Grants
WSSA has two grants available and can help you apply for others. Click on the type of grant you are interested in for detailed information.
WSSA Membership Grants
WSSA Trail/Trailhead Grants
RCO/NRTP Grants
ISMA Grants
The WSSA Membership Grant program is a way to help local Clubs recruit new members for themselves and WSSA.
The grant money can be used to match (50/50) the money put up by a Club for membership drive activities which will increase both local Club and WSSA memberships.
Some of our small Clubs do not have adequate funds to sponsor activities that will attract new members, or activities which would be considered a fundraiser i.e., poker run, fun day, rallies, swap meet, flea market, etc. If such an activity is a membership drive as well as a fundraiser, the grant money may be used to buy advertising, rent space, a club banner, etc. (Note: Grants cannot be used to purchase prizes, food or beverages. If a club could gather good mail information and propose to do a follow-up mailing with WSSA and club membership information, the grant money could be used to help with mailing costs.)
All requests will be sent to Don Anderson, the chair of the Marketing Committee. Copies will be sent to the other members of the Marketing Committee to be ranked and the Committee will then approve or disapprove the requests.
Grant requests must be received by the 1st day of the month to be considered that month. Late requests will be considered the following month.
The maximum amount of each grant shall be $500. Matching funds from the Club shall be in dollars, not volunteer hours. Clubs will be encouraged to report results of the membership drive to the WSSA board upon completion of the activity.
Contact Don Anderson at don.anderson@wssa.us or (509) 276-4989 with any questions you may have.
MEMBERSHIP GRANT APPLICATION
The WSSA Trail/Trail Head Grant program is a quick and easy way for a club to receive help with small projects. Grants are limited to $1,000 per club, but clubs can team together on one project, increasing the total funding. (Each club must submit a seperate application.)
Examples of projects eligible for this grant includes brushing or clearing of trails, signage, gravel, bridges, gates, rental equipment for such work, parking lot repair or to use as matching funds for NRTP grants. This grant is not for trail grooming or snow plowing activities.
The grant process is simple. The clubs applying for a grant must have current membership in WSSA. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2009. The grants will be awarded by June 1, 2009. This will allow the clubs to perform the work in the prime summer and fall months. (Projects must be completed by December 31, 2009, upon which time photos and an article on the project are to go to the Snoflyer for publication. If this trail grant is being used for matching an NRTP grant, please state that and the grant will have the same completion date as the NRTP grant.)
All applications for grants will go to Helen Maxwell of the Grant Committee. Helen will forward the grants to the rest of the Grant Committee and the appropriate District Reps for input. District Reps will contact the club contact on the application and verify the project. If necessary, the District Rep will make a field review. It is important that the District Reps know what their clubs are doing. The District Rep will then report back to the Grant Committee. After consultation and if approved, the Committee will forward the club’s request/application to the WSSA Treasurer for payment to the club.
Please be sure to read the grant application carefully as there are two items that must be attached to it--a map of the project site and land owner permission. Grant applications without these two items will not be considered for funds.
Contact Helen Maxwell at maxx@wabroadband.com or (509) 966-4375 with any questions you may have.
TRAIL/TRAILHEAD GRANT APPLICATION
RCO/NRTP Grants
National Recreational Trails Program (NRTP) Grants are administered through the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO). These grants can be used to fund large projects, but have strict rules which need to be followed closely. Funding limits span $5,000 to $50,000 for development and maintenance grants and $5,000 to $10,000 for education grants. Eligible grant types include:
• Trail/Trailhead development and renovation
• Maintenance of trails and facilities (includes grooming)
• Education and safety
Funding for education and maintenance can be requested for two consecutive years. WSSA wants to help your snowmobile club or related organization in pursuing these grants to the benefit of snowmobilers. Please contact our NRTP Grant specialist, Gary Harris, at (253) 845-3247 for assistance or to answer questions.
International Snowmobile Manufacturer Association (ISMA) Grants are reserved for state snowmobile organizations in good standing with the ACSA. Basically this means these grants are available to WSSA and not individual clubs. That being said, if your club has a need meeting ISMA criteria, you are encouraged to contact WSSA to apply for a grant. Eligible grant types include:
• Promotion of the GoSnowmobiling.org campaign
• Safety and environmental projects
• Increasing or maintaining land access
• Precedent setting lawsuits regarding land access
• Economic impact studies
ISMA Grants are limited to a $5,000 maximum and are considerably less involved than IAC/NRTP Grants. There are two funding cycles each year, (requests due by August 1st and November 1st), and two applications can be made per year. Please contact our ISMA Grant specialist, Gary Harris at (253) 845-3247 for assistance or to answer questions.