Overlanding depends on access—and access depends on a community willing to protect the places it explores.
That belief sits at the heart of the Overland Expo Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to serve the people, landscapes, and communities that make overland travel possible. Established in 2020, the Overland Expo Foundation provides education, resources, and opportunities for overland enthusiasts, businesses, and organizations to turn their passion for exploration into meaningful action.
Its connection to the overlanding market is direct. Overlanders rely on open trails, healthy public lands, safe recreation areas, and responsible access to remote destinations. Without stewardship, education, and sustained investment, many of those places can be damaged, restricted, or lost. The Overland Expo Foundation helps ensure that the growth of overlanding is matched by an equally strong commitment to protecting the land, preparing travelers, and supporting the communities connected to it.
The organization’s values reflect the best of overland culture: responsibility, preparedness, self-reliance, inclusion, education, and respect for the land. It promotes the idea that access is not something to be taken for granted. Exploring farther requires more than a capable vehicle and the right equipment. It also requires an understanding of responsible land use, trail etiquette, environmental stewardship, safety, and the long-term consequences of how people travel.
Executive Director Rachael Elseman leads the Foundation’s efforts to connect donors, volunteers, nonprofit partners, and members of the overland industry with projects capable of producing measurable results. Her role brings together organizations working in public-land restoration, education, veteran support and responsible recreation.
Matt Feldermann, Brand Manager, helps communicate that mission to the broader automotive, off-road, and overland markets. Through his connection to the industry, Feldermann helps ensure the Foundation’s work resonates with the enthusiasts, manufacturers, retailers, and event participants whose livelihoods and experiences depend on continued access to public lands. His role helps translate the Foundation’s impact into a clear message: protecting the future of overlanding is a shared responsibility.
The Foundation’s work is funded through several important channels. Individual donations provide direct grassroots support, while charity raffles held at Overland Expo events give attendees an opportunity to contribute while engaging with the industry. The annual Ultimate Vehicle Build auction transforms a fully outfitted overland vehicle into a major fundraising opportunity, and industry memberships allow companies to invest directly in stewardship, education, and responsible access. Together, these sources connect individual travelers and major brands around a common purpose.
The Overland Expo Foundation’s 2025 Impact Report shows the scale of that collective effort. During the year, it engaged 330 volunteers, removed 64,605 pounds of trash, improved 1,082 miles of trails and forest-service roads, and affected approximately 2 million acres. It also supported 166 veterans, installed 165 informational signs, and provided educational programming for 855 children. As noted in the report, the generosity of the overland community made it possible to award $76,949 in grants supporting projects that protected public lands, educated future stewards, and used exploration as a form of therapy.
READ MORE: Faces fo the Foundation: Matt Feldermann
Projects ranged from large-scale cleanup and restoration efforts to education, infrastructure, and therapeutic travel programs. Venture Unknown Foundation’s Sweep Up the Southeast removed more than 60,000 pounds of waste across eight states. Tread Lightly! restored fire-damaged recreation areas and removed tires, appliances, and debris from a 400-foot ravine. Other initiatives expanded camping resources in the Mojave Desert, installed motorized-use signage in Coconino National Forest, and introduced children to responsible overland travel. Veteran-focused programs used overland and adventure-motorcycle experiences to rebuild confidence, connection, and purpose.
The Overland Expo Foundation exists to ensure that exploration remains a positive force. By uniting enthusiasts, businesses, and nonprofit partners, it helps protect access, restore damaged landscapes, and prepare the next generation to travel responsibly. Its message to the overland community is simple: enjoying these places is a privilege. Protecting them is the responsibility that comes with it.
