Participants of the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program (IYMBP) learn some trail riding techniques before heading onto the trails near Itasoo Lake, British Columbia. IYMBP shares the love of riding and supports Indigenous youth to get outdoors, reconnect with the land and live healthy active lives. Photo by P. Masukovitz
OTTA Trail Trust Interview with Jackie Martin
Chief Purpose & Inclusion Officer, Fox Factory, Inc.
Fox Factory created Trail Trust to provide grants to organizations helping to preserve the places we love to play. The goal is to bring together diverse communities to build, maintain, and expand access to trails. OTTA met with Jackie Martin to learn about how Trail Trust was created, the program’s priorities, and the progress made during the first year.
OTTA: Can you tell us how Trail Trust got started? Why was this initiative important to Fox Factory?
Jackie Martin
Fox Factory is a global organization that spans multiple countries and manufactures a diverse portfolio of performance products for mountain bikes, off-road vehicles, snowmobiles and more. The company has seen exponential growth over the last decade, and with this comes the responsibility to our winning legacy beyond the podium to becoming a new kind of champion. The question was: How can we lead our industry in performance in the ever-critical space of sustainability?
Last year, we embarked on our journey to become a more purpose-driven organization. It started with a materiality assessment, looking at all our different stakeholders in the ecosystem - shareholders all the way through to employees, community organizations like yourself, and athletes. Coming out of that were 12 very specific prioritized focus areas which informed our Fox Factory Frontiers sustainability strategy. Because two of the top focus areas were related to trail access, conservation, and community impact, we knew we wanted to do more in the communities around us. That is the process that led to the creation of Trail Trust.
A Bearings Bike Works high school intern learns about the manufacturing process from a Fox Factory employee during a facility tour, Aug. 13, 2022. Students toured the Fox Factory Tech Center and manufacturing facilities north of Atlanta, Ga., to learn about the company, the technical skills used, and met with engineers. (Courtesy photo)
OTTA: Talking about the importance of Trail Trust, why is this kind of advocacy important to Fox? You touched on it, but do you want to go a little bit deeper on that?
Jackie Martin
The COVID pandemic impacted so many facets of everyone’s lives. One such impact was a sharp increase in the amount of time people spent outdoors because there was nowhere else to safely go. There was also increased interest in connecting with the natural environment and with people who have similar interests. This all resulted in more use of and more activity in the spaces where we play. With more activity comes unintentional impacts - things like illegal access and littering, as well as erosion and trail dilapidation from overuse. As an industry leader, we need to be intentional about ensuring our playgrounds continue to exist. And we also have a responsibility to expand access to the outdoors, as it can be incredibly uplifting and therapeutic. Outdoor adventuring should be available to everyone, not just a very narrow portion of the population. We know that the industry overall is fairly homogeneous, looking at the characteristics of those who typically bike or use off-road vehicles. So we're looking at it from both preserving our natural environment and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to enjoy it. Since launching Trail Trust in November 2021, we have awarded over $800,000 in grants to more than 60 nonprofit organizations worldwide. The projects align with our primary focus areas: trail building and maintenance, responsible recreation, and expanding opportunities. Our Trail Trust website has a listing of our latest partners as well as a section called “The Journal” where we share stories of impact.
OTTA: Can you give a little bit of insight into the selection process?
Jackie Martin
We have been thrilled with the number of applicants and the amount of interest in the program. When we announced Trail Trust last November, we kicked off the program with grants to a select group of nonprofits, including OTTA.
Since publicly launching the program, we’ve gotten over 100 grant applications from potential new partners. The majority of applicants are located in North America, but we’re hoping to expand more globally – especially in countries where Fox has a significant operating presence, such as Germany, Australia, and Taiwan. In reviewing the applications, we evaluate how strongly the nonprofits align with our Trail Trust focus areas. It’s also important for applicants to clearly articulate the grant’s impact. While events and one-time activations are great, we’re really looking for projects that have a sustainable impact. We also want to engage our employees, if possible, in volunteering and collaborating on storytelling. Expanding access is really big for us, so a trail building project that is targeted toward an underrepresented group (for example, an adaptive mountain biking trail) would rise to the top, as it touches two Trail Trust priorities.
Tread Lightly! and its partners lead a national initiative to protect and enhance recreation access and opportunities by promoting outdoor ethics to heighten individuals’ sense of good stewardship. The nonprofit’s mission and goals align with Trail Trust’s goal to bring together diverse communities to build, maintain, and expand access to trails. (Graphic courtesy of Tread Lightly!)
OTTA: Can you share some examples of projects you’ve been able to support?
Jackie Martin
Tread Lightly! is an organization that came to us very early on with the desire to create something that didn't exist before in the space of responsible recreation with e-bikes. In response to the rapid growth in popularity of e-bikes, Tread Lightly! used Trail Trust funding to develop and launch a series of educational materials and signage to encourage responsible e-bike recreation. A great example of expanded opportunities is how we support the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program in Canada. They build trails with Indigenous communities, creating opportunities for cultural revitalization, education, and, of course, mountain biking. They give individuals the opportunity to learn new skills and trades related to the build itself, while also providing participants the chance to enjoy the outdoors in a newfound way. They're also doing a lot to increase awareness for the outdoors and Canada’s Indigenous communities, including filming a documentary. Close to our corporate offices in Georgia, we partner with Bearings Bike Works, an organization focused on giving Atlanta youth the opportunity to learn the trade and professional skills required for providing bike service. One program they offer is for elementary school students who come on site and learn the basics of taking apart and then rebuilding bikes. This teaches them accountability and instills self-confidence in them. As the students learn, they earn points to then redeem for their very own bike which, of course, they’ll know how to properly upkeep and repair, as needed. So, it's kind of a learn-to-earn situation, but even after that point in the program, the kids keep coming and continue to improve their skills. Bearings also has an internship program filled with older students and an actual bike shop where community members can come to buy a bike or get theirs repaired. The funds collected from bike shop service and resale are funneled back into the program to support the youth and workforce development program. This summer, we even hosted their interns at our manufacturing and technology center to provide exposure to the manufacturing environment. During their visit, they toured our facilities and engaged with engineers, which provided them with a unique real-world experience that provided insight into how they could leverage their learnings into a possible future career.
Nearly 80 Fox Factory employees based out of Scotts Valley, Cali., pose for a group photo before tackling overgrowth and invasive plant species along the trails at Delaveaga Park, June 30, 2022. This Trail Trust funded event partnered with Santa Cruz Mountain Trail Stewardship and the City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation experts to properly cultivate and shape the trails. Fox Factory and Santa Cruz Mountain Trail Stewardship have previously partnered together to sponsor educational efforts and trail maintenance. (Photo by Ashley Walker)
OTTA: Can you talk more about volunteer work? That local aspect where Fox encourages employees to actually get out there and participate?
Jackie Martin
Fox Factory employees pose with their hedge trimmers as they help clear brush along the Delaveage Park, Cali., June 30, 2022. The mission of the Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network is to help cultivate a resilient, vibrant region where human and natural systems thrive for generations to come. (Photo by Ken Marshall)
Whenever Trail Trust partners are located in places where Fox has employees, we try to encourage volunteerism as much as possible. In fact, we recently launched an internal giving program called BOOST where employees can sign up for or create volunteer opportunities. Then for every hour that they volunteer, they are gifted funds from Fox to donate to a charity of their choice. They can also use BOOST to log or make personal donations to nonprofits and have their funds 100% matched 100% by Fox.
And the more volunteer events we’re planning, the more employees want to do! We have people coming to us with different ideas and projects that tie in with Trail Trust nicely. Oftentimes, it's their passion leading the way that creates a Trail Trust partner and volunteer engagement work. It's been really fantastic to support those efforts and we look forward to continuing this impactful trajectory.
Trail Trust awards grants each quarter to nonprofits and applications can be submitted year-round. Stories about past events or the application submission process can be found at www.trailtrust.com.