Page 67 - Illinois Association of Park Districts Benefits of Membership 2017 - 2018

Providing more non-tax revenue for the agency
Agency partnership agreements that are primarily designed as revenue generators generally mirror private- sector partnerships. Agencies leverage the fact that their programs attract desirable audiences. For example, the Decatur Park District lowers user fees by selling advertising space to local businesses at strategic district locations (e.g., around its indoor running track).1
Sixty-five park and recreation agencies in Illinois partner with foundations specifically designed to raise money for the needs of the agency. And, even without their own foundations, many more agencies attract charitable contributions. Between 1979 and 2004, $3,185,000 of donations, local foundation grants and estate endowments poured into the Geneseo Park District. The district put these charitable contributions toward the construction of a new community center and four other new facilities, along with four renovation projects at existing sites. Clearly, people trust that park districts will use their contributions wisely.2
Preserving resources
While some groups partner out of a sense of philanthropy or a desire for profit, others partner with park, recreation and conservation agencies because they sense a “mission meld” exists between them and the agency. The East St. Louis Park District’s partnership with the University of Illinois to devise a plan to reinvigorate Jones-Hall Park is a prime example of this kind of relationship.3
Creating new educational opportunities for the community
School districts and park districts often share common goals and concerns, especially when it comes to providing high quality sports and recreation venues. Time and again, these two units of local government have worked through political and legal impediments in order to serve the public by ensuring that park and school programs are getting the most use out of public facilities and aren’t duplicating each other’s efforts. For example, the Morton Grove Park District partners with five area school districts. The park district uses one school’s music room for community jazz band practices; another school uses a nearby park every day for recess; the schools’ swim teams all practice at the park district’s aquatic facilities; and the park district runs
1 Illinois Parks &Recreation magazine, September/October 2005, p. 61.
2 Illinois Parks &Recreation magazine, July/August 2005, pp. 20-21.
3 Illinois Parks &Recreation magazine, November/December 2001, pp 10-11.
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