When ATC decided to allow the Mountain Valley Pipeline, members objected, and they responded by announcing that ATC is not an environmental organization. It is a hiking club. It does an acceptable job of providing maintenance services for the Appalachian Trail property, which belongs to the National Park Service. But it does not support efforts to reduce climate change, increase biodiversity, or any other climate goals. It exists strictly so that hikers can hike, even if they have to hike through a pipeline corridor that has resulted in severe erosion of nearby mountainsides and that will increase greenhouse gases. I am a former volunteer and no longer donate or volunteer because of ATC's stance on the MVP.
They have little respect for donor privacy. I rarely make any type of donation that is not anonymous. After I moved to Georgia, I find myself using parts of the A.T. for day hikes and some weekend backpacking. I figured I'd donate to the conservancy as a way to give back. For some reason, I didn't feel the need to donate anonymously with the ATC when making my first. Within a month my mailbox was full of solicitation from seemingly every nature type charity that exists. That really turned my stomach; how these folks at the ATC sold me out. It also brought a swift end to any thoughts of donating to the ATC again.
Review from CharityNavigator