Goals
Education
FOGG is continually exploring new avenues to ensure we provide an exciting education opportunity for students of all ages. Our volunteers are often the first person to greet visitors to the Garden of the Gods at the Visitor and Nature center. We strive to educate them, and our community, about the history, care and preservation of our wonderful city park. Youth are our big focus. Our goals is to increase these grants to 1000 in the 2012-2013 school year. We will also provide preschool and scouting programs.
Members
Having a growing membership is critical to having a successful organization. With that in mind, our goal is to grow our FOGG membership by 10% per year. We hope to achieve this by providing the resources and activities that members find interesting and exciting. We strive to ensure that the activities of FOGG meet the expectations of our membership. Additionally we are looking for an increased level of volunteers, especially in the Parks Plus youth education program, to support the education initiatives of FOGG.
Trails
Much labor is spent on maintaining and building trails and preserving our Park’s beauty. As our attendance grows, so does the need for additional support in this area. We have worked to increase the visibility of FOGG in the community by undertaking joint projects with other nonprofits which are focused on the Garden. As a result, we have helped repair an illegal/ extreme bike trail, have worked on a joint reclamation project in the central Garden, and have repaired trails. We clean two miles of 30th Street monthly to assure the approaches to the park are presentable for visitors. We plan to enhance these efforts and increase their effectiveness.
Accomplishments
Education
- Provided funding for "Parks Plus" program for over 3700 students during the 2011-2012 school year. .
- Provided free tuition for 901 Title 1 students through our grant program.
- Provided volunteer support to the Parks Plus program, nature walks, tour bus guides, and lectures in the Visitor and Nature Center.
- Provided financial assistance for “Earth Day” and Big Horn Sheep programs.
- Partnered with Garden of the Gods Foundatin to fund the Park Program Coordiniator's position as a full time position.
Educational Materials
- Supported the "Parks Plus" and Pre-school programs.
- Continued membership in the center for Non-profit Excellence.
Membership Support
- Provided lunch to members after the “Audubon Christmas Bird Count”.
- Published the FOGGhorn Newsletter for members.
- Developed and distributed an email version of the FOGGhorn.
- Provided articles to local newspapers to increase awareness of Friends of Garden of the Gods (FOGG) organization, activities and purpose.
- Improved FOGG web site...www.friendsofgardenofthegods.org
Trails
- Donated $8,000 to the Rocky Mountain Field Institute for trail repair work.
- Coordinated monthly volunteer teams for cleanup efforts along 30th Street
- Led trail cleanup activities on “Earth Day”.
- Supported trails maintenance and reconstruction work by RMFI with Garden Greeters program staffed by FOGG members.
- Organized and led trail reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts within the Garden:
Community Involvement
- Continued coordination wit Trails and Open Space Coalition (TOSC), RMFI, Rock Ledge Ranch Living History Associationa, the Garden of the Gods Foundation and others supporting work in the Garden of the Gods Park.
- Developed excellent working relationship with City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department and participated in the "relationship building" process with area non-profits.
- Funded $20,000 of floood mitigation work on Camp Creek following the Waldo Canyon fire in cooperation with the City Forestry Department
Fundraising
- Received a $2500 grant from the Osborne Trust of the Garden of the Gods Rotary Club for the "Parks Plus" program.
- Raised over $21,000 as a participant in the Colorado Springs Independent's 2011 Give! fundraising campaign.
|