Financial assistance: Bridging the gap

At Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) we have long had the philosophy that nobody should be denied access to community programs because of an inability to pay.

In recent years we have awarded up to $39,000 per year in financial assistance though our scholarship program to allow children from low-income families to participate in programs including preschool, high school sports, youth sports and after-school programs.

The great challenge is always finding the money to do this. Many people assume we simply waive fees for individuals who qualify, but that is not really possible. We price all of our programs at or below what it costs to actually run the program. Therefore if we were to waive fees, that program would run at a loss, which would involuntarily pull money from other district activities, and whole programs might not run.

In practice, we actually have an account that holds all the money earmarked for scholarships. Then as families come in and are awarded financial assistance, money is transferred from that account to the program the child just enrolled for. Where does the money in this account come from? Because SPRD has possibly the lowest tax rate of any full-service parks and recreation district in the state, there are no tax dollars available for the scholarship program. The money all comes from a combination of private donations and grants.

And this is where the beauty of Sisters really shines.

Many people think the beauty of Sisters lies in the scenery beyond its borders, but I think it lies within the people who inhabit it. Last year we received a total of over $19,000 in donations from the community to our scholarship program. I think it's wonderful to live in a community where the people are willing to come up with $19,000 so our children can all participate. In addition to this, grants and community partnerships contribute another $10,000 to $20,000 annually to the scholarship fund.

As I alluded to earlier, many of the fees parents pay for their child to participate do not cover the full cost of running a program. Currently, we are heading into lacrosse season, and this program is a great example. The K-12 lacrosse program is budgeted to cost $53,765 to operate. Of this, $24,000 is budgeted to come from participation fees paid by families of the 128 players. The deficit is left to be made up through fundraising events such as the Sisters Annual Lacrosse Invitational Tournament, Celebrate Sisters Day, and through sponsorships and donations. In addition, there are hundreds of unpaid hours donated by coaches and supporters to make a season come together.

This type of funding challenge isn't limited to youth sports. Our after-school programs and our programs for senior citizens both rely heavily on grants and donations to be viable.

Sisters is a small community, and our donors and volunteers are people that walk these same streets, shop at the same stores, and eat at the same restaurants. So when you are walking into the post office or the bank tomorrow, maybe think about stopping for an extra few seconds to hold that door open for someone. Because they may have just paid your kid's pay-to-play fees, sponsored the uniforms your child plays in, or donated to make sure the program you love stays afloat.

Liam Hughes is the executive director of Sisters Park & Recreation District.