PTNY Grant Boosts Friends Group’s Helping Hand

The Friends of Allegany State Park(FOASP), a volunteer group focused on the New York's largest state park, has taken on several important maintenance projects since 2012, including the rehabilitation of park cabins, construction of picnic areas, and landscaping and general upkeep of park facilities. The effectiveness of the group's efforts largely depends on its ability to recruit volunteers and raise funds.

Last fall, PTNY awarded FOASP a Growing the Grassroots capacity building grant of $1,734 to produce a website as well as brochures, banners, and business cards which FOASP have distributed at events hosted by both Allegany State Park and FOASP. These marketing materials have increased the group's visibility and even resulted in 29 new members, four of which have committed to a lifetime membership. FOASP's new website, coupled with its Facebook page, has also given the group an online presence, boosting its ability to efficiently and quickly promote volunteer events and recruit members.

According to FOASP President Paul Crawford, "Our Growing the Grassroots grant-funded efforts have helped create an awareness for [their] organization that will create an interest in folks willing to carry on in our footsteps.”