1. Executive Director

Update by the Executive Director
Tim Merriman, Executive Director

Budget and Cash Flow
Membership income is at 15% at the end of February of the annual projection and 16.6% is the ideal amount. March is going so well that we should be ahead of schedule on memberships by end of the first quarter. Extensive promotional activities by Heather and staff are bringing this income up quickly. Deb is also doing a lot with building commercial membership by attending trade shows of similar organizations. Our cash flow is going well thus far for the year.

Grants
We continue to be hopeful that we will be launching both of our USEPA projects in the next few weeks. NPS and USFWS are the cosponsors and both indicate that paperwork is nearly final on these. They represent more than $200,000 in grants. We will hear from a $30,000 planning grant from the Bohemian Foundation in early May and hope that goes well. Boettcher Foundation executive Tim Schultz visited with us on site recently and was very encouraging about a $25,000 grant with them. Julie has made that application and we will learn about it by June. We will apply for an extension on our challenge grant from Gates Family Foundation to give us more time to raise matching funds.

Legacy Trust Fund
Julie continues to work closely with major donor propsects on major LTF gifts while also writing grant proposals for appropriate projects. For more information on Legacy Trust Fund click here.

Networking
We are working closely with our two partner organizations in the building, NPCA and RMBO, by having brown bag lunches. We have helped form a new group in Fort Collins that brings the CEOs of all of the major environmental and cultural nonprofits together monthly. The exchange of ideas has been stimulating. Julie has made this all happen and manages the communications with it.

Strategic Plan
Please look at the Strategic Planning page in this report and see if you have any updates to make based upon your efforts related to those tasks. Please let Jim Covel know of any updates at JCovel@mbayaq.org.


Travel Plans
My upcoming travel may be viewed at www.interpnet.com/board/schedule.htm.