SILVER SPRING, MD –The Montgomery County Planning Board voted last Thursday to approve an Individual Park Naming and Dedication Policy for M-NCPPC, Montgomery Parks. The new policy will allow certain parks, facilities, buildings, programs and other park assets to be named or dedicated in honor of an individual in exchange for a charitable contribution to the Montgomery Parks Foundation.
The new policy aims to generate non-tax based revenue to support the parks system’s work program. Funds from the program will be used to develop, maintain, improve, expand, support, preserve, and fund Montgomery Parks for the benefit of its users and the community at large.
“We are doing everything we can to meet the needs of residents and park users in this tough economic climate,” said Mary R. Bradford, Director of Parks. “This program provides potential donors with a special way to show their support of parks and commemorate loved ones, while providing needed financial support for our County’s award-winning park system.”
Currently, parks and parks facilities are occasionally renamed or dedicated for an individual, but this has generally been without any remuneration for the honor, and often at some cost to the taxpayer. The new policy would improve the current practice and help fund parks at the same time.
The new policy outlines parameters for naming and dedication opportunities. It also identifies circumstances that may lead to the revocation or denial of naming and dedication rights. The new policy approved last Thursday is for individual naming and dedication opportunities only: potential corporate sponsorship opportunities have been proposed and will be reviewed in 2012, but no decision has been made regarding corporation or business naming rights.
“We are pleased to report the Foundation has already received charitable donations from individuals for several specific parks and facilities,” said Debbie Rankin, Executive Director of the Montgomery Parks Foundation. “The new policy formalizes the administration of the program and provides the autonomy necessary for us to work with potential donors and ensure their charitable gifts benefit the park system they love.”
Individuals interested in supporting parks can also become a Friend of Montgomery Parks with just a $35 donation, or commemorate, honor or memorialize a loved one through the Foundation’s Tribute Trees and Benches program.
The Montgomery Parks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization established to support the creation, maintenance and improvements of Montgomery Parks’ facilities, open spaces, forests, wetlands and historic and cultural resources. The Foundation provides opportunities for county residents and businesses to support Montgomery Parks as members, donors, sponsors, and advocates, and actively seeks individual donations, sponsorships, legacy gifts, and endowments to support park operations, development and maintenance. www.montgomeryparksfoundation.org
M-NCPPC, Montgomery Parks, manages more than 35,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 416 parks. Montgomery Parks is part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. The M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. www.montgomeryparks.org
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Contact:
Debbie Rankin, CFRE
Executive Director
Montgomery Parks Foundation
(301) 495-2490
Abbi Irelan
Marketing and Public Affairs Manager
M-NCPPC, Montgomery Parks
(301) 495-2532