The Overland Expo Foundation has been steadily growing since its inception in 2020. Each year the overland community’s support of their mission of has grown and the Foundation’s impact has grown alongside it. 2025 was a landmark year for the Foundation where they supported significant projects that benefitted veterans, active service members, and first responders, helped stem the growth of invasive plant species, and cleaned up miles of trails, helping keep them open for generations of outdoor enthusiast to come.
2025 Fundraising Success Fueling Future Projects
The 401(c)3 non-profit organization raises funds primarily through two initiatives – the Overland Expo Foundation raffles occurring on Saturday nights at each Overland Expo, and the 2025 Ultimate Build vehicle sales. In 2025, the raffles raised over $80,000 and the Ultimate Builds brought in an additional $122,650. The fundraising goes toward its mission of protecting access, supporting the overland community, and improving the state of public lands and trails. They achieve this through targeted grants and scholarships to nonprofits engaged in conservation, restoration, and remediation on public lands, as well as organizations that employ overland travel as a means of connection, stewardship, and growth for veterans and first responders. The funds raised in 2025 fund ongoing projects and support additional initiatives in 2026 and beyond.
2025: One Year, Fourteen Projects, Big Impact
It is through this support that the Overland Expo Foundation and its 330 volunteers removed 64,605 pounds of trash, served 155 veterans, posted 165 informational signs, served 855 kids through its educational programs, and improved 1,082 miles of overland trails serving approximately 2 million acres of land – all in 2025.
All in all, the Overland Expo Foundation provided grants totaling $76,949 to help fund 14 separate projects. Details of all 14 project can be found in their forthcoming 2025 Impact Report. In the meantime, here are four highlights of some of the projects the Overland Expo Foundation helped support in 2025:
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Project: Heal the Land – Explore More So Cal
With the support of a $2,500 grant from the Overland Expo Foundation, Project Heal the Land and Explore More So Cal were able to bring 268 kids on outdoor hands-on education field trips. Through hiking trips on local trails and hands-on workshops, students are provided with opportunities to engage directly with nature, learn about their local ecosystems and cultural heritage, and develop lifelong skills for outdoor recreation and sustainability.
Fox Bravo Overland and Operation Desert Fox I and II
With assistance from a $7,500 grant from the Overland Expo Foundation, Fox Bravo Overland (FBO) delivered two transformative 10-day expeditions—Operation Desert Fox I and II—designed to reconnect participants with purpose, community, and themselves through overland adventure. The grant ensured that one full Desert Fox expedition could be delivered at zero cost to participants—removing financial barriers and making access possible for those who needed it most.
Fallen Peace Officer Trail
Last April the Overland Expo Foundation teamed up with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) during Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah to provide much needed repair, replacement, and expansion for camping area fences that serve the Fallen Peace Officer Trail. The fences serve to distinguish and separate camping areas, trail entrances, and conservation areas that are critical to keeping the trail open and accessible to future visitors.
Friends of the Ironwood Forest and Tucson Bird Alliance – Stop the Stink(net)
Last May, Overland Expo West served as the powerful kickoff for the “Stop the Stink(net)” campaign—an ambitious, community-powered initiative to combat stinknet, an invasive and dangerous weed rapidly spreading across the American Southwest. Stinknet is an alarming invasive plant that threatens our communities by destroying biodiversity with its aggressive growth, causing fires when the plants dry, and emitting toxic gases when burned.
With the support of a $1,244 grant from the Overland Expo Foundation, the Friends of Ironwood Forest and Tucson Bird Alliance took the fight directly to the overlanding community. Throughout the weekend, 400 visitors stopped by the Stop the Stink(net) booth to learn how they could help protect public lands.
More Information and How to Get Involved
If you are inspired by the Foundation’s work in 2025 and want to be part of its success story in 2026, head over to their website to become a volunteer or donate to the Overland Expo Foundation’s work.
