#MergerMondays: Michigan Trails
Merger Monday feels especially sweet when we get to share one we’ve helped shepherd. The Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance (MTGA) and the Michigan Trails Fund (MTF) are now one — a powerful step forward for Michigan’s trails and the communities they serve.
For decades, MTGA has been a trusted leader in helping communities build, connect, and promote trails across the state. Their work has inspired collaboration among local leaders, brought new users to trails, and elevated the voice of trail advocates. MTF, known first as the Iron Belle Trail Fund, has carried a bold vision since its founding in 2012: a continuous trail linking Detroit to Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula. With support from philanthropy, corporate partners, and public agencies, MTF has mobilized resources to build and expand trails mile by mile, ensuring that the dream of statewide connectivity became a reality.
Today, September 30, 2025, MTGA and MTF are uniting as one, creating a powerful new beginning that streamlines resources, unifies strategy, and amplifies their impact across Michigan’s trail community. Advocates and users alike have called for stronger coordination.
This merger answers that call.
As MTGA absorbs MTF’s grantmaking and steps into its expanded mission, the organization is poised to ensure Michigan remains a national leader in trail connectivity. Together, they carry forward an extraordinary legacy: more than $6.2 million in grants awarded to trail projects, the vision and progress of the 2,000-mile Iron Belle Trail (the longest designated state trail in the nation), and decades of advocacy that have built a culture of collaboration around trails statewide. With this merger, that legacy gains renewed momentum, equipping the combined organization to deliver on its bold promise: safe, accessible, and beautiful trails that connect communities and invite people to experience Michigan in transformative ways.
At Kate Harris Group, we believe mergers are about people as much as process. In walking alongside MTGA and MTF, our work was to hold the space where vision and values could meet, to make sure each step honored their missions while opening doors to what’s next. What made this journey extraordinary was the courage of both organizations choosing to lean into their mission, to imagine more together than they could apart, and to set a course that reflects the communities they serve.
This merger reflects what is possible when mission-driven organizations come together with clarity, care, and vision. And for Michigan’s trail users — from hikers to cyclists to families enjoying a Saturday walk — the path ahead is brighter than ever.
Please join us in congratulating the leaders of Michigan trails past, present, and future!
See their official press release here: https://mcusercontent.com/e797f61fcdb36ef21c5ce23f1/files/56f47987-24fe-e319-e39f-0f1701be8c81/MTGA.MTF_merger_release.final.docx.pdf
