Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Hoovinit@xxxxxxx

 

So then I wonder if a ride could be "affiliated" with a non-charitable like a horse rescue, and be better able to raise funds then?

 

Excellent point.

 

If the charity is a trail-riding organization that wishes to donate proceeds

to benefit the Park and its trails and facilities, find out if the Park has a

"Friends" group and partner with it.  Friends groups are almost always

incorporated as 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, and so the donar,

by federal tax law, can deduct their donations (money, goods, services)

off their federal income tax.  Moreover, Friends groups sometimes

already have insurance which might cover the event.

 

The other good thing about Friends groups is that, if one exists and

is actually incorporated, it almost certainly means that the state has a law

that says that the Friends group can donate money directly to the park,

and the money stays in that park.  It doesn't have to go back to

the state's general fund.

 

By-the-by, if your Park does have a Friends group, it is very much

to the advantage of horsemen to be active members.  If the Friends

group is anti-horse, this is the best way to modify that outlook.

With even a little bit of organizing effort, a small group of horsemen

can easily "take over" most Friends groups, since they are usually

starved for active members.  If your home Park doesn't have

a Friends group, it is wise for the local horsemen to start one, and then

dominate it.  For example, as of two years ago when I last looked

into it, one of the largest *state* public lands open to horsemen

in Tennessee, the Natchez Trace State Forest/Park west of

Nashville had no Friends group.  (The Ranger was trying to get

one started.)

 

Unfortunately, Katrina Mosshammer is right:  endurance rides have

very high overhead.  Pleasure rides are more profitable.

 

And if you really want to clean up, start running hunter paces.  In

New England  these rides routinely charge $40 and up for entry,

and the management is obligated to provide nothing more than

the jumps (usually borrowed), the trail, and the volunteer labor

to maintain the course.  They don't even feed you a donut.  The

rides frequently pull in 100+ entries.

 

Then pray it doesn't rain.

 

Linda Marins