A Strong First Year: Gravel Worlds Foundation 2025 Impact Report
2025 marked a milestone year with the launch of the Gravel Worlds Foundation (GWF), the new non-profit wing of Gravel Worlds. Created to formalize and expand our long-standing commitment to giving back, the Foundation represents a natural evolution of what Gravel Worlds has always stood for: community, stewardship, and shared responsibility.
In its first official year, the Gravel Worlds Foundation proudly donated $98,005 to organizations supporting cycling, outdoor access, youth development, community health, and local infrastructure. This impact is a direct reflection of the generosity of the gravel community. Riders, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters turned participation into purpose and passion into meaningful action.
Why the Gravel Worlds Foundation Exists
Gravel Worlds has always been about more than racing. From the earliest days, the event has relied on small towns, rural roads, volunteers, and local partners. The Gravel Worlds Foundation was created to ensure that the success of our events directly supports the people and places that make them possible.
The Foundation acts as a magnifying glass for the generosity of the gravel community, transforming events into lasting positive impact.
2025 Giving Summary
In 2025, the Gravel Worlds Foundation supported 19 organizations, with donations ranging from grassroots youth programs to international cycling initiatives. These partnerships reflect our core values of accessibility, community, service, and stewardship.
2025 Grant and Donation Recipients:
Adventure For All: $28,655
NICA Nebraska: $13,000
Lincoln Parks and Recreation Foundation: $10,000
Project Echelon: $10,000
United Way of Payne County: $7,300
Arbor Day Foundation: $5,000
Lancaster Composite (NICA): $5,000
City of Weeping Water: $3,000
World Bicycle Relief: $2,300
Scare Away Cancer: $1,000
T.H.O.R., Inc.: $1,000
Treynor Fire Department: $1,000
Order of Rainbow Girls: $800
Valparaiso Rural Fire Department: $800
Christian Motorcycle Association: $750
Wheelie Good Ride Academy: $500
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: $400
Imua Family Services $5,000.00 (ALOHA GRAVEL)
Maui Mountain Bike Coalition $2,500.00 (ALOHA GRAVEL)
Areas of Impact
The Foundation’s 2025 giving focused on several key areas:
Youth cycling and development through support of NICA programs and youth-focused initiatives that foster confidence, health, and lifelong engagement with cycling.
Community infrastructure through investment in parks, recreation, and essential services in the communities that host and support Gravel Worlds events.
Access and inclusion by partnering with organizations working to remove barriers to outdoor recreation and cycling participation.
Service and stewardship through support of first responders, environmental organizations, and global cycling access initiatives.
Aloha Gravel: Giving Back From the Ground Up
2025 also marked an important milestone with the first successful Aloha Gravel in Maui, the first official event supported by the Gravel Worlds Foundation. Designed intentionally to give back from the ground up, Aloha Gravel raised $7,500 to support trail work and children’s organizations on Maui.
This event demonstrated what the Gravel Worlds Foundation can be at its best: a locally rooted experience that respects place, supports community needs, and leaves a positive footprint long after race day. Aloha Gravel set the tone for how future GWF-supported events can operate with purpose at their core.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The Gravel Worlds Foundation is just getting started. Building on a strong first year, we are proud to share that in 2026, Goodlife Nutrition will match up to $50,000 in donations made through the Gravel Worlds Foundation. This commitment represents a powerful investment in the future of the Foundation and the communities it serves.
With continued support from partners, participants, and the gravel community at large, the Foundation is positioned to expand its reach, deepen existing partnerships, and create even greater impact in the years ahead.
To everyone who rode, volunteered, donated, or supported Gravel Worlds in 2025, thank you. This impact belongs to you.
Together, we are proving that gravel is not just a surface. It is a community.