Here's the next installment of the Help Wanted messages, in the spirit of your Tarheel Trailblazer executive officers trying to do a better job letting you know what kinds of things we could use help with. 

Who would be a great fit for this type of work? Folks that are memebers, or lurkers on the forum who have been wondering if they should join this volunteer organization, that may not have time to commit time to doing trail work, attending monthly meetings, volunteering to help at races, etc.., but could make time here and there to sit behind the computer and search for and work on applications for grants...i.e., money for your club to build trails. 

What are the requirements, skills, and experience needed to do this? All you need is a computer that's hooked up to the internet, and the willingness to try and learn how to search for and fill out grant applications. 

What time commitments does this require? This one is hard to answer, since grants can come in many flavors and forms. In general, the more money the grant is for the more time it can take. I've only done this one time when I wrote up an application for a $5,000 grant from Park and Rec, which took me about 3-5 hours from start to finish, including all the communication to state and local officials. It would take much more time to apply for something like a $75,000 RTP type grant like Uwharrie.

How would I learn how to do this if I'm interested? We have examples of prior grants we could share with you, and they contain much of the information you'll need for just about any type of grant. Examples could be our tax id, verification of non profit status, similar wording about sustainable multi-use trails, websites to earmark to be on the lookout when they post grants that come out at certain times a year, etc.. After we try and pool the knowledge we have with various people/contacts and documents (which we need to do anyway), it will be like anything else in a volunteer organization, it will be what you make of it. There could be many grants out there that someone or a commitee could find that we don't know about. It's fitting in time behind the pc when you can afford it, and having a few select tenured club members as resources and mentors to help you along the way. 

I'd really like a group of folks willing to take a shot at this, where this is all they try and do for the club, and they don't worry about all the other stuff going on that doesn't fit with their work/life/family balance. Focus on this alone, and just see what you can learn. This type work can  be done early in the morning, or late at night when the kids are asleep, in the middle of the night, etc.. 

The goal would be to have someone willing to lead and build a small commitee of folks, that this is your sole purpose in volunteering to help the club that builds the majority of the great trails you ride....but, it can start with one person willing to take a shot at it, and see where it goes.

Example - If you're interested in the I-277 Colonade project you've seen on the forum, want more agressive skills based and hopefully free-ride type trails, but can't commit time to be away from home/work/family, here's an opportunity. You could be instumental in bringing more aggressive type trails to the area without leaving the comfort of your home/keyboard. This project will take lots of money. 

I need your help, your club needs your help. Please think about this, keep an open mind that we don't have it all figured out, but will try and learn together. 

Thanks

Edward Autry
President - Tarheel Trailblazers

Thank you mrryde!!

We have one person willing to take a shot, can we get enough to have a commitee to share the workload and help each other learn how to do this stuff?

Thank you MTBDD/David!!

We have two now folks. Can I get a third person willing to take a shot at this?

Our 2011 fancy catch phrase is "MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK", so please keep thinking about whether you'd like to give this a try. The more folks on this comittee the easier it will be for all involved.