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Rails to Trails Conservancy

See part iii, line 1.

Environment Washington, DC EIN: 521437006 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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90
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
90/100 · methodology

About Rails to Trails Conservancy

The Rails To Trails Conservancy is the nation's largest trails organization with a grassroots community more than 1 million strong dedicated to building a nation connected by trails, reimagining public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors.

Founded
Headquarters
Washington, DC
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
C500
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
large

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1986

Mission

See part iii, line 1.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 7 similar environment in United States
Program spending This charity: 75%
Peer average: 90%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 2.25%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 90
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· None found
No red flags found
Screened for IRS revocation history, Open investigations, Governance scandals, Related-party deals, Excessive exec comp.

Where every $1 goes

· FY2025 · IRS 990 (FY2025)
$0.75
Program$0.75

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Rails to Trails Conservancy has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the IRS.

  • It is one of the better-documented environment charities in the United States GiveRadar currently tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
  • By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 97% of the 13,369 environment charities in the United States with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
  • GiveRadar holds 6 years of financial filings for this organization, the most recent for fiscal year 2025 - a deeper filing history than 90% of the 13,585 environment charities in the United States with filings on record. See the filings
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (6 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Rails to Trails Conservancy is a registered environment nonprofit based in Washington, DC, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1985 and has been operating for 41 years. Its EIN is 521437006. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 90/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $13M in annual revenue. 123 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Rails to Trails Conservancy's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 521437006. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.

Rails to Trails Conservancy has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 90/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 90 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for environment charities in United States is 90/100.

Rails to Trails Conservancy is located in Washington, DC, United States. The organization was established in 1985 and has been active for 41 years.

Based on official tax filings, Rails to Trails Conservancy has $13M in annual revenue. It allocates 75% of expenses to programs and services. This is below the average of 90% for environment charities in United States. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of $2M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Rails to Trails Conservancy is classified as an Environment organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a large organization. It has $13M in annual revenue. The organization has 123 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Rails to Trails Conservancy. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.

According to GiveRadar's records, Rails to Trails Conservancy holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 75% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 90%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

The Rails To Trails Conservancy is the nation's largest trails organization with a grassroots community more than 1 million strong dedicated to building a nation connected by trails, reimagining public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors. Rails to Trails Conservancy is classified as an environment organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1985.

Among environment charities registered in United States: It allocates 75% of expenses to programs, below the peer average of 90%. Its annual revenue of $13M is well above the peer average of $2M.

Yes, donations to Rails to Trails Conservancy are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Rails to Trails Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 521437006, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Annual revenue
$10M-$100M
75% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2025) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

6 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2025): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2025, FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020.
Financial details are free - with a GiveRadar account

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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
58

Leadership

From FY2025 filing

RY
Ryan C•••
President

Officers & trustees (25)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

25 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

9 articles found

From news sources and the organization. Shown for transparency; news never affects the integrity score.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

From train rails to hiking and biking trails - Thirst Colorado
Jun 2026
www.thirstcolorado.com
Bridging the gap: Rails to Trails group sees opportunity in Market Street Bridge - The Herald Star
May 2026
www.heraldstaronline.com
Bicycling in the Midwest, where to take your bike on vacation in the homeland of the rails-to-trails movement - WBEZ Chi
May 2026
www.wbez.org
The Brownsville's Multimodal Transportation, in partnership with Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation and Carac
Apr 2026
www.facebook.com
Rails to Trails Conservancy - fox10tv.com
Apr 2026
www.fox10tv.com
Hike, bike, and enjoy the 10 best recreational trails in the US - USA TODAY 10BEST
Apr 2026
10best.usatoday.com
OUTDOORS: Rails-to-trails organization celebrates 40 years - Leader Publications
Apr 2026
www.myleaderpaper.com
Celebrate Trails Day on the SNETT Apr. 25 - Franklin Observer
Mar 2026
franklinobserver.town.news
The 5 Longest Rail Trails For Scenic Views In The Midwest, Ranked - islands.com
Feb 2026
www.islands.com
Form filed
$13.3M revenue
FY2025
IRS 990
Form filed
$14.7M revenue
FY2024
IRS 990
Form filed
$11.7M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$14.5M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$14.6M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$10.5M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990

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Cause areas in United States

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Human Services 322,679
Education 195,586
Arts & Culture 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development 53,450
Environment this charity 30,143
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most.

Community Development 235,146
Education 159,016
Religion 103,741
Arts & Culture 101,203
Human Rights 76,926
Health 65,250
Youth Development 47,775
Animal Welfare 32,425

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2025 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 123 disclosed in the public registry.
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 12, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
100%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 10
  • Financial data · FY2025 on record
  • Named leadership · 123 officers on file
  • Executive pay · Disclosed
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Mission statement · Published
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 1985
Not available · 1
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about Rails to Trails Conservancy

What is Rails to Trails Conservancy?
Rails to Trails Conservancy is a environment publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Washington, United States. The Rails To Trails Conservancy is the nation's largest trails organization with a grassroots community more than 1 million strong dedicated to building a nation connected by trails, reimagining public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors.
When was Rails to Trails Conservancy founded?
Rails to Trails Conservancy was founded in 1985.
Who leads Rails to Trails Conservancy?
Ryan Chao serves as President.
Where is Rails to Trails Conservancy located?
Headquartered in Washington, DC, United States.
What is Rails to Trails Conservancy's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is approximately $10M-$100M. 75% of expenses go to program services.
Is Rails to Trails Conservancy trustworthy?
Rails to Trails Conservancy has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 90 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Rails to Trails Conservancy's registration number?
IRS EIN: 521437006.
What is Rails to Trails Conservancy's website?
http://www.railstotrails.org