Vermont Trails & Greenways Council

What it reported doing in 2024

Promote the development, maintenance, and preservation of high quality, public access trails and greenways in Vermont. Accomplishments include helping secure significant public funds for flood recovery, raising awareness of stewardship needs, and providing testimony on relevant legislation. The council cohosted the first ever outdoor recreation day at the statehouse, bringing together nearly 100 trail advocates, and hosted a site visit for interested legislators to better understand the connections between trails and thriving local communities. Educate, inform, and connect the recreational trails and greenways community in Vermont. Accomplishments include the redesign and launch of a new website, hosting a statewide trails symposium, and circulation of a monthly educational newsletter to nearly 500 recipients. In terms of educational events, the vtgc partnered with the Vermont recreation and parks association to host the Vermont conference on recreation and trails symposium in the fall of 2024, which brought together hundreds of participants across public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, and municipal groups to share success stories, learn about new methods and tools, and strengthen our collective network. Advise the Vermont agency of natural resources on all matters relevant to recreational trails and greenways. Accomplishments include the development of a draft cooperative agreement between the department of forests, parks, and recreation, providing guidance on updates to the recreational trails program (rtp) grant program, formally supporting the development of Vermont's statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan (scorp), and participating in the Vermont outdoor recreation economic collaborative (vorec) steering committee. While the vtgc has long been recognized in statute as an official advisory body to the Vermont agency of natural resources through the department of forests, parks, and recreation (fpr), vtgc board and staff worked closely with fpr representatives to develop a formal partnership agreement that officially defines how both organizations will individually and collaboratively advance the landscape for trail based recreation in Vermont. Vtgc has also been closely involved in the Vermont conservation strategy initiative, which will define Vermont's approach to meeting 30 by 30 and 50 by 50 conservation goals, advising how recreational trails can help advance the desired land protection outcomes.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 92.7%; rating input score 93
• Program expense ratio: 96.5%; rating input score 97
• Fundraising efficiency: $101.2 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 4%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.12; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: Limited
• Revenue growth: 145.1% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 43.7% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings