President’s Message: Building for Our Exciting Future
For more than 25 years, we’ve successfully focused on getting the Olympic Discovery Trail ever closer to completion. Many of you have been directly and deeply involved in trail building, trestle repurposing, trail adoption, and bazillions of other things that have brought us so far toward that goal. Over the years, we have also been building our organizational capabilities via fundraising, outreach, and the work of the board and volunteers.
But it is time for us all to up our game in a very significant way, and the Peninsula Trails Coalition board has been devoting a lot of attention to growing the PTC into the organization it needs to become in the long term. Here’s a rundown of some of the key long-range projects we’re working on that can be enhanced when each of YOU get involved:
- Executive director: We’ve grown to the point that we need to secure enough financial resources to hire an executive director, starting at least at a half-time level. This is prompting an expansion of our fundraising in many ways, some of which follow below.
- Capacity grants: We will be pursuing our first-ever capacity grants, seeking funds for organizational work rather than trail-related projects.
- New donor opportunities: We expect soon to unveil major donor, planned giving, and bequest programs.
- Business Trail Partner program: We are seeking to fill the contracted manager position for our Business Trail Partner program, wherein local businesses support our work in exchange for strategic exposure on our websites. If you’re interested in this contractor opportunity, contact me at jrbohman@icloud.com.
- PTC brochure: We’ve begun designing our first full-fledged PTC brochure and will make it available at businesses and other locations throughout the North Olympic Peninsula.
- Website updates: We’re nearly finished with a comprehensive revamping of our PTC website. Next, we’re moving on to the Olympic Discovery Trail website. The virtually all-new sites will greatly enhance our ability to engage with volunteers, website visitors, and everyone who’s interested in the organization and the trail.
- Social media: We’ve jumped fully into communicating through social media to broadcast all the amazing things going on at the PTC and on the trail. Join the conversation on our Facebook page.
I hope that some of these items capture your interest and that we hear from you about how you’d like to participate.
Membership Renewals Are Due Now
As always, one thing that you can all do to help right now is to renew or start your membership. Our modest dues are due each spring. If aren’t already a member, we invite you to join our happy and successful organization.
Renew your PTC membership here >>
Become a new PTC member here >>
Annual Meeting: May 13
We’re fast approaching our annual meeting on May 13, beginning at 6:30 pm at the Dungeness River Audubon Center in Sequim. All are welcome to attend. As always, it will be an informative and enjoyable evening. We look forward to seeing you there!
—Jeff Bohman, President, Peninsula Trails Coalition
