Fort Wayne Trails Inc

FORT WAYNE TRAILS IS A COMMUNITY PARTNER AND ADVOCATE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CONNECTED, MULTI-PURPOSE SYSTEM OF TRAILS IN ALLEN COUNTY.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TREK THE TRAILS: DURING THE SUMMER OF 2021 (UNTIL OCTOBER 19, 2021) AND AGAIN IN THE SUMMER OF 2022 (STARTING APRIL 26, 2022), FORT WAYNE TRAILS (FWT) PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE AND SUMMIT CITY BICYCLES AND FITNESS/ TREK BIKES FORT WAYNE TO PROVIDE A SERIES OF FAMILY-FRIENDLY BICYCLE RIDES AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE TRAIL SYSTEM. THE GOALS OF THIS PROGRAM ARE TO ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC, INTRODUCE THE TRAIL SYSTEM TO NEW USERS, AND BUILD AFFINITY FOR THE TRAILS WITH POTENTIAL DONORS. THERE WERE 1519 RIDERS IN 2021. THE FIRST TEN RIDES OF 2022 BROUGHT OUT 678 RIDERS. TREAD THE TRAILS: DUE TO COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, FWT, THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE AND FORT WAYNE RUNNING CLUB STARTED A TREK-THE-TRAILS STYLE GROUP RUN/ WALK EVERY OTHER THURSDAY STARTING IN APRIL OF 2022. IN JUST THE FIRST 5 WEEKS 143 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED. THIS PROGRAM ALLOWS PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE THE TRAILS IN A FAMILY-FRIENDLY GROUP ON FOOT. PUFFERBELLY RUN/WALK/STROLL: SINCE 2010, THE PUFFERBELLY RUN/WALK/STROLL HAS PROVIDED A HEALTHY, FAMILY-FRIENDLY ACTIVITY, AND A CHANCE TO SHARE THE PUFFERBELLY TRAIL STORY. THERE WERE 360 PARTICIPANTS IN 2021. OF THE PARTICIPANTS, 119 WERE YOUTH. THERE WERE ALSO 20 VOLUNTEERS. TRAIL MAP: BEGINNING IN 2012, FWT HAS PROVIDED AN EASY-TO-READ MAP OF THE TRAIL SYSTEM, SHOWING EXISTING TRAILS AND CURRENT TRAIL PROJECTS. THE FIRST TRAIL MAP SHOWED 68 MILES OF COMPLETED TRAILS. THE 2022 TRAIL MAPS (NOW AVAILABLE IN BOTH COUNTY-WIDE, AND DOWNTOWN FORT WAYNE FORMATS) INCLUDE OVER 130 MILES OF COMPLETED TRAILS, ILLUSTRATING THE NEED FOR THE ANNUALLY UPDATED PUBLICATION. IN 2012 FWT PRINTED 25,000 MAPS. IN 2022 FWT PRINTED 60,000 MAPS (35,000 COUNTY MAPS AND 25,000 DOWNTOWN MAPS). SURVEY: IN MAY OF 2021 FWT INITIATED A COMMUNITY SURVEY ABOUT TRAIL USE AND DESIRES. THE SURVEY WAS OFFERED IN 4 LANGUAGES. BY THE END OF FY 2022 THERE WERE OVER 1700 RESPONSES. SOCIAL MEDIA: FWT MAINTAINS ACTIVE LINKEDIN, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND YOUTUBE CHANNELS. TRAIL DEVELOPMENT AND ADVOCACY FWT DOES NOT CONSTRUCT TRAILS. FWT HELPS MUNICIPALITIES THROUGHOUT ALLEN COUNTY PRIORITIZE AND MANAGE THEIR TRAIL PROJECTS. FWT ALSO ADVOCATES FOR AMENITIES AND TRAIL CONNECTIONS EXPRESSED TO THEM BY THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES LISTED ABOVE. SOME OF THE TRAIL PROJECTS THAT WERE CONSTRUCTED BY FWT'S MUNICIPAL PARTNERS IN FY2022 ARE: CARROLL ROAD TRAIL: THIS PROJECT WAS COMPLETED IN FY2022 BY ALLEN COUNTY. THIS 0.5 MILE STRETCH OF TRAIL CONNECTS EXISTING TRAIL AT PATHWAY CHURCH TO THE PUFFERBELLY TRAIL. PEOPLE LIVING IN HUNDREDS OF HOMES CONNECTED BY SIDEWALK TO THE TRAIL AT PATHWAY CHURCH NOW HAVE A SAFE ROUTE TO THE PUFFERBELLY. FISHING LINE TRAIL: THIS PROJECT WAS COMPLETED IN FY2022 BY THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE PUBLIC WORKS. THIS 0.5-MILE TRAIL RUNS ALONG THE FORMER GRAND RAPIDS-INDIANA RAILROAD CORRIDOR. OTHER SECTIONS OF THE FISHING LINE TRAIL ARE COMPLETE IN NOBEL COUNTY AND MICHIGAN. MAPLECREST ROAD TRAIL: THIS PROJECT WAS COMPLETED IN FY2022 BY THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE PUBLIC WORKS. THIS TRAIL CONNECTS TO TRAIL ON STELLHORN AND MAKES VITAL NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIONS TO SHOPPING AND RESTAURANTS. SWINNEY PARK TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS: THIS PROJECT WAS COMPLETED IN FY2022 BY THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE PARKS AND RECREATION. THIS 0.67-MILE SECTION OF THE RIVERGREENWAY WAS REDESIGNED TO BE MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY AND USER FRIENDLY. CONSTRUCTION HAS ALSO STARTED ON THE HANNA STREET TRAIL FROM RUDISILL TO PETTIT IN SOUTH EAST FORT WAYNE, THE LANDIN ROAD TRAIL IN NEW HAVEN AND PAYTON COUNTY PARK IN NORTHERN ALLEN COUNTY. FWT IS A KEY PARTNER IN SEVERAL AREA ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING: ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: FWT IS AN EXECUTIVE MEMBER OF THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COALITION. THIS IS A GROUP OF ORGANIZATIONS IN THE GREATER FORT WAYNE AREA WHO ARE ALL WORKING ON DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION. SOME OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED INCLUDE THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE, PARKVIEW HEALTH, PURDUE EXTENSION OFFICE, AARP AND MANY OTHERS. POKA-BACHE COALITION: FWT IS A NON-PROFIT ADVISOR FOR THIS COALITION OF GROUPS FOCUSED ON MAKING THE REGIONAL POKA-BACHE TRAIL A REALITY. THIS TRAIL WILL CONNECT POKAGON STATE PARK AND OUABACHE STATE PARK ALONG AN 81- MILE OFF-ROAD CORRIDOR. FOUR COUNTIES AND 7 MUNICIPALITIES ARE INVOLVED IN THE COALITION. GREENWAYS FOUNDATION OF INDIANA: THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FWT IS THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THIS STATEWIDE TRAIL'S ADVOCACY GROUP. THE FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTES FUNDS COLLECTED FROM THE "I SUPPORT TRAILS" LICENSE PLATES TO SUPPORT TRAIL GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. FUNDRAISING HISTORICALLY FWT HAS RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY 1/3 OF ITS INCOME FROM GRANTS, 1/3 FROM SPONSORSHIPS AND 1/3 FROM INDIVIDUAL DONORS. DUE TO COVID AND THE ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY ASSOCIATED WITH IT, THAT ALLOCATION HAS CHANGED SLIGHTLY BUT THE BALANCE SHEET REMAINS STRONG. ONE EXCITING RETURN TO (ALMOST) NORMAL WAS ONCE AGAIN BEING THE CHARITY PARTNER FOR THE BREWED IN THE FORT CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL. THIS IS ONE OF FWT'S BIGGEST FUNDRAISERS, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPONSORSHIPS AND INDIVIDUAL TICKET SALES. IN AUGUST OF 2021, FWT HIRED A NEW DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, BRIAN WHITE. BRIAN COMES TO THE TRAILS WITH A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AT BOTH THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL AND WITH OTHER NONPROFITS. GRANTS: IN FY 2022 FWT RECEIVED OVER 159,000 FROM 11 SEPARATE GRANTS. SOME OF THESE GRANTS WERE FOR OPERATING EXPENSES, WHILE OTHERS WERE FOR A RESTRICTED PURPOSE. SPONSORSHIPS: IN FY 2022 FWT CREATED A SPONSORSHIP PACKET THAT LISTED ALL OF THE BENEFITS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPONSORSHIP DURING THE 2022 CALENDAR YEAR. THIS RESULTED IN 62 DIFFERENT BUSINESSES SPONSORING FWT IN SOME FASHION. THIS INCLUDED BEING A TRAIL FRIENDLY BUSINESS, SPONSORING THE PRINTING OF THE ANNUAL MAP, AND/OR SPONSORING AN EVENT. INDIVIDUAL DONORS: FWT RECEIVED OVER 180,000 FROM OVER 600 INDIVIDUAL DONORS IN FY 2022. THESE DONATIONS VARIED FROM ONLY A FEW DOLLARS TO THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THERE WAS A LARGE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TRAIL BLAZERS (A MONTHLY GIVING PROGRAM) THAT HAD 87 DONORS AT THE END OF FY 2022. THERE ARE ALSO NOW LEAD DONORS (50,000+) FOR ALL THREE TRAIL HUBS (COVINGTON TRAIL, GOLDEN SPIKE SECTION OF THE PUFFERBELLY, AND PAYTON COUNTY PARK). THESE DONATIONS CAN BE MADE OVER A 5-YEAR PERIOD. IN 2021 FWT HOSTED A DONOR APPRECIATION EVENT IN HONOR OF OUR 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY. IT WAS WELL ATTENDED BY THE BOARD AND THE BROADER DONOR COMMUNITY. THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DONORS TO LEARN ABOUT UPCOMING PROJECTS AND HOW THEY COULD BECOME EVEN MORE ENGAGED. ENDOWMENT: IN OCTOBER OF 2018 FWT STARTED AN ENDOWMENT FUND AT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER FORT WAYNE. IT WAS STARTED WITH 20,000. BY THE END OF FY 2022, IT HAD GROWN TO OVER 42,000. THIS MONEY WILL BE USED TO HELP MAINTAIN THE EXISTING TRAILS INTO PERPETUITY.