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For A Better Outdoor Experience 2014 Developed by: Richard L. P. Solosky, MNM Adopted by Clean Trails Board of Directors 7/01/2014 Strategic Business Plan
Transcript
Page 1: 2014 CT Business Plan

For A Better Outdoor Experience

2014

Developed by: Richard L. P. Solosky, MNM

Adopted by Clean Trails Board of Directors 7/01/2014

Strategic Business Plan

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... 1

Executive Summary ........................................................................................................... 2

Introducing Clean Trails ..................................................................................................... 3

Our Story ............................................................................................................................. 3

Guiding Principles .............................................................................................................. 4

The Need ............................................................................................................................ 5

Addressing the Need ......................................................................................................... 6

Theory of Change ............................................................................................................... 6

Environmental Scan ........................................................................................................... 7

Programming ...................................................................................................................... 8

Progress to Date .............................................................................................................. 10

Management and Organization ...................................................................................... 11

Skills .................................................................................................................................. 11

Culture .............................................................................................................................. 11

Board of Directors ............................................................................................................ 11

Board Member Biographies ............................................................................................ 11

Advisory Council ............................................................................................................... 13

Organizational Goals and Objectives .............................................................................. 15

Marketing Goals and Objectives ..................................................................................... 15

Financial Projections ........................................................................................................ 17

Fundraising Strategy ........................................................................................................ 17

Funding Diversification .................................................................................................... 18

Expense Types .................................................................................................................. 18

Pro-Forma Financial Projections ..................................................................................... 20

Professional Support to the Organization ...................................................................... 22

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Clean Trails is a call to action. We aim to become a national nonprofit organization

dedicated to keeping our wild places and the trails that access those spaces free of litter.

Our plans include development of a national network of trail stewards, educational

programs promoting clean trail etiquette, and advocacy for responsible use.

This dynamic, living document outlines Clean Trails’ objectives, sets targets for growing the

organization, and suggests actions relating to each target. It is a first step toward obtaining

funding to develop a planning grant that will allow the Board of Directors to:

Conduct a formal needs analysis

Develop the governance and the financial foundation for the organization

Create the programming and the associated outcomes measurement systems

necessary to achieve the mission and vision statements

This document will evolve as we receive input from community leaders and prospective

investors.

Studies show the highest indicator that someone will pick up litter is if they witness

someone else picking up litter. Community Based Social Marketing (CBSM) studies are

proving that peer group norms are more powerful than incentives, and when worked in

concert with each other, they can provide impressive behavioral change impacts.

Our plans include development of a national network of trail stewards, as well as,

educational and advocacy programs. Specific areas of service include: developing trail

stewardship networks, awareness programming, Adopt-A-Trail, and Trail Box installation and

maintenance. Our first course of action is to begin building our network by leveraging

existing social media avenues through current channels and by encouraging responsibility

through trailside events and activities.

Clean Trails includes a dynamic cast of philanthropic professionals who understand the

importance that natural wild places bring to our culture as a nation. We welcome your

advice and contributions in your review of our draft business plan, which outlines our

strategy for success.

Contact our Interim Executive Director, Richard L. P. Solosky at [email protected]

with any questions or suggestions and to discuss how we can include you in our list of

collaborators and contributors.

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INTRODUCING CLEAN TRAILS

Love the Land | Lose the Litter

Clean Trails’ is a 501 c) 3 nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to assist in

promoting a clean outdoors ensuring all visitors to our wild places enjoy an unspoiled

experience. As travelers, it is critical that we not degrade the wildness of the places we visit,

explore, and enjoy; as such, we need to monitor our individual activities and strive to make

those choices which minimize our impact.

In the wake of budget cutbacks and the focus of our public systems on other activities, the

role of maintaining our trails needs to fall upon us, the users. Our objective is to create a

sense of pride and purpose for our trail systems; to keep them as pristine as the wild places

to which they take us.

OUR STORY

Like many of the best ideas, Clean Trails was

more of a slow trickle than a sudden

thunderclap. Steve Jewett was always an avid

hiker and climber, and gradually he became

aware of trash on his favorite trails. He and his

hiking partner, Bill Willoughby began to pick up

items like cigarette butts, candy wrappers, and

water bottle caps on their hikes together; at

first just picking up what they could fit in their

pockets and later carrying a bag with them.

There was still the problem of trash they didn’t

want to touch with their bare hands, so one day

Steve started trying out various types of barbecue tongs. Steve and Bill started to make a

game of it; Bill would spot the trash and Steve would pick it up. If Bill missed a piece, Steve

would point it out with a very loud, “You missed one!” They were having fun, and other

hikers on the trail noticed and wanted to join in on the fun too.

While hiking, Steve and Bill would talk about your typical “save the world” topics, like ending

hunger, homelessness, the world’s economic woes, and especially how their favorite places

were becoming spoiled, so they began to brainstorm about how to motivate others to have

fun while cleaning trails. They wanted to expand the idea to a nationwide movement.

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Both Steve and Bill are serial entrepreneurs, Steve focusing in sales and Bill in marketing.

Using their business knowledge base, they searched for concepts that would allow scaling

nationally. While they hiked, they continually processed their ideas and concepts, validating

some and eliminating those that they found impractical.

Steve and Bill then tested their concepts on hikers they encountered, discussing their

successes and failures to discover which were the most effective and discarding those that

did not work. They applied business and marketing processes to include the newly-learned

information, creating a plan for the successful launch of a sustainable nonprofit organization

called Clean Trails. They envisioned an operation that would be financially stable and not

rely upon continuous fundraising, with a plan that would impact every type of trail, leading to

a cleaner outdoor environment throughout the United States.

Knowing the importance of bringing in smart people who have experience in non-profits,

fundraising and community organizing, Steve and Bill began the search to recruit board

members and advisors. The next task was to bring in volunteers to support the local

outdoor communities. Expanding into colleges, universities and academia, the organization

has been successful in attracting a wide spectrum of hikers, bikers, skiers, snow boarders

and outdoor enthusiasts. We are actively engaged in increasing our membership base and

board and advisor representation.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Vision Statement

Create a national network of trail stewards for our pristine wild places, collective community

spaces and access points to our natural wonders.

Mission Statement

Clean Trails promotes harmony with the land by encouraging stewardship and by providing

mechanisms to keep the trail systems that lead to our wild spaces litter-free.

Values

We respect the quality of life that comes from exposure to wild places that have been

created through the forces of nature and which are untrammeled by man. We strive to

protect these places in a positive and open-minded manner while encouraging visitors to

take responsibility for their and others’ actions.

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THE NEED

Clean Trails’ overarching goal is to shift social norms, because the reality is that litter is

increasing and enforcement is not always effective.

The current and future need for Clean Trails is

enormous. Though there are regional differences,

the impact of litter on all trails is growing steadily.

The trails near urban/suburban areas have

experienced the greatest increase in litter, but even

wilderness trails in sensitive areas have seen

degradation. The prevailing perception is that local

or federal agencies are responsible for litter

removal. But, with increased concerns regarding

overhead and with budgets experiencing greater

scrutiny, that assumption is proving erroneous.

The outdoors is an important cornerstone of our

nation’s culture; people want a clean outdoors.

Running, jogging, and trail running were the number

one outdoor activities in 2013 with more than 53

million participants. Road biking, mountain biking

and BMX rank number two with average outings per cyclist / 2.7 billion total outings.

“Outdoor recreation is a growing

and diverse economic super

sector that is a vital cornerstone

of successful communities that

cannot be ignored.”

Outdoor Industry Report, 2012

“More than 140 million

Americans make outdoor

recreation a priority in their daily

lives, proving it with their wallets

by putting $646 billion of their

hard-earned dollars right back

into the economy.”

Outdoor Industry Report, 2012

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Hiking ranks high among outdoor activities at number 5 with 12% of Americans over the age

of 6, or 34.5 million participants per year. Each hiker averages 18 outings for 603 million

total outings, with 2012 estimates at 34,545,000 participants, while participation in

primitive camping has more than doubled and backpacking participants have nearly tripled.

As the number of visitors increase and the amount of wild spaces decrease, the areas

traveled receive more concentrated exposure to impact from humans. This inevitably leads

to an abundance of litter on our trail systems, whether as a result of accidental loss, an

uncaring individual, or an uneducated public.

ADDRESSING THE NEED

THEORY OF CHANGE

The need for action is great and growing, but not unsurmountable. Core to our beliefs is the

notion that people want to do the right things; all they need is a little encouragement or

incentive.

People are naturally responsible; if we encourage people to care for their favorite places, to

pick up after themselves and others, then our trails will become self-sufficient, clean, and

more enjoyable; they need to be shown the way.

Our defined target market is that segment of people who enjoy the outdoors in a pure and

undefiled state. Our work is to motivate people and companies who are willing to restore

and mitigate the quality of the outdoors in order to improve the user experience. Our hope is

that in exchange, they will give us time, expertise, products, services, and supportive

funding.

Our nation is replete with many traditional environmental organizations that have adopted a

somewhat rigid and often unyielding approach to conservationism… don’t do this, don’t do

that. Unfortunately, tactics of this nature, often only appeal to a small and fervent group of

the population of outdoor users. Clean Trails’ ambition is to occupy an optimistic,

complementary position that is unique among environmental action organizations: positive,

supportive, and reinforcing. Our research to date, confirms that this community-based social

marketing approach is not only effective, but essential.

Our message is simple: “What if everyone picked up just one piece of litter?” This avoidance

of confrontational attitude infuses our methodology, education, training, implementation,

and litter advocacy that naturally appeals to everyone.

We believe this philosophy will allow us to grow organically into a national movement that

becomes part of our culture as users of our outdoor wonders.

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ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN

There are many organizations that indirectly participate in this market. Comparative

analyses of other organizations and participants include:

Nationally - Leave No Trace and Tread Lightly,

Locally/Regionally - Get Outdoors Colorado, New York’s Discover Outdoors, I Love a Clean

San Diego, and Coast Keepers.

All “clean up” organizations are indirect competition in that they target the same audience

using different strategies. Each of these organizations is a potential partner in keeping the

outdoors clean. We have found no other non-profit in direct competition to our mission.

In today’s behavioral mindset, because of bias and lack of training, much of the litter found

in the outdoors is passed over. While people recognize their own litter and usually endeavor

to pick it up, often, they will not see the litter left by others. Furthermore, we have learned

that the packaging used in many consumer products for the outdoors may be inadvertently

discarded and left on the trail. Litter is insidious because the perception is that it is limited

in quantity and scale – not in my backyard. The reality is that every trail of every type in the

United States accumulates litter that should be removed.

Social and cultural factors that affect litter in the outdoors include people not thinking of

picking up in the outdoors. Many people believe the government (city, state, and federal)

picks up the litter and it is someone else’s responsibility.

But behavior can be modified; an example of an effective

cultural expectation is for dog owners to pick up dog waste

using the specially designed bags. Most dog owners have

changed their habits and dog waste is less of a problem

than in the past.

Another example is the

golfer’s etiquette to repair

ball marks on the green.

For a very long period of

time, golfers have recognized the responsibility to fix their

own divits and those of others (one of mine and one of

yours). It is not the groundskeeper’s duty to repair the

marks, because the green would look like the “craters of the

moon” in a short period of time.

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These observations provide us with a clear view of a possible future where our national,

regional, and local trail systems can become litter-free.

PROGRAMMING

In achieving our goal of building a sustainable organization with a national network of trail

stewards, our plan focuses on developing programs which address the following areas:

Clean Trails Advocacy

Advocacy is the primary tool through which Clean Trails works to promote natural, pristine,

and litter-free wild-places and the trails that lead to them. We encourage, enable, and

empower our members and other individuals to raise awareness for the disparaging effects

of litter on our local, regional, and national trail systems. Our Clean Trails’ advocacy program

promotes general awareness, responsibility, and educational activities for individuals,

schools, businesses, and organizations. Through our Clean Trails advocates, we provide a

local point of contact for city, county, state, and federal agencies to coordinate for a better

outdoor experience. Assistance to develop the educational materials for this program is

estimated at $10,000.

For more detail on specific activities surrounding our advocacy program, please refer to the

section, Marketing Structure.

Trail Stewardship

Trail stewards comprise our general membership category. Our goal is to claim every

outdoor user as a member of our organization. Membership is simple; all we need is an

email address and a willingness pick up the occasional piece of litter.

We encourage our trail stewards to actively promote our message and personally pledge to

pick up at least one piece of trash each time they are outdoors. Members keep in touch

through our monthly newsletter and social media programs; have the ability to participate in

local events to keep their trails clean; and have fun, while finding satisfaction in being part

of a national movement to improve our nation’s outdoor spaces.

To further develop, implement, and maintain our trail stewardship program will require an

initial investment of $15,000.

Adopt-A-Trail

The Adopt-a-Trail Program takes stewardship to the next level. The core philosophy behind

Adopt-A-Trail is personal responsibility for a particular trail. We ask our trail stewards to

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adopt their favorite trail, assume responsibility for its regular litter maintenance, conduct

awareness events, and post pictures of their accomplishments through social media.

Opportunities also exist for businesses and organizations to participate by adopting a trail.

To participate, we ask they perform the same activities as individuals and in exchange they

receive national recognition for their achievements. Businesses and organizations may also

opt for individual trail signage in exchange for an annual donation. Signage options would

include benefits for the business/organization along with the trail agency.

Funding is required to finalize and implement the Adopt-a-Trail Program. To further develop,

implement, and maintain our Adopt-A-Trail program will require an initial investment of

$15,000. While administration and staffing for all three programs is estimated at an initial

$35,000.

Trailside Litter Reduction System

Our Trail Litter system is designed to promote personal

responsibility and assist individuals and groups in maintaining a

clean trail. The litter system is tailored as required to each specific

outdoor activity to encourage casual participation in removal of

litter from the outdoors. Field testing is complete for the individual

litter tool and ready for full scale production. The Trail Box design

has been field-tested and we have built pre-production prototypes.

Phase one begins commercial production of the individual litter

tool and $10,000 of funding is required for implementation;

including initial production run of at least 2,000; packaging and

shipping as a Kickstarter reward and inventory for boxes in phase

two.

Phase two is an initial effort to set up pre-production and

development of the Trail Litter system. $50,000 of funding is

required for implementation: including design and development

services $15,000; initial production run of 200 units $20,000;

accessories, assembly, packaging and shipping $15,000.

Phase three consists of a pre-commercial production run of 500

Trail Box units, where design and development is estimated at

$5,000; production at $50,000; individual accessories, assembly,

packaging, and shipping at $25,000 for a total investment of

$80,000.

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Phase four is an initial commercial run of 10,000 Trail Box units, estimated at $370,000

including warehousing in the amount of $20,000.

Future Programming

With an eye to the future, we have identified several programming solutions to address

additional environmental considerations. These include developing a compostable trash

bag, which we estimate to develop at a cost of $50,000 and compostable bamboo tongs for

trash collection, where initial design, development, and opening commercial run will cost

$30,000.

PROGRESS TO DATE

Cleaned Trails: We have successfully inspired groups of people to go off on their own

and clean trails under the banner of “Clean Trails.” People have thanked us for

“cleaning the trails” and after hearing our story have been motivated to become

members.

Membership Success: By using a limited test market of four test trails and ten events,

we have succeeded in obtaining 3,000 qualified members.

Installation of Trail Boxes: We have unique trail boxes that have been specially designed

and are installed at our four test trail locations. These special boxes include a dual

dispensary and trail tong holders.

Recruited Volunteers: Our volunteers have progressed from cleaning trails to leading

trailhead events, adopting trails, recruiting new members, and joining the Advisory

Council and Board of Directors.

Community Involvement: We are involved in our communities, with program events such

as parks, higher education, and scouting. Our involvement has expanded to thirty-two

states and six countries.

City of Hope: A national cancer research institute has partnered with Clean Trails for a

series of events. The capstone event is the Climb of Life and in 2014 involved a team

ascending Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48 States.

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MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION

SKILLS

Clean Trails has a diverse board that includes deep expertise in nonprofit management,

business, marketing, communications, and entrepreneurship. Most importantly, all

members have a keen awareness and passion for environmental issues.

CULTURE

The Clean Trails culture is a combination of light-hearted fun with a serious mission.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors is comprised of four active leaders in their respective communities.

The board is well-positioned for fundraising and takes an active role in financial resource

development, with much experience coming from the fields of nonprofit management,

corporate sales, marketing, corporate training, and financial investing.

An effort is underway to expand the board to seven members specifically from across the

country in order to balance out regional needs. We are also striving to improve the diversity

of the board, from both minority and socio-economic communities, while engaging new

members from the legal and financial communities.

BOARD MEMBER BIOGRAPHIES

Steve Jewett: Founder, President, & Director |San Diego, CA

Steve is a serial entrepreneur and has started four successful

companies in business supplies. He invented two products that

enjoy widespread use. He also held a leadership position in a large

business. Steve grew up in flat Kansas City and moved to Colorado

after catching the ski bug. One thing led to another and he started

climbing “fourteeners”. Steve has climbed all the fourteeners

(peaks over 14,000 feet) in Colorado and most in California.

He has summited Denali although it took two attempts, and

Aconcagua in South America. Steve has also summited peaks all over the Western United

States and in Europe having been over 13,000 feet more than a thousand times. In

addition to climbing, Steve has helped many people in the wilderness as a mountain rescue

volunteer. He led rescue efforts as a mission coordinator in Eagle County, Colorado and

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served as the team’s equipment officer. He has been helping out in the backcountry for

many years and considers the effort to keep the trails clean, his “pay it forward.”

Bill Willoughby: Founder, Secretary, and Director | San Diego, CA

Bill has over 30 years’ experience in international business

development and has senior industry experience in

positions that include digital technology, telecommunications, e-

cycling, industrial manufacturing, and software publishing. Bill is a

third generation native of San Francisco, California. While working

in the telecommunications industry, he lived and traveled

extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

While working and living in remote parts of Alaska, he hiked on trails

and has crossed country that few others have traveled. He has also hiked the fabled “Silk

Road” in Southern Thailand to the border of Myanmar. His love for hiking and going places

started at a young age while living in Missoula and Helena, Montana where he would take

long treks into the backcountry.

Bill’s deep connection to the outdoors and conviction for preserving wild places sprung from

these experiences, sparking his commitment to conserving the wilderness for others to

enjoy, leading to his concern to keeping trails free of litter.

Richard L. P. Solosky, MNM: Treasurer, Director, & Interim

Executive Director | Evergreen, CO

Richard has over 25 years of business development and marketing

expertise. He is the founder of two software development

companies and has over 15 years of nonprofit experience serving at

various levels bridging both staff and board functions. He consults

for nonprofits in the areas of marketing, fundraising, and

organizational development; earned a Bachelor of Business

Administration from Western Michigan University; and a Master of

Nonprofit Management from Regis University.

With a natural love of the outdoors and outdoor activities, Richard is an experienced

backcountry skier, mountaineer, rock climber, cyclist and mountain biker, and former

mountain guide; a twelve-year field-active team leader with Alpine Rescue Team, he served

as president, training director, and as chairman of the Rocky Mountain Region of the

Mountain Rescue Association. He has resided in Evergreen, Colorado since 1990.

Richard is an environmentally concerned citizen, who believes that stewardship of both our

wild places and communities is critical to our sustainability.

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Anna DeBattiste: Director | West Chesterfield, NH

Anna is a trainer, facilitator, program developer and writer with 20

years of experience in teambuilding, leadership, and human

resources. Prior to becoming a consultant, she spent ten years as

an in-house human resources generalist in the hospitality, finance

and consumer goods industries.

She left the corporate world in 2001 to become an independent

contractor and freelance writer, and since then has served many

Fortune 500 companies and federal agencies, including Metlife,

Nike, the US Forest Service, the Department of Defense, the Department of Education and

the FDA.

She IS best known for her passion for adventure, and for drawing lessons in leadership and

team work from her experiences as a world traveler, adventure racer, ski instructor and

mountain rescuer. She lives in New Hampshire with her hiking companion, an Australian

Cattledog named Mojave.

ADVISORY COUNCIL

The Advisory Council is currently comprised of individuals from the outdoor community,

providing great insight into programing content and connections to the community. They

consist of the following individuals:

James H. (Jim) Moss, JD: Golden, CO

Jim is a speaker, risk management consultant, and attorney

licensed to practice law in Colorado and Ohio, as well as the

Colorado Federal Courts and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. He

is the author or co-author of six books, including: The Lawyer’s

Adviser; Outdoor Recreation, Travel, and Hospitality Forms; Outdoor

Recreation Insurance and Law; co-author of Legal Liability and Risk

Management in Adventure Tourism. He is a contributing author of

the Boy Scouts Field Book and has also authored a new textbook

coming out this fall, Outdoor Recreation Risk Management,

Insurance and Law.

Jim consults with service oriented industries to decrease their risk of being sued, and says,

“I have dealt with six fatalities that resulted in no litigation and no claims paid. I have been

published in dozens of magazines, journals and newsletters and been quoted in the Wall

Street Journal, the Denver Post, and the Rocky Mountain News. I have made presentations

to Colorado attorneys, the Boy Scouts of America, and the International Conference on

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Outdoor Recreation, the Wilderness Education Association, and federal land management

agencies.”

Jim’s clients range from manufacturers and importers to independent representatives and

retailers, as well as, federal concessionaires. He represents a variety of industry

organizations and companies, including over 100 college and university programs across

the US and Mexico. He is an adjunct professor for Colorado Mountain College where he

teaches Risk Management for Ski Area Operations and is the author of the online curriculum

for that program.

Cody Damon: Boston, MA

Cody’s communication experience spans two decades and has its

roots in television. His first gig was as a high school correspondent

for his local ABC affiliate. After pandering to the camera for

several years he decided to explore script writing and public

relations. With the agency world taking a toll on his hairline he

decided it was time to get back to the books, earning his Masters

in Global Communication from the American University of Paris.

Inspired by his field work in India he returned to the United States

to help non-profits take advantage of digital communication tools.

Cody’s ideas have spawned actionable change for partners such as (RED), NRDC, Cornell

Lab of Ornithology, and Thorn. Cody also serves on the board of directors of Revere Beach

Partnership.

Cody is president of Media Cause and is passionate about the role digital technologies play

in helping non-profits compete for attention. He is proficient across the whole gambit of

social platforms and digital advertising networks, but his true strength lies in the

coordination of all of these channels to form an effective communication strategy for his

clients. Cody resides in Massachusetts and enjoys getting outdoors.

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ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The following objectives have been identified for the years of 2014 - 2016:

2014

Raise appropriate funding for operations and planning grant

Develop and implement an intern/volunteer program

Complete the design of and production of 200 trail boxes

Produce our first awareness event - Climb of Life 2014

Increase Board of Directors and Stewardship Council by 3 members

2015

Expand the Board of Directors to seven and the Stewardship Council to eleven members

Recruit a permanent executive director

Establish a national administrative office and five regional stewardship centers

Develop and formalize membership guidelines and opportunities, while completing

program development and implementation of measurement system for all four core

programs

Produce second awareness event including fundraising - Climb of Life 2015

2016

Expand the Adopt-a-Trail Program to 500 locations

Expand membership of trail stewards to 50,000 individual members

Produce third awareness event including fundraising - Climb of Life 2016

MARKETING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Clean Trails primary marketing goal is to reach every outdoor user in order to promote our

ideals to as large and diversified a group as possible who will donate time, money, or other

resources. This includes a wide range of outdoor users, as well as, businesses and

complementary organizations who embrace the green movement.

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Identification of Target Markets – Organizations that make products that contribute to trail

litter and other civic-minded organizations that want to be known as caring for the great

outdoors. Companies who participate in sales and marketing training events are also

welcome. Any groups or individuals who wish to participate in cleaning a trail are welcome.

The range of outdoor users we seek to touch include those individuals engaged in human

powered activities such as: backpacking, bird watching, boarding, camping, climbing,

cycling, fishing, geocaching, hiking, jogging, hill walking, hunting, distance running, metal

detecting, mountaineering, orienteering, scouting, scuba diving, skiing, snorkeling,

snowshoeing, spelunking, swimming, trekking and walking. We will also target non-human

powered activities such as: horseback riding, motorcycle/ATV riding, and snowmobiling.

Marketing Structure

Trail Events – Trail events are places to explain and educate people about what Clean

Trails does and a venue to join the organization. Program coordinators will work with

local volunteers and the logistics coordinator to organize positioning of equipment and

materials. Volunteers will forward the collected signup sheets to their Program

Coordinator for input to our contact management database. Trail events may be located

either at the trail head or on a trail.

Trail Cleanings – Trail cleanings may range from a fully organized event to a single

individual who has adopted a trail.

Corporate Events - Program coordinators may organize volunteer events at a business, in

the field or at an educational facility. Program coordinators will work with the business

to ensure this is a win for the business.

Education - Program coordinators may organize volunteer events at a school, in the field

or at other facilities. Program coordinators will work with the school to educate the

future outdoor leaders and to offer internships.

Team Building – Clean Trails will host team building events to assist businesses and

educational organizations.

Cobranded Events - with other non-profit organizations such as The City of Hope, Climb of

Life series of events to benefit City of Hope, a national cancer research center and Clean

Trails with the support of the office products industry. It is a series of trailhead events

and trail cleanings by leading companies in the industry with an annual capstone event

held in July.

Marketing Communications

Social Media – Our social media focus starts on Facebook. Other social media outlets

are our blog, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Donated Media – Public service announcements and other donated media will be

utilized to educate and highlight upcoming events.

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Mass Media - The media coverage of the Clean Trails story shows there is an effective

solution for having a better outdoors. Coverage will highlight the individual’s social

responsibility. Our goal is to create awareness in all media channels and outlets.

Google AdWords – Utilizing the free Google AdWords program for nonprofits, which will

produce online awareness of Clean Trails with links to social media and websites.

Projected Metrics

Metrics are being developed to measure marketing effectiveness around the following

marketing activities: events, membership, Google AdWords, and social media analytics.

FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS

This financial plan consists of projections for 2014 through 2016:

FUNDRAISING STRATEGY

The overall financial resource development strategy is to create a broad and diversified

income stream so that a balance exists among funding sources. In the startup phase, a

majority of funding will come from a smaller group of individuals, but as the organization

grows, the goal will be to create a mix of income sources – foundations, corporations,

businesses, program materials, government grants, and individual contributions to provide a

stable revenue stream from year-to-year. This diversification should create an environment

where we are not dependent upon a single source.

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

2014 2015 2016

2014 - 2016 FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS

TOTAL REVENUE

TOTAL EXPENSES

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FUNDING DIVERSIFICATION

2015 Funding Projection

Contributions

Foundation Grants

In-Kind Contributions

Government

Program Material Sales

Special Events

Fees

2014 Funding Projection

Contributions

Foundation Grants

In-Kind Contributions

2016 Funding Projection

Contributions

Foundation Grants

In-Kind Contributions

Government

Program Material Sales

Special Events

Fees

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EXPENSE TYPES

2014 Expense Type

Program Expense

Administrative Expense

Fundraising Expense

2015 Expense Type

Program Expense

Administrative Expense

Fundraising Expense

2016 Expense Type

Program Expense

Administrative Expense

Fundraising Expense

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PRO-FORMA FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS

2014 2015 2016

SUPPORT AND REVENUE

Contributions

(Individual and Corporate)

$25,000 $100,000 $275,000

Foundation Grants $20,000 $75,000 $50,000

In-Kind Contributions $3,000 $5,000 $10,000

Government $0 $10,000 $25,000

Program Material Sales $0 $25,000 $125,000

Special Events $0 $25,000 $35,000

Fees $0 $5,000 $10,000

TOTAL REVENUE $48,000 $245,000 $530,000

EXPENSES

Wages and Wage Expenses $0 $25,000 $75,000

Programs

Equipment Development

$30,000

$75,000

$20,000

Marketing $5,000 $25,000 $50,000

Education and Outreach $2,500 $10,000 $10,000

Product Sales (as COG) $0 $25,000 $140,000

IT Equipment and Networking $250 $2,500 $10,000

Marketing & Business

Development $0 $2,000 $4,000

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Office Rental $0 $12,000 $15,000

Furniture and Fixtures $0 $5,000 $4,000

General Administration $1,000 $2,500 $5,000

Trade Shows/Travel $0 $2,000 $5,000

Professional Expenses & Fees

(accounting and attorney) $3,000 $20,000 $4,000

Insurance (D&O and Liability) $1,400 $1,500 $1,600

Fundraising $500 $5,000 $10,000

Other $1,000 $2,000 $4,000

TOTAL EXPENSES $44,650 $214,500 $357,600

Net Surplus/(Deficit) $3,350 $30,500 $172,400

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PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT TO THE ORGANIZATION

In addition to the advisory board, which provides keen insight into our program development

and the nonprofit expertise provided by its interim executive director, the organization is

actively pursuing mentoring and professional advisory support in the areas of legal,

financial, and other key corporate functions. Currently, we are receiving advice in the

following areas from the following individuals and firms.

In Kind Services:

Non-Profit Tax Exemption Services: Foundation Group

Accounting: Felde & Associate CPA’s

Marketing, Fundraising, and Organizational Development: Questus Strategies

Digital Marketing: Media Cause

Video Production: Go Outside Productions

Legal Advice: Recreation Law

This document is proprietary and confidential.

No part of this document may be disclosed in any manner to a third party without the prior

written consent of Clean Trails ™

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2014

This document is proprietary and confidential.

No part of this document may be disclosed

in any manner to a third party without the

prior written consent of Clean Trails ™

We welcome your advice and contributions in your

review of this draft business plan, which outlines our

strategy for success.

To discuss how we can include you as a supporter,

please contact Richard Solosky, Interim Executive

Director, at [email protected]

Visit our website www.cleantrails.org


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