PTNY capacity grants help friends groups grow

In these tight economic times, park and historic site friends groups are more important than ever to maintaining a healthy NYS park system. Parks & Trails New York's capacity-building grant program helps strengthen park and trail groups so that they can be even stronger partners in protecting and enhancing these special places. Over the three years of the program, state park and historic site friends groups in every region of the state have received grants and put them to great use.

 
Following are a few examples:

A capacity-building grant made it possible for the Friends of Taconic State Park to meet and exceed its membership goals. Funds were used to hire a marketing and membership development consultant who helped the group create marketing materials, distribute a membership mailing, and host a major member cultivation event.

 "We have been humbled and slightly incredulous at the extraordinary response to our membership outreach. I truly believe that our subsequent success in winning several grants was the result of our increased publicity and outreach efforts, neither of which would have been possible without Parks & Trails New York's support," said Friends of Taconic State Park Treasurer Deborah Cohen.

The Friends of Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain used a PTNY capacity grant to produce and mail a new membership brochure that generated very positive results for the organization. The group experienced the greatest one-year membership revenue increase in its seven-year history, including a 50% increase in membership renewals and a significant number of new members.

"Since we are a small, all-volunteer non-profit, support from an organization such as Parks & Trails New York is extremely important to us," said Robert Mahar, President of the Friends of Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain.

Thanks to a PTNY capacity grant, the Friends of Connetquot River State Park Preserve was able to undertake its first concerted effort to increase public awareness of the park as a valuable community resource. The grant enabled the group to print a new brochure and create a tabletop display for public events.

"The publicity materials supported by the grant have greatly helped us promote the Preserve and our work," said board member Edith Wilson. "As a result, our membership increased by 23%. This is a significant gain considering that in the past two years our member base had been decreasing."
 

Don't miss out - new round of capacity-building grants coming soon

Applications for a new round of capacity building grants will be announced at the end of September. Park and trail groups will be able to apply for up to $3,000 to assist with activities associated with organizational start-up and development, training, communications, and volunteer recruitment and management. For more information, Email Parks & Trails New York or call 518-434-1583. 

Cadre of volunteers dedicated to Rockefeller Preserve

Rockefeller State Park Preserve in Westchester County is fortunate to have a cadre of dedicated volunteers who perform a wide range of tasks - from organizing events to maintaining the peony garden to stuffing envelopes. The park staff often gets these volunteers in the door but it's the park Friends group that keeps them engaged and motivated...and feeling valued.

The Friends of Rockefeller Park Preserve, which has been in existence for a dozen years, makes sure that their 150+ volunteers know how much they're appreciated.  The annual holiday volunteer party, held at the "Playhouse," part of Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate, is always a popular affair. The Friends Board of Directors acts as the wait staff and bartenders at the party and gives a "volunteer-of- the- year award" each year.

The Friends group also organizes an annual volunteer breakfast, at which volunteers get a bit of training in the form of a presentation from the park manager about how to interact with the wide variety of park users.

The Friends group also works with local businesspeople who sometimes do pro bono work in the park.

"We are working hard to get the community to understand that we need its support. Now that the property is in public ownership we need to cultivate more public-private partnerships," says Clare Pierson, President of the Friends of Rockefeller State Park Preserve.

The Friends group stays in touch with its volunteers and community members through its excellent website and newsletter, The Preserve Observer, which is published twice a year by two Board members.   The group is actively looking for an underwriter for the newsletter.