Stronger Together
We believe in giving back to the communities that welcome us and help make Backroads trips so special. We support initiatives that promote environmental action and deepen the connection between active tourism and local well-being. Whether through strategic donations, purpose-driven trips or the dedication of our guests and employees, we’re committed to creating lasting, positive impacts.
Backroads Gives Back
We support nonprofits and local projects working to protect the places we explore and the people who call them home.
World Bicycle Relief
We’ve been a proud supporter of World Bicycle Relief since 2016. By providing high-quality bicycles to people in low-income rural communities, their work also enables access to health care, education and economic opportunities.
Trust For Public Land
Like Backroads, Trust for Public Land believes that everyone deserves access to the green spaces that are vital to health and well-being. They work with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most.
Community Support
We also work with regional nonprofits who know their community needs best:
- Jackson Hole: Friends Of Pathways
- Marin County Bicycle Coalition: Corey’s Ride
- Adventure Travel Conservation Fund
Expanding Our Give Back Program
Expanding Our Give Back Program
Backroads is deeply connected to the communities that welcome us, and our Trip Leaders have long had ideas about ways to give back. In 2025, we launched the Give Back program to provide the structure and support to turn those ideas into action. Through the program, they can dedicate paid volunteer hours each year or apply for donations to support local initiatives. The goal is simple: empower our teams to strengthen community relationships through meaningful action.
Cuba - Community Arts Ride
A Backroads-supported community arts bike tour brought cyclists and artists together to travel across eastern Cuba, hosting workshops, performances, and mural projects with local youth. Over three weeks, the group engaged more than 200 participants, using bikes as tools for creativity, connection, and community impact.
Galápagos – Bike Donation & Workshop
Backroads Trip Leaders donated 15 bicycles and organized a community workshop in El Cascajo, providing residents with hands-on training in bike maintenance and safe riding. The project improves mobility, supports local livelihoods, and promotes sustainable transportation in a remote island community.
Nova Scotia – Tancook Island Recreation Centre
Backroads contributed $5,000 to support the volunteer-run Tancook Island Recreation Centre, a vital hub for community life and a longtime partner on our Nova Scotia trips. The funding supports facility upgrades, youth programming, and local events, helping the island prepare for increased tourism while preserving its culture and traditions.
Iceland – Beach Cleanup with Blue Army
Backroads Trip Leaders and Field Staff partnered with Blue Army for beach cleanups near Grindavík, removing more than 1,000 kg of ocean debris while learning from local environmental advocate Tommi. The project deepened community relationships and highlighted the role travelers can play in protecting fragile coastal ecosystems.
Canadian Rockies – Trail Maintenance with CAMBA
In collaboration with CAMBA, Backroads Field Staff volunteered to maintain and build trails in the Canmore region, supporting a network used by both locals and our guests. A donation further strengthened trail stewardship efforts and long-term access to outdoor spaces.
Alaska – Grewingk Glacier Trail Maintenance
For the second year, Backroads Trip Leaders and Field Staff partnered with Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park to maintain the heavily used Grewingk Glacier Trail. The effort supports both environmental conservation and the local infrastructure that makes responsible travel possible in the region.
Norway – Trail Maintenance
Backroads Trip Leaders and Field Staff worked alongside local partners to restore trails near Voss, improving conditions for both the community and guest experience. The project addressed immediate trail degradation while reinforcing long-term relationships in the region.
Azores – SaveAzoresWaves
Backroads supported SaveAzoresWaves with a donation to expand coastal conservation efforts through cleanups, education, and community events. The initiative helps protect the marine ecosystems that define the Azores while building long-term environmental awareness among locals and visitors.
Ecuador – Zuleta Condor Interpretation Center
A $10,000 contribution supported critical upgrades to the Zuleta Interpretation Center, part of Ecuador’s leading Andean condor conservation program. The funding helps maintain a key education hub that reaches thousands of visitors each year while supporting the survival of a critically endangered species.
South Africa – Sustainable Ceder (Clanwilliam Cedar Restoration)
Backroads supported Sustainable Ceder with a $5,000 contribution to restore the endangered Clanwilliam cedar through community-led planting, nursery development, and long-term monitoring. The project combines conservation with local job creation and ecosystem resilience in the Cederberg region.
Making a Local Impact
Making a Local Impact
Our Backroads Community Program supports nonprofits’ missions by donating trips or gift certificates for fundraising efforts.
Learn More About Our Donation Policy
Trips with Purpose
Trips with Purpose
We create positive change in the communities that welcome us by investing in community-led programs built directly into our itineraries.
Last year, we included more than 400 of these experiences on our trips around the world—each one designed to prioritize local involvement, empowerment and meaningful benefits for the people and places we visit.
Supporting Locally Owned Businesses
Local Participation to Strengthen Local Identity
Safeguarding Local Traditions and Customs
Increasing Local Revenue and Jobs
Zuleta Condor Center
Backroads supported the launch of Hacienda Zuleta's Andean Condor Huasi Project in Ecuador, internationally recognized for rehabilitating Andean condors.
Alleva Bio Farm
Guests on our Sicily Biking Trips are welcomed by owner Giuseppe Grasso at Alleva Bio Farm for a pasture tour and a look at how the farm runs in harmony with nature.
Tancook Island Recreation Centre
Built in 1976 and run entirely by volunteers, the center is the social and cultural heart of this island in Nova Scotia—hosting events, supporting emergency services and strengthening community resilience.
Che’il Mayan Chocolate Factory
Join our Multi-Adventure Trips in Belize & Guatemala and visit the artisanal Che’il Mayan Chocolate Factory, a Mayan family-owned producer and organic cocoa cooperative.
Terracotta Ceramics Museum
At this nonprofit museum honoring Catalonia’s rich ceramic traditions, kids on our Family Trips in Spain’s Costa Brava explore the art of pottery through a hands-on activity.
Hugh & Mike Murphy
A highlight for guests visiting Kenmare on our Ireland trips, local guides—and longtime friends of Backroads—Hugh and Mike Murphy bring the region’s stories to life.
Tahuantinsuyo Weaving Workshop
On the Galapagos and Andes trips, guests visit the Tahuantinsuyo Weaving Workshop, an Indigenous family-operated (Otavaleño) weaving studio, to meet master weavers and learn about the traditional craft.
