Articles
Beyond Bricks and Mortar
Envisioning the possibilities of a new community center or sports facility is exciting, but when the costs of a project add up, the last thing anyone wants to see is a surprise. To bypass aggressive finger-pointing, the best advice is to avoid any comparison with similar facilities and to invest in information-gathering that will help determine the true cost of a project.
$ave A Full-Time Position And More
Amy McMillan runs a tight ship.As executive director of the Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission, headquartered in Flint, Mich., she has watched property values plummet and the millage
Financially Speaking
It seems like a no-brainer to predict that most school-district budgets are going to take a big hit because of the effects of COVID-19 on the economy. How much less money is anybody’s guess at this point, but
How Gifts-In-Kind Organizations Make It Easy for Parks & Recreation Centers To Connect With Donors
When nonprofit parks and rec agencies think about what they need to keep their organizations running, they often think of fundraising campaigns. But what if they could get the items they need donated just by
We’re In This Together
As recreation-service providers, we strive to fill gaps in programming for customers who might not have access to programs from other organizations. Core to filling these gaps is research. Many times, we may
A Healthy Bottom Line
In recent years, the trend in local government is to operate recreation facilities more like private-sector businesses. Facilities are often built and operate with great success initially, but
Financially Challenged
For small communities with limited budgets, the struggle to make improvements is real. Maintenance is needed—well overdue, in many cases—but financial limitations too often make
Part 2: Make More Money
In part one of this two-part series, the focus was on revenue builders and how to be less dependent on the general fund.
Straight Priorities
My grandfather was a successful farmer up until his retirement in the early '60s. One of my most vivid recollections of my days on the farm was my grandfather's frugality. I remember him often