Draft Interpretive Plan Join the adventure! - Captain John Smith ...

• Support and acknowledge their efforts throughout a project.
• Periodically ask for their suggestions to improve the organization.
• Offer them opportunities for training.
• Recognize their contributions with a genuine “thank you” and an award.
• Continually recruit new volunteers to infuse energy and new ideas into the organization.
The Maine Island Trail Association, which depends on several hundred volunteers to care
for more than 130 islands and sites in its 300 miles-plus trail system, has developed
volunteer training and recognition to a science (www.mita.org).
Fundraising Tips
Building a water trail takes money. Before launching a campaign to get the money, make
sure you have a sound business plan and fundraising plan. The business plan will give
you an idea how much it will cost to build and maintain the trail year after year. The
fundraising plan will delineate a variety of ways to approach potential donors. State
economic development offices and university business schools can help you draft these
plans.
• Figure your costs realistically. Building an access point or campsite with volunteers will
still cost some money for materials, transportation expenses, and professional advice. Be
realistic about your costs and even factor in a percentage for cost overruns.
• Establish short-term and long-term development goals. Some donors may respond to a
practical, easy-to-accomplish project. Others may respond to the vision of establishing the
overall water trail.
• Before asking for your first dollar, attain a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit status so you can be
eligible to receive funds. For information, see the Internal Revenue Service’s Publication
#557, “Tax Exempt Status for Your Organization,” (www.IRS.gov).
Pursue all Funding Sources
Start your fundraising campaign close to home and seek out a variety of sources, so your
organization does not become dependent on one revenue stream.
Local municipalities, civic groups, businesses, and interested individuals are potential
contributors of money and in-kind products, services, and labor. A construction company
might be willing to provide equipment or gravel at cost, or free, and save you thousands
of dollars in constructing a campsite.
Be creative. Have some fun. Stage a regatta or hold an auction. Such events can net
hundreds or thousands of dollars—and cultivate grassroots support for your water trail.
The Grassroots Fundraising Journal, published by Chardon Press
(www.grassrootsfunding.org), and River Network (www.rivernetwork.org) provide
advice on initiating campaigns close to home.
Then, broaden your fundraising appeals. Talk with conservation partners and other
groups about local, state, and federal funding opportunities. Investigate the possibility of
obtaining grants from nonprofit organizations, private family foundations, and state
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