ATTACHMENT 1
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Friends of Chapel Hill Parks, Recreation, and Greenways
Andrea Rohrbacher, Chair
SUBJECT: Seed Funding to Begin Seeking Potential Sponsors for Parks & Recreation Programs, Equipment, and Facilities
DATE: March 24, 2003
The Friends of Chapel Hill Parks, Recreation, and Greenways respectfully requests that the Town Council appropriate $10,000 from the Council’s contingency fund for the Friends organization. We would use the funding as seed money to begin seeking sponsors for various parks and recreation activities, facilities, and equipment. This initial funding would be used to hire a part-time staff member who would assist the Friends by preparing sponsorship and marketing materials, sending mailings, setting up meetings, maintaining records, and other necessary groundwork. This funding would also cover all direct costs associated with the fund raising, including postage and copying.
The Town’s Friends of Parks, Recreation, and Greenways organization was approved for 501(c)3 status in the early 1990s. Since then, the Friends bank account has served primarily to funnel small donations for particular projects. Currently, the most active program utilizing the Friends organization is the Hargraves Center-based Youth in Action Club. The Club regularly holds small fund raisers such as neighborhood fish fries; revenue from the events is then used for Club various activities and trips. The Friends bank account currently has a balance of approximately $6,000. However all of the funds except $105 were dedicated by the donor to a specific project or activity. A current Financial Summary of the Friends of Chapel Hill Parks, Recreation, and Greenways is attached.
The Friends Board has discussed the potential for local sponsorship and we believe that there is a significant untapped resource in the community for private sponsorship of facilities and programs. Potential sponsorship projects include adaptive equipment for individuals with disabilities, turf/field improvements of fields suitable for soccer, playground enhancements, and specialized facilities, such as a pottery studio. A list of identified potential projects for sponsorship is attached.
The current members of the Friends are prepared and anxious to take on the task of soliciting sponsors for these important activities. However, we need some assistance in beginning this task. Using the Town’s Public Arts Commission model, we propose that the Town appropriate $10,000 to begin this project in earnest.
The Friends would immediately seek to hire a Marketing Director for fund raising and program sponsorship. The Marketing Director would work with both the Friends’ Board and the Parks & Recreation Department staff to develop and implement a comprehensive marketing and public relations campaign to seek private sponsorship. The seed money provided by the Town would also cover all operating costs, including printing and postage. The Marketing Director would be housed in the Parks & Recreation Administrative Offices. We believe this proximity to the Town’s leisure services staff will be particularly helpful when compiling community background information such as identifying user groups and unmet needs for particular activities and facilities.
We understand that the Friends organization would not make commitments on the potential naming of facilities gained through sponsors. It is our understanding that the Council Facility Naming Committee, comprised of Council Members Flicka Bateman, Chair; Bill Strom; and Edith Wiggins, would review all naming opportunities prior to submittal for Council consideration.
We thank you for your consideration of this request. We hope to move forward with this important initiative as soon as possible.
ATTACHMENTS