We’re inching closer to that ever elusive 300 member mark and our special promotion to donate $300 to a trail/park of your choice! As a part of that promotion, we thought we should give all of you a little peek behind the curtain and show where your yearly $20 membership fee goes.
By far, our largest budget item is donations to the parks and trails that you all love. Over 38% of our budget goes directly to great organizations like the Superior Hiking Trail and Three Rivers Park District Foundation. The additional 35% that we spend on Fat Ass races is almost completely for targeted donations to the park or trail where the Fat Ass took place. Only a small portion of that money is used for food and supplies for the event.
In our analysis this year we noted that we’re spending way too much on administrative costs, and we will be targeting that budget for a severe reduction in 2018. We’ve already decided on some cost saving measures for next year that we anticipate will drop that number significantly. Unfortunately, these funds were already committed for 2017 and we had to meet our obligations for this year.
Our final slice of the pie is the annual banquet. We have a wonderful time each year at this event, and it’s an amazing perk of being a UMTR member. It does have some minor costs for space and equipment rental, along with some basic supplies. However, every year our membership outdoes itself with an amazing potluck spread that rivals some of the best buffets in town! We’re trail runners. We know how to feed each other!
One important note, the prizes for the various race series are all generously donated by our sponsors. Your membership dues do not go towards prize money!
As you can see, over 70% of your membership dues goes back to support our community. It’s only because of you joining with us that we can make significant impacts on our local parks and trails. Won’t you consider joining us for the rest of 2017 and helping make our year end giving even more powerful?
See you on the trails!
UMTR Board