How Brands and Nonprofits Can Team Up for Trail Impact
It’s 8 a.m. on a Saturday. The parking lot is already full. Coffee in hand, you see a line of volunteers pulling tools from a trailer, laughter mixing with the hum of conversation. There’s a familiar logo printed on a few shirts, one that usually lives on helmets, handlebars, or packaging, but today it’s on shovels. No cameras. No social media. No fanfare. Just hands in the dirt.
This is what meaningful exposure looks like.
For brands, showing up at a local dig day is about more than visibility. It’s about credibility. You know, the kind that doesn’t need a press release. For nonprofits, it’s a reminder that sponsorships aren’t simply about checks. Instead, they’re about partnerships. And when both sides approach events through that shared lens, trails, not just impressions, get built.
The Power of Showing Up
Anyone can post about trail building. Far fewer actually show up to do it.
The truth is, presence still matters. The mountain bike community values authenticity, and nothing communicates authenticity better than a brand representative sweating alongside volunteers. Dig days and trail events aren’t where products are launched. They’re where relationships are built.
Trail building is inherently local, and that’s where brand engagement should start. Instead of waiting for major events or trade shows, the real impact often happens at the small gatherings like the Saturday morning work party, the women’s trail building clinic, or the first reroute of a washed-out trail section. Visibility fades, but relationships and reputation linger long after the dirt settles.
Start Local: Why Dig Days Matter
Dig days are the backbone of trail advocacy. They’re accessible, community-driven, and directly tied to tangible outcomes. Every new berm, reworked drainage, or reclaimed trail section tells a story that’s easy to connect to and even easier to photograph.
For brands, this is the sweet spot. Trail work puts you in the center of the story you’re trying to tell: real people improving the places they ride. Something as grassroots as a dig day can scale up to have a real economic impact.
But the return for brands goes beyond dollars. It’s about association. When riders see a logo that’s consistently tied to trail work, it builds a kind of brand loyalty that no paid ad can replicate. It’s not measurable in metrics, but it’s visible every time someone points out your sticker on a tool trailer and says, “They help build our trails.”
For Trail Orgs: Turning Dig Days into Partnership Opportunities
Nonprofits don’t need to chase sponsors; they need to invite them into the story.
Start by identifying what brands already care about: community, impact, visibility, and alignment. Instead of sending a sponsorship packet filled with logo placements and price tiers, paint a picture of outcomes. “Your support built two new miles of trail.” “Your sponsorship funded our women’s dig day series.” Those results carry weight.
Make your events sponsor-ready:
Clarify the impact. Quantify the volunteer hours, miles maintained, or new trail segments built.
Plan for visibility. Assign a volunteer to capture photos or video that brands can share.
Close the loop. After the event, share a recap post and tag every partner. Recognition builds retention.
We know that our Trail Builder Mag audience values stories, photos, and social content from the field. Use that to your advantage. Every dig day recap becomes a platform for your sponsors to amplify.
Beyond the Shovel: Choosing Strategic Events
Not every event deserves your time or budget, and that’s true for both sides. For brands, choosing events strategically means asking: Does this align with our values? Will our presence lead to community trust or just exposure?
Dig days may be the heart of trail work, but larger gatherings, such as regional summits, workshops, and conferences, are also great for long-term partnerships. These events connect brand reps with land managers, nonprofit leaders, and professional builders all in one place. The collaboration that starts over a conference coffee break often leads to funding agreements and multi-year trail projects.
From The Economic Benefits of Mountain Biking report, we know that organized events from festivals to volunteer work weekends inject millions into local economies. They draw visitors, drive spending, and increase visibility for both brands and trail organizations. That’s the kind of synergy worth investing in.
For trail orgs, attending these gatherings is equally critical. They’re not just about networking. They’re about finding the right partners who care about the same dirt you do.
Trails Are the ROI
The real measure of a partnership isn’t media reach or engagement metrics. It’s the sound of tires rolling across freshly built singletrack.
The brands that prioritize local involvement become trusted names within communities. The trail orgs that treat sponsors as collaborators, not just donors, build stronger, more sustainable programs. Together, they create something that lasts longer than a campaign: miles of trail, stronger communities, and a legacy that riders can literally feel beneath their wheels.
Because in the end, the best kind of exposure is the kind you can ride.
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. Sean also owns and roasts coffee for Loam Coffee.
