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Laying a Foundation for the Future
The Illinois Park and Recreation Foundation, an arm of IPRA, is currently under the leadership of Mike Clark of the Palatine Park District, who is working with a passionate group of volunteer professionals to support parks and recreation in Illinois. Both the Foundation and IPRA have 501(c)3 status according to the Department of Revenue, but the Foundation has a role that reaches beyond the daily operations of the association. It supports education and serves, literally, as the foundation for who we are and what we do in parks and recreation in the state. Some of you may ask, "Why would I give money to a foundation when I already pay dues to IPRA? What’s the difference? Why do we need both?" Those are great questions to ponder. The IPRA Board and Foundation Board have been doing just that. While we all agree that the ultimate goal is to raise funds that will support broad initiatives, education and the promotion of our field into the future, it is difficult to determine what will motivate you, our members, to give. Overall foundation giving is estimated to have reached nearly $55 billion in 2013, $8 billion more than in 2008, and the peak year for giving prior to the economic downturn, according to The Foundation Center. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was at the top of the list for awarding grants in 2011 with 1,374 grants totaling $4,394,055,135. Over the past decade, the National Recreation Foundation has distributed $14.3 million to 256 grantees across the country. In 2012, NRF granted more than twice as much than in 2003. Over the past few months there have been a number of discussions between the Board leadership and the members of the Foundation. We needed to talk about the needs and purpose of the Foundation of today versus the Foundation of years gone by. Now that IPRA has become more active in soliciting sponsorships and partnerships, we need to redefine the roles of our Association and Foundation as it relates to raising funds. We need to dissect the Strategic Plan and make sure the two groups work side-by-side for the benefit of our field. A special IPRA Board meeting was held in July with Foundation Board members present to start this discussion. The IPRA Board will deliberate on this and other Foundation topics at their August 15, 2014 meeting in Springfield. Everyone is welcome to attend. An indicator of any foundation is dollars and cents, but the overall vision must be clear and shared by its leaders. There are many places asking for your donations. It might be your church, temple or any one of the charitable events happening every weekend. The IPRA Board supports the efforts of the Foundation and asks you, our members to consider supporting them in any way you can. As we grow, we work through transition and change. I am confident that we will establish a structure that will more effectively serve our members and strengthen the bond between IPRA and the Foundation as we move into the future. -Jan Hincapie, Director of Parks and Recreation Lincolnwood Parks & Recreation |
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