Morton Bike Trail Improvement Fund

Helping Morton Seize Opportunities for BikeTrail Development

The Morton Community Bike Trail Improvement Fund was established in 2021 by Richard and Peggy Giebelhausen to help expand and improve bike trails in Morton. This fund provides matching dollars to support trail development projects by the Village of Morton and the Morton Park District, helping them meet local match requirements for state and federal grants.

Bike trails are more than just paths—they connect neighborhoods, parks, and people. But building them can be costly, especially when grants require significant local matching funds. Without that match, communities often miss out on opportunities to develop new trails.

Inspired by bike-friendly communities across the country, the Giebelhausens wanted to bring that same quality of life to Morton. They partnered with the Morton Community Foundation to create a fund that removes financial barriers and ensures Morton is ready to pursue trail grants as they become available.

This fund helps leverage larger amounts of grant funding to make trail projects a reality—now and for future generations. It’s a gift that will continue to improve health, recreation, and connectivity in our community.

If you share this vision, we invite you to join us. Your gift to the fund will help create more safe, accessible trails for Morton area residents to enjoy for years to come.

To make a tax-deductible donation to this endowment fund, you can:

  • Donate by check: Make it payable to Morton Community Foundation and mail it to 135 S First Ave, Morton, IL 61550. Please write “Bike Trail Fund” on the memo line.

  • Make a tax-advantaged gift of stock…Visit our stock gifting page by clicking HERE.

  • Give online by clicking the button below.

Are you a Caterpillar Employee or Retiree?

The Caterpillar Foundation is proud to offer the year-round Matching Gifts Program to support their employees, U.S. retirees and board of directors in their contributions to worthy causes. Eligible Caterpillar participants may request an annual total maximum 1:1 match of $10,000 USD each calendar year to eligible charities to which contributions are tax deductible. The Morton Community Foundation is an eligible charity. So, if you are an eligible Caterpillar participant, you may submit any donations to this fund for an equivalent match, up to your total maximum of $10,000 per year. CLICK HERE to link to the Caterpillar Foundation’s Matching Gift website.