Case Study
Tualatin Hills Park Foundation
Re-energizing a foundation to make a real impact in a community.
Objective: The Tualatin Hills Park Foundation was being called on to do more than it had ever pursued before. We would need to build and mobilize the Foundation to raise resources to advance the park community's commitments to the Access for All initiative (described here). The initiative was big, bold, and ongoing and the Foundation would need to own it.
Challenges: In 2014, Access for All was established to address the needs of an increasing and diversifying population. To ensure success, the Foundation would need to do much more to connect members of the community with THPRD's recreation programs. To raise awareness of the need and valued resources for the initiative, the Foundation had to assume the leadership roles of meeting and inviting private leaders to the table and successfully directing their investments and participation in the initiative. This required an invigorated Foundation and the forging of a new and effective board of trustees.
Solution: I recognized that the Access for All initiative could unite the Foundation and the agency park provider in a common pursuit. I assumed executive leadership of the Foundation in 2013 and worked with business leaders in the community to build a new board at the Foundation focused on delivering a capital campaign, supporting all abilities recreation programming and strengthening collaboration between THPRD and service organizations in the disability space. Once mission fundraising was advancing, the new board and I worked together in support of increasing the Foundation's general operating funds. We grew operations to a point where the Foundation's first, independent executive director was recruited with a three-year financial reserve in place to ensure the position's success. The Foundation is now poised to pursue a deeper commitment to people experiencing disabilities while moving to address other important areas of the initiative.
Results:
■ 15 Trustees have joined an invigorated fundraising board to work with an executive director and the agency park provider to advance Access for All.
■ $1.5 million was raised through a successful capital campaign in support of Mountain View Champions Park, a 21.5 acre all abilities sports park.
■ $100,000 was raised annually in support of recreation programming for people of all abilities at the park provider's facilities.
■ 3-years of operating support for the executive director position was pledged and raised by the board of trustees, resulting in a successful recruitment and hire.
Results:
■ 15 Trustees have joined an invigorated fundraising board to work with an executive director and the agency park provider to advance Access for All.
■ $1.5 million was raised through a successful capital campaign in support of Mountain View Champions Park, a 21.5 acre all abilities sports park.
■ $100,000 was raised annually in support of recreation programming for people of all abilities at the park provider's facilities.
■ 3-years of operating support for the executive director position was pledged and raised by the board of trustees, resulting in a successful recruitment and hire.