in past three years.
• BFGoodrich Tires Outstanding Trails ProgramcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGrant program supporting off-road trail projects across the country. Provides funding for dumpsters, trail maintenance, and cleanup events at various locations.
• U.S. Army Corps of EngineersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency partnership for recreation management at Corps lakes and river projects. National Partnership Program Manager provides partnership direction.
• Ford Bronco Wild FundcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFord's initiative supporting trail stewardship. Funded revamp of Tread Trainer program and various trail projects including Kane Creek Safari Route.
• Can-Am Off-RoadcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBRP's Can-Am brand funding trail stewardship projects in partnership with Tread Lightly!. Supports kiosk installations and signage across multiple states including Arizona and Utah.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BlueRibbon Coalition: Advocacy nonprofit that defends motorized recreation access on public lands. Overlaps with Tread Lightly! on OHV stewardship and access protection but skews more toward legal/policy advocacy than the educational programs that anchor Tread Lightly!'s offering.
• National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC): OHV-specific nonprofit focused on trail preservation, rider education, and public-land advocacy. Directly comparable to Tread Lightly! because both serve motorized recreationists through stewardship programs, training, and partnerships with land-management agencies.
• Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: National nonprofit that delivers outdoor ethics education to recreationists. Tread Lightly! occupies the motorized-and-mechanized niche while Leave No Trace serves the broader non-motorized audience, making it the closest functional peer in mission, education model, and partner-driven funding structure.
• American Hiking Society: National nonprofit that advocates for trails and hiker access, runs volunteer stewardship events, and delivers trail education. Comparable in nonprofit structure, volunteer-driven project model, and federal land-manager relationships, though its constituency is non-motorized.
• Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: Membership-driven nonprofit that protects public-land access for hunting and fishing. Comparable to Tread Lightly! in mission structure (access + stewardship + education) and in leveraging a passionate user community, though the user base is hunting/angling rather than motorized recreation.

Others

• Outdoor Industry Association: Trade association for the broader outdoor recreation industry. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler that connects outdoor brands, agencies, and advocacy groups, though OIA is membership-funded and focused on policy and market data rather than direct stewardship.

Broad incumbents

• American Motorcyclist Association (AMA): Largest motorcyclist advocacy organization in the U.S. with a much broader member base and racing/regulatory remit. Comparable because both rally powersports enthusiasts around access and safety, though AMA serves a much wider motorized audience.
• Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA): Industry trade group that runs the ATV Safety Institute and promotes safe, responsible ATV riding. Directly comparable educational overlap with Tread Lightly!'s Offroad 101 curriculum, though SVIA is funded and led by ATV manufacturers.
• Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA): Industry-led association that develops ROV safety training and standards. Comparable to Tread Lightly! because both target OHV riders with education and partner with OEMs and dealers, though ROHVA's mandate is standards-focused rather than conservation-driven.
• International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA): Industry trade group representing snowmobile OEMs and promoting the sport. Comparable to Tread Lightly! because Tread Lightly!'s Snow 101 course directly addresses snowmobile ethics, and both rely on manufacturer partnerships for stewardship funding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TreadLightlyTeam
• Facebookfacebook.com/treadlightlyteam
• Instagraminstagram.com/treadlightlyteam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tread-lightly-

Compliance1 record

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 Tread Lightly