Adventure Cycling Association

For several years, Adventure Cycling’s financial picture was obscured by a series of one-time windfalls — a forgiven PPP loan, Employee Retention Tax Credits, and estate gifts — that masked an underlying decline. When we adjusted for those anomalies, net cash from operations in 2024 was negative $1.5 million. We’ve done significant work to right-size the organization, and 2025 was our first genuinely positive year in some time.

The original plan was to use proceeds from the sale of our Missoula headquarters to fund the transition work of becoming fully sustainable — new systems, stronger membership infrastructure, program innovation. When members voted not to sell the building, we respected that decision fully. But it meant we needed a new path to the same destination. That path runs through fundraising: $750,000 more than our usual annual goal, each year for three years.

In 2025, the Adventure Cycling board recommended selling our Missoula headquarters as a way to generate the capital needed to fund the organization’s path to long-term financial sustainability. Members voted on the proposal, and the majority voted against the sale. The board accepted that outcome, and the building was taken off the market. It is not for sale.

We understand this was a difficult and emotional decision for many members, and we’re grateful for the engagement — even when it was hard. The vote clarified something important: members want Adventure Cycling rooted in the current building, and they want more say in decisions of this magnitude. We’ve heard that, and we’re acting on it.

While our board is currently exploring whether leasing space within the headquarters is financially viable and could generate meaningful revenue to help offset operating costs, it is not expected that this arrangement would generate the funds needed to meet the additional fundraising goal. That work is underway, but we don’t yet have firm figures to share. We’ll keep members informed as that picture becomes clearer.

Ending 2025 with positive operating income — even modestly — was a genuine achievement, and we’re proud of it. But a single positive year doesn’t undo years of decline or create the financial runway we need to invest in the future.

We’re forecasting a significant operating loss in 2026, driven largely by continued membership decline and a smaller tour slate as we pilot a new partnership-based model. At the same time, we no longer have building sale proceeds to fund the transition work of making ACA sustainable for the long haul. Positive 2025 results gave us momentum — this campaign gives us the runway to build on it.

We’ll be honest: falling significantly short would mean making difficult choices about programs, staffing, and services. We’re not in a position to absorb a large funding gap without consequences. That’s part of why we’re being transparent about the need now, early in the year, rather than waiting until the situation becomes critical. The sooner we know where we stand, the better we can plan, and the more options we have. Your gift helps us avoid those hard choices and focus on the work that matters.

That’s our honest projection. Three years of $750,000 above our usual fundraising goal would give us the capital to complete the transition work of making Adventure Cycling financially sustainable — stronger membership infrastructure, modernized systems, diversified revenue, and programs that generate both value and income. We believe that with that runway, we can get to a place where this level of emergency fundraising is no longer necessary. We’ll report transparently on our progress each year so you can hold us to that.

Your donation goes directly toward the programs and infrastructure that make Adventure Cycling possible: route research and development, advocacy work on the U.S. Bicycle Route System, guided tours and community experiences, member programs, and the organizational systems that hold it all together. This campaign specifically funds the transition work of making ACA sustainable — the investments in membership value, digital infrastructure, and program innovation that set us up for the next fifty years.

We’re committed to keeping administrative and fundraising costs lean so that the majority of every dollar reaches the mission directly. You can review our full financials here.

Yes. Adventure Cycling Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. You’ll receive a gift acknowledgment for your records after your donation is processed.

Membership gives you access to member benefits — discounts on maps and tours, Adventure Cyclist magazine, member-only events, and more. It’s a transaction with real value on both sides.

A donation is a gift to the mission beyond what membership covers. It funds the work that doesn’t pay for itself — route research in remote areas, advocacy for the U.S. Bicycle Route System, community programs, and the organizational investments that make Adventure Cycling viable for the long term. Many of our strongest supporters do both: they’re members because they love the benefits, and donors because they believe in the mission.

Membership dues cover a portion of what it costs to run Adventure Cycling, but not all of it. The routes we research and maintain, the advocacy work we do on your behalf, the community programs we run — these require more than dues revenue alone can support. Especially right now, as we work to rebuild the organization’s financial foundation, donations make the difference between a program that survives and one that thrives. Your dues say you value what we do. A donation says you want us to keep doing it.

Adventure Cycling is currently being led by our Interim Executive Director, Maxton Caplanides. Max comes into this role as VP of Community Engagement and with a decade of service to ACA. As lead fundraiser and head of Membership, he understands our membership and its needs. Max will lead day-to-day operations, while the board, with external support, focuses on strategy and governance, including the work needed to recruit a permanent ED.

Our previous Executive Director resigned after concluding that he was not the leader Adventure Cycling needed at this time. Leadership transitions are never easy, and we’re grateful for his contributions to Adventure Cycling. The board will share updates with members when they decide the time is right to conduct a leadership search.

Our board of directors has been actively engaged throughout this transition — attending meetings, engaging directly with staff, and taking on a more hands-on oversight role than is typical during stable periods. We’ve worked to ensure that the leadership transition hasn’t disrupted program delivery or day-to-day operations, and we believe that’s largely been the case. The board is committed to being more transparent about board decision-making going forward. They plan to build a governance webpage and host member webinars where you can hear directly from leadership and ask questions.

Significantly. Two or three years ago, the organization was carrying costs it couldn’t sustain, operating on financial assumptions that turned out to be overly optimistic, and managing programs and systems that needed investment or reinvention. Since then, we’ve reduced staff by 30%, cut expenses by over $1 million, restructured our membership model, launched major new routes including the Golden Gravel Trail, deepened key partnerships. We’re a leaner organization — and in many ways a more focused and honest one. We have real work still to do, but the trajectory has changed.

Several things. We have much stronger fincancial leadership and controls in place now. We’re taking a more agile approach to planning, setting clear priorities and success metrics rather than locking into long-range assumptions that may not hold. We have plans to build more tangible value into membership to curtail the decline of memberships. And we’re being more transparent with members so that if challenges emerge, you hear about them early rather than after the fact.

Yes. We believe financial transparency is fundamental to the trust you’ve placed in us. See 990s and annual reports here. See our Candid Profile or our Charity Navigator profile.

We’ll provide regular campaign updates throughout the year — including progress toward our fundraising goal, how funds are being deployed, and what they’re making possible. At the end of the year, we’ll share a full accounting of where the campaign dollars went and what changed as a result. We’re also committed to annual impact reporting that connects financial performance to program outcomes, so you can see the full picture, not just the numbers.

With the support we received in 2025, we increased program outputs despite having fewer staff. We launched three new routes. We expanded the U.S. Bicycle Route System by nearly 950 miles. We welcomed 500+ riders on guided tours. We kept the organization moving forward through significant internal turbulence. Your gift in 2026 funds the next chapter of that work — and we’ll show you exactly what it built.

The board is committed to deeper member engagement and more robust feedback mechanisms going forward. That includes the governance webpage they plan to build and regular member webinars. Whether future decisions rise to the level of a formal member vote will depend on the nature of the decision and our bylaws, but the commitment to keeping you informed and giving you meaningful ways to weigh in is real and ongoing.

Absolutely, and thank you. Our year 1 goal will be complete if every member gives $50 more than they donated last year (not including member dues). Any gift above $50 is welcome and meaningful. If you’re able to give at the $1,000 level or above, you’ll become a member of our Tailwind Society — our community of leadership donors who receive special recognition. If you’d like to discuss a major gift or a multi-year commitment, please reach out directly to: development@adventurecycling.org

The Tailwind Society is Adventure Cycling’s community of donors who give $1,000 or more annually. Members of the Tailwind Society receive special recognition in appreciation of their leadership-level support.

The Century Circle is our monthly giving program. Century Circle donors give a recurring monthly gift — at any level — providing Adventure Cycling with reliable, sustained revenue that helps us plan and invest with confidence. Monthly giving is one of the most impactful ways to support the organization because it compounds over time and reduces our dependence on one-time gifts.

Yes — and we’d love it if you did. Monthly giving through our Century Circle program is one of the most valuable forms of support we receive. A recurring monthly gift — even a modest one — gives us predictable revenue we can plan around, which is especially important as we work to stabilize the organization’s finances. You can set up a monthly gift here.

All donations will go into our general operating fund, where they are most needed at this time.

Your life membership has always meant more than a transaction to us — it’s a statement of belief in this organization and its mission. The most meaningful thing a life member can do right now is make a donation above and beyond that commitment. If every life member gave $250 above their usual annual gift, we’d complete year one of our additional fundraising goal entirely. You can give at that level, or at whatever level feels right, here. If you’d like to talk about your support more personally, reach out to our team directly at development@adventurecycling.org.

Yes, and we’d be glad to have you back. You can renew your membership and make a donation in the same transaction on this page.

If you have questions about your membership history or want to talk through the options, contact us at memberships@adventurecycling.org.

In 2026 we’re focused on rebuilding what it means to be an Adventure Cycling member: stronger benefits at higher tiers, premium recognition items, easier renewal flows, and more ways to engage through webinars, member events, Drop-In Rides, and a voice in shaping the tour slate. We’re also working to make our routes and digital tools more accessible to members, and we’re investing in the advocacy work that benefits every cyclist who uses our infrastructure. We also heard your desire for more U.S.-based stories in the magazine, so we’ve made that shift. Membership declined in part because we weren’t delivering enough visible value. We know that, and we’re fixing it.