American Discovery Trail Society
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 680381715
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2013–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2015
- Location
- Front Royal, VA, USA
- Phone
- 8006632387
- Rating
- 84
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Parks and Playgrounds
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $150,257
- Expenses
- $180,762
- Assets
- $339,520
- Liabilities
- $4,460
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
19 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- J Eric Seaborg (President of the Board)
- Harold Draper (Vice President of the Board)
People named in this filing
- J Eric Seaborg (President of the Board)
- Harold Draper (Vice President of the Board)
- Bob Palin (Board VP, Information Technology)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The American Discovery Trail is responsible for the ongoing development and promotion of America's first coast-to-coast non-motorized trail for hiking, biking, running and other recreational purposes. Passing near the homes of more than 40 million people, the trail runs through fifteen states and our nation's capital. It promotes natural, cultural, and historical resources and facilitates tourism and economic development in rural, suburban and large metropolitan areas.
What it reported doing in 2025
The Society raises awareness of the American Discovery Trail to educate the public of the opportunities for recreation and the health and enjoyment derived from using a trail that runs across North America through 15 states, making it one of the longest trails in the world. Society members and volunteers provide support to long-distance hikers, and we work with local, state, and federal officials on the installation of signage, such as larger signs at trailhead parking lots as well as small signs at regular intervals in state and national parks and forests and along trails managed by our collaborating nonprofit partners. In 2025, we also completely redesigned our website and our customer relationship management database.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 66% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 75
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 35
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 86.8%; rating input score 87
- Program expense ratio: 69.2%; rating input score 69
- Fundraising efficiency: $8.65 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -20.3%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.88; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 10% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 86.8% of revenue deployed · 69.2% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $125K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 19 people listed
- Consistency: 43 of 43 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 9 filing years from 2013 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
- People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 34/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 11/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 58/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 38/100.