January 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 25

Prince William County Department of
Parks, Recreation and Tourism's focus on
inclusivity has challenged staff to bridge
the fee/free gap for 10,000 children in
the county experiencing poverty.
partnership route in which the costs
are passed onto a third party.
Leveraging Partnerships
The Prince William County Park
Foundation
(Foundation)
was
created in 2010 to serve as a philanthropic
fundraising arm for the
Park Authority (Authority) and
achieved early success with capital
fundraising before going dormant
in 2012, following the dissolution
of
status, hedging that
opportunity
DPRT might desire to rekindle the
partnership.
Recognizing the
to capitalize on the county's upward
economic growth trajectory
to expand recreation opportunity
through private investment, DPRT
set out to revive the Foundation in
2020. We helped the organization
recruit a new board and update its
bylaws, and encouraged the Foundation
to make scholarship fundraising
a staple focus.
The goal of the CMI scholarship
program is to ensure every child
can attend any program of their
choice regardless of their ability
to pay. For the start-up year, the
Foundation, in consultation with
DPRT, limited the programs to
full- and half-day summer camps.
The partnership mechanics entail
DPRT advertising the scholarships
and conducting registration. At the
end of the season, DPRT billed
the Foundation for the balance of
scholarships awarded and recorded
it as department revenue.
All scholarship awards were made
on a first-come, first-served basis for
children from families at or below
130 percent of the poverty level in
accordance with federal poverty
guidelines. Applicants verified
eligibility by submitting an IRS
tax form, free lunch voucher, or
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program documentation along with
an application. DPRT awarded 103
scholarships in the first year, totaling
$16,690. Funds were awarded based
on the cost of the desired program
to each qualifying dependent in a
household (with a maximum of
$425 per dependent - the highestpriced
camp). As funding for the
CMI program increases, we plan
to provide access to year-round
programs,
like
swim lessons and
before- and after-school care. Rather
than an a-la-carte system, we will
offer lump-sum grants in the future
and applicants will need to cover
any cost difference out of pocket.
Unless there is a philosophical
sea change from future-elected
leaders, DPRT will continue innoUnless
there is a philosophical
sea change from future-elected
leaders, DPRT will continue
innovating to achieve greater
cost recovery as long as
residents are able and willing to
pay for the value-added services
we provide.
vating to achieve greater cost recovery
as long as residents are able and
willing to pay for the value-added
services we provide. However, we
will not sacrifice our commitment
to equity as a result. The CMI program
has demonstrated our ability
to maintain fiscal solvency, while
also living the core values of our
profession.
Seth Hendler-Voss is Director of Prince William County
Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism
(shendler-voss@pwcgov.org). Sara Smith is Senior
Recreation Manager at Prince William County
Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism (ssmith@
pwcgov.org).
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | J ANUAR Y 2 0 2 3
| Parks & Recreation
25
the Authority. One prudent
board member maintained the
Foundation's federal and state incorporation
IMAGE
COURTESY OF SETH HENDLER-VOSS
January 2023 - Parks & Recreation

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