Conservation - Donation Policy

Policy on Donations.                                                                                             6/12/2012

The Baltimore Canoe and Kayak Club exists to enhance the paddling life of it’s members. For the most part, the Club does this by sponsoring paddling-related events in which members may participate. From time to time, the Club also supports conservation or river-access causes which benefit the paddling community in general. While such causes are worthy, supporting these causes is not the primary purpose of the Club, and the Club has only limited funding, if any, for supporting them. This document outlines the Club policy for determining the amount of funding and the specific causes to be supported.

Club funding is derived from members’ dues payments. Typically, the Club’s  membership does not peak until the paddling season is well underway, and Club leadership does not know what amount of income the Club will receive until most memberships have been received.

At the first meeting after June 1 of each year, the Treasurer shall propose to the Club leadership a dollar budget for conservation and access causes. At this meeting the Club leadership will approve a budget for conservation and access causes. The dollar amount may vary from the Treasurer’s proposal, and the dollar amount may be zero.

All Club members are encouraged to propose funding for a conservation or access-related cause. Proposals should include the name and address of the cause, a description of for what the funds will be used and an explanation of how the cause will benefit the membership of the Club or the paddling community in general. Proposals should also address what, if anything, the receiving cause will do to reciprocate the Club’s support.

Club leadership will allocate available, budgeted funding to proposals for support that are received from the membership. In doing so, the leadership will consider the following factors:

  • Projects and causes that are closer to Baltimore will generally be favored over projects and causes that are more remote.
  • Projects and causes with broad applicability to members will generally be favored over projects and causes which are likely to benefit smaller segments of the membership.
  • The club will avoid causes which are primarily political in nature.
  • The degree to which receiving organizations can reciprocate to the Club will generally be strongly weighed. Reciprocation can take the form of positive publicity, benefits to the club, benefits for the Club’s members, recruitment/retention of club members, other forms, or a combination of these.