Ice Age Trail Alliance
“Create, maintain, and protect the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.”
The work
What they do
Trail building, maintenance, and land acquisition for the 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin. Works with NPS on this National Scenic Trail.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “TO CONSERVE, CREATE, MAINTAIN, AND PROMOTE THE ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL.”
Where the money went, FY2024
The work, and what it cost
Boots on the ground
$1.1MTHE ALLIANCE HAS BUILT AND MAINTAINSED MORE THAN 700 MILES OF THE ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL. ALLIANCE STAFF COORDINATE THIS EFFORT AMONG 19 VOLUNTEER CHAPTERS AND VOLUNTEERS FROM ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST.
Read it as they filed it
TRAILS - THE ALLIANCE HAS BUILT AND MAINTAINSED MORE THAN 700 MILES OF THE ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL. ALLIANCE STAFF COORDINATE THIS EFFORT AMONG 19 VOLUNTEER CHAPTERS AND VOLUNTEERS FROM ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST. IN ADDITION TO TRAIL CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE, STEWARDSHIP, AND OUTREACH AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES, THE ALLIANCE ADDED APPOXIMATELY 6.7 MILES OF NEW TRAIL AND STARTED THE PROCESS TO BUILD ANOTHER 15 NEW MILES IN THE FUTURE. ALL TOLD, THE ALLIANCE'S 1,986 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 103,439 HOURS - A NEW RECORD.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Keeping the wild alive
$860KTHE ALLIANCE COMPLETED ELEVEN LAND TRANSACTIONS WHILE HELPING PARTNERS COMPLETE THREE ADDITIONAL ACQUISITIONS AND THEREBY PROTECTED 188 ACRES OF LAND AND ADDED AN ESTIMATED 3.2 MILES OF FUTURE TRAIL.
Read it as they filed it
LANDS - THE ALLIANCE COMPLETED ELEVEN LAND TRANSACTIONS WHILE HELPING PARTNERS COMPLETE THREE ADDITIONAL ACQUISITIONS AND THEREBY PROTECTED 188 ACRES OF LAND AND ADDED AN ESTIMATED 3.2 MILES OF FUTURE TRAIL. PROPERTIES WERE PROTECTED IN BOTH FEE AND EASEMENT. ALL THESE LANDS WILL HOST A VARIETY OF PUBLIC RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT INCLUDE THE ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL. THE ALLIANCE ALSO HOSTED 3 HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, DESIGNED TO REMOVE INVASIVE SPECIES, COLLECTED 308 POUNDS OF NATIVE SEEDS, AND BURNED MORE THAN 300 ACRES.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Boots on the ground
$749KTHE ALLIANCE CONTINUES TO ENGAGE NEW MEMBERS AND TRAIL USERS. 2024 INCLUDED THE 5TH MAMMOTH HIKE CHALLENGE WITH MORE THAN 9,000 REGISTRANTS WITH 78% BEING NEW.
Read it as they filed it
OUTREACH - THE ALLIANCE CONTINUES TO ENGAGE NEW MEMBERS AND TRAIL USERS. 2024 INCLUDED THE 5TH MAMMOTH HIKE CHALLENGE WITH MORE THAN 9,000 REGISTRANTS WITH 78% BEING NEW. OUR SAUNTERS AND THINK OUTSIDE YOUTH EDUCATION WORK DREW MORE THAN 10,000 YOUTH TO THE TRAIL. WE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES DESIGNATED AS ICE AGE TRAIL COMMUNITIES TO 24. MEMBERSHIP CONTINUED TO GROW TO 6,945 MEMBERS. ICE AGE TRAIL LICENSE PLATES CONTINUE TO GENERATE REVENUE AND MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ALLIANCE.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
80 cents of every dollar goes to the work
That ratio is a good sign, not a scorecard. Plenty of great groups run leaner and lumpier. What matters is the extremes, and Ice Age Trail Alliance is nowhere near one.
$2,685,926 programs, $408,140 management, $254,695 fundraising. Form 990, FY2024.
The people
Who does the work
Succeeds John Kolbe in the officer table.
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. This one caught a changing of the guard in the act: the FY2024 officer table lists John Kolbe, the return itself is signed by Luke Kloberdanz. Orgs that claim their page can update it same-day. Work at Ice Age Trail Alliance? Claim this page.
Those 2,000 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If Ice Age Trail Alliance is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Make it 2,001The filings
14 years of filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $866,920 |
| 2012 | $2,355,333 |
| 2013 | $908,066 |
| 2014 | $2,023,367 |
| 2015 | $2,341,012 |
| 2016 | $2,358,022 |
| 2017 | $1,983,243 |
| 2018 | $2,030,380 |
| 2019 | $2,117,170 |
| 2020 | $4,118,704 |
| 2021 | $3,561,895 |
| 2022 | $5,491,175 |
| 2023 | $4,141,742 |
| 2024 | $4,993,823 |
From $867K in 2011 to $5.0M in FY24, with no missed filing in 14 years. The 2022 peak of $5.5M reads like one-time gifts, so trust the line, not the peak.
The Wisconsin congressional delegation averages 33 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
Ways in
How to help
80 cents of your dollar goes straight to the work above.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
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Threatened Lands MapStand with Ice Age Trail Alliance
68 years on the ground, 2,000 volunteers, 80 cents of every dollar on the line. That is who is holding it. There is room for one more.