What is the Grassroots Project Fund?
The THOR Grassroots Project Fund was created to allow our community’s incredible volunteers to impact their favorite trail systems, particularly those without clear funding support elsewhere.
The funding recommendations for projects are completely grassroots, with volunteers serving on the THOR Trails Committee approving projects for funding.
How is it funded?
The Grassroots Project Fund is funded by THOR Membership revenue, but it is also supported by specific fundraisers or designated private donations throughout the year.
2025 Grassroots Project Fund
Work within your Trail Champion and volunteer group to develop a plan for a trail project. These projects can include sustainability enhancements, reroutes for improved user experiences, the addition of additional trails or extending existing trails, adding features to create new experiences, purchasing and installing prefabricated skills features, installing new signage, or the purchase of construction materials for any of the above projects.
Your project costs must include any needed materials, special rentals, and specialty labor. Estimate the number of volunteer hours needed and the execution schedule with specific dates preselected.
Plan
Communicate your plan to the THOR Volunteer Coordinator, who will review it with you and the THOR Trail Services Director. The Trail Services Director will then request permission for your project from the appropriate land manager. This is a key step!
Start this step as soon as you have a basic idea of what you want to do. The Volunteer Coordinator and Services Director will help to verify your project is consistent and safe within the trail system you are adding it to.
Coordinate
Submit Your Project Proposal to the volunteer THOR Trails Committee using the form below.
The Trails Committee will review the submitted projects during regular February, June, and September meetings. The THOR Trails Committee will evaluate the proposals and may invite you to participate in a THOR Trails Committee meeting (if you’re not already a member). The THOR Trails Committee will then vote on the proposed projects.
If there are more projects than available funding, the THOR Trails Committee will select the projects they can approve for that year.
Only non-board members of the THOR Trails Committee are allowed to vote on projects, and any projects that are not approved can be resubmitted in the future.