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Fort Wayne Trails Inc

EIN 42-1545637 · Fort Wayne, IN

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceFair66 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

FORT WAYNE TRAILS IS A COMMUNITY PARTNER AND ADVOCATE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CONNECTED, MULTI-PURPOSE SYSTEM OF TRAILS IN ALLEN COUNTY.

Income
$510,220
Spending
$858,457
Spent on programs
74%
Reserves
13.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 91%
Employees
7
Volunteers
330
Highest pay
$112,188, executive di

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 61% of charities in its peer group (recreation and sports, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 13.9 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 68% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 19% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    74% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 23 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Fair: 66 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (recreation and sports, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    17 of 17 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (1)
  1. $637,395 spent. FOR THE 2024-2025 PROGRAMMING YEAR, FWT HAD THE FOLLOWING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: VANN FAMILY CROSSING: FWT PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE TO RECEIVE A 5M GIFT FROM THE VANN FAMILY FOUNDATION FOR A MUCH NEEDED CONNECTION OVER COLISEUM BLVD. LINKING THE NORTH AND SOUTH TRAIL SYSTEMS TO CREATE 130 MILES OF CONNECTED TRAIL. THE CROSSING WILL BE BUILT IN 2026. CEDAR CREEK PARKS TRAIL: FWT CONTINUED TO HELP COORDINATE AND ADVOCATE FOR FUNDING TO COMPLETE THIS TRAIL FROM METEA NORTH COUNTY PARK TO GRABILL, IN DOWNTOWN. FWT HELPED MANAGE THE PROJECT DURING CONSTRUCTION IN 2025. PUFFERBELLY-GOLDEN SPIKE: FWT CONTRIBUTED 300,000 TO THE BUILDING OF THE GOLDEN SPIKE SECTION OF THE PUFFERBELLY TRAIL. IT WAS USED AS LEVERAGE FOR MATCHING FUNDS FOR A NEXT LEVEL TRAILS GRANT RECEIVED FROM THE STATE OF INDIANA FOR 2.7M. LOCAL ADVOCACY: FORT WAYNE TRAILS PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN HELPING ACQUIRE THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR THE UNION CHAPEL TRAIL TRAIL FROM THE PUFFERBELLY TO AUBURN RD. WITH OUR EFFORTS, THE PROJECT WILL BE ABLE TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION IN 2026. REGIONAL TRAIL ADVOCACY: FORT WAYNE TRAILS PLAYS AN ACTIVE ROLE ON THE POKA-BACHE COALITION WORKING TO BUILD THE 83-MILE TRAIL FROM POKAGON STATE PARK TO OUBACHE STATE PARK. THIS INCLUDED ASSISTING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A US DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION GRANT APPLICATION FOR PLANNING DOLLARS FOR THE REMAINING 30 MILES OF TRAIL. WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT: FORT WAYNE TRAILS IS THE VOICE OF THE TRAILS AND A MAJOR RESOURCE FOR PROJECT-BASED INFORMATION AND CONNECTIVITY INFORMATION. THE PROJECT PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE WAS VISITED 3,088 TIMES IN THE FISCAL YEAR; THE MAPS PAGE WAS VISITED 14,737 TIMES. WE HAVE 15K+ FOLLOWERS ON FACEBOOK AND 7K+ FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: FORT WAYNE TRAILS OFFERED PROGRAMMING TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN USING THE TRAIL SYSTEM. OVER 50,000 MAPS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO TRAIL USERS FOR SYSTEM NAVIGATION AND FOR TRAIL-FRIENDLY BUSINESS INTERACTION. THROUGH OUR EVENTS AND PROGRAMS, 1,606 INTERACTIONS WERE CAPTURED. PROGRAMS TO FAMILIARIZE PEOPLE WITH THE SYSTEM AND TRAIL SAFETY INCLUDED THE TREK THE TRAILS AND TREAD THE TRAILS PROGRAMS AS WELL AS RUNNERS IN THE ANNUAL PUFFERBELLY RACE. ADOPT-A-GREENWAY: FORT WAYNE TRAILS ASSUMED THIS PROGRAM FROM THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE TO EXPAND IT TO BE COUNTY WIDE. 55 GROUPS OF VOLUNTEERS ADOPTED 53, 1-3 MILE STRETCHES OF THE TRAIL SYSTEM TO PICK UP LITTER AND TRASH TWO TIMES A YEAR. FOR THE 2024 CALENDAR YEAR, 247 VOLUNTEERS WERE ENGAGED IN THIS PROGRAM. FOR THE 2024-2025 PROGRAMMING YEAR, FWT HAD THE FOLLOWING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: VANN FAMILY CROSSING: FWT PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE TO RECEIVE A 5M GIFT FROM THE VANN FAMILY FOUNDATION FOR A MUCH NEEDED CONNECTION OVER COLISEUM BLVD. LINKING THE NORTH AND SOUTH TRAIL SYSTEMS TO CREATE 130 MILES OF CONNECTED TRAIL. THE CROSSING WILL BE BUILT IN 2026. CEDAR CREEK PARKS TRAIL: FWT CONTINUED TO HELP COORDINATE AND ADVOCATE FOR FUNDING TO COMPLETE THIS TRAIL FROM METEA NORTH COUNTY PARK TO GRABILL, IN DOWNTOWN. FWT HELPED MANAGE THE PROJECT DURING CONSTRUCTION IN 2025. PUFFERBELLY-GOLDEN SPIKE: FWT CONTRIBUTED 300,000 TO THE BUILDING OF THE GOLDEN SPIKE SECTION OF THE PUFFERBELLY TRAIL. IT WAS USED AS LEVERAGE FOR MATCHING FUNDS FOR A NEXT LEVEL TRAILS GRANT RECEIVED FROM THE STATE OF INDIANA FOR 2.7M. LOCAL ADVOCACY: FORT WAYNE TRAILS PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN HELPING ACQUIRE THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR THE UNION CHAPEL TRAIL TRAIL FROM THE PUFFERBELLY TO AUBURN RD. WITH OUR EFFORTS, THE PROJECT WILL BE ABLE TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION IN 2026. REGIONAL TRAIL ADVOCACY: FORT WAYNE TRAILS PLAYS AN ACTIVE ROLE ON THE POKA-BACHE COALITION WORKING TO BUILD THE 83-MILE TRAIL FROM POKAGON STATE PARK TO OUBACHE STATE PARK. THIS INCLUDED ASSISTING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A US DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION GRANT APPLICATION FOR PLANNING DOLLARS FOR THE REMAINING 30 MILES OF TRAIL. WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT: FORT WAYNE TRAILS IS THE VOICE OF THE TRAILS AND A MAJOR RESOURCE FOR PROJECT-BASED INFORMATION AND CONNECTIVITY INFORMATION. THE PROJECT PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE WAS VISITED 3,088 TIMES IN THE FISCAL YEAR; THE MAPS PAGE WAS VISITED 14,737 TIMES. WE HAVE 15K+ FOLLOWERS ON FACEBOOK AND 7K+ FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: FORT WAYNE TRAILS OFFERED PROGRAMMING TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN USING THE TRAIL SYSTEM. OVER 50,000 MAPS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO TRAIL USERS FOR SYSTEM NAVIGATION AND FOR TRAIL-FRIENDLY BUSINESS INTERACTION. THROUGH OUR EVENTS AND PROGRAMS, 1,606 INTERACTIONS WERE CAPTURED. PROGRAMS TO FAMILIARIZE PEOPLE WITH THE SYSTEM AND TRAIL SAFETY INCLUDED THE TREK THE TRAILS AND TREAD THE TRAILS PROGRAMS AS WELL AS RUNNERS IN THE ANNUAL PUFFERBELLY RACE. ADOPT-A-GREENWAY: FORT WAYNE TRAILS ASSUMED THIS PROGRAM FROM THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE TO EXPAND IT TO BE COUNTY WIDE. 55 GROUPS OF VOLUNTEERS ADOPTED 53, 1-3 MILE STRETCHES OF THE TRAIL SYSTEM TO PICK UP LITTER AND TRASH TWO TIMES A YEAR. FOR THE 2024 CALENDAR YEAR, 247 VOLUNTEERS WERE ENGAGED IN THIS PROGRAM.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since December 2004.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.