Inside Track
Quarterly Newsletter for Members of the Road Runners Club of America
DECEMBER 2007 IS IT YOUR EVENT? By: Jessica Sleight and Janice Routt, Star Insurance INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
• Is it your event • Branding Your RRCA Affiliation
• 2008 Convention Registration
• Managing Your Club Finances Part II
• And More RRCA Board of Directors Bee McLeod President Tom Downing Vice President Dennis Novak Treasurer Brent Ayer Eastern Director Beth Onines Central Director Ken Bendy Southern Director David Epstein Western Director
Have you been approached by a community charity, local school, church, or other entity that would like help with their race? You wonder, “Could this race be insured through the club’s membership with the RRCA?” In recent months, we have received an increased number of questions at the RRCA National Office about additional events that clubs are involved with but do not own or manage. In order for an event to be covered through the RRCA Insurance Program, the event must first be listed on the club’s event calendar that is submitted to the RRCA during the annual renewal or joining process. Clubs may develop new events during the course of the year, and these events must be reported to the RRCA throughout the year to ensure liability coverage. To assist clubs with reporting new events, the Additional Event Form is posted at www.rrca.org/join/join/documentsaddevent.doc and should be emailed, faxed, or mailed to the RRCA at least 30 days in advance of the event. Many RRCA member clubs may be providing volunteer support at the finish line, water stations, traffic control at intersections, or providing a timing clock, and/or race timing support for events in their community. These are important services for a successful race, but if the club is not intimately involved in the production of the event from start to finish, then it should not be claimed as a club managed event. Before submitting the Additional Event Form to the RRCA, answer these important questions:
Lisa Paige Secretary & At-Large Director
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Bob Holmes At-Large Director
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Does the club identify the event as a club owned event by listing it on the club’s calendar? Does the board meet to discuss and make decisions about the event?
Photo: Vicky Boyd, ShadowChase Running Club
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Is the club involved in planning at every stage of the event? Is the event referred to in the club meeting minutes as a club owned event? Does the club, in addition to managing all aspects of the event, train and supervise the volunteers on the course, at the aid stations, and at the finish line? Do the words “organized by” (or similar wording) with the name of the club appear on the race entry form? Do the proceeds of the event go into the club’s checking account before being disbursed to vendors or charities?
If you answer each of the questions above with YES, then the RRCA considers the event a club owned event, and the event is covered by the RRCA Insurance Program. If you answer NO to any of the questions, Continued on page 4
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE As you read this, I expect every thing and every one around you is almost, if not already, in full holiday swing. It’s hard to believe that yet another year is drawing to a close and 2008 is looking at us with a lot of promise. At this time of the year, it always seems beneficial to reflect a bit on the months gone by. And, as it relates to the RRCA, there’s a lot of reflection to do! In 2007, the Road Runners Club of America again had a very productive year. Some of the key highlights we should all be proud of include:
• Impressive Membership Growth – We grew by over 80 clubs to a total club membership of 860, an 11% increase. That is the result of impressive and successful efforts by our current membership, our State Reps and our National Office Staff. All of us together help spread the RRCA word which ultimately builds membership.
• Valuable New Partnerships – During the year, new relationships were established with Constant Contact, Merastar, TC logiQ, and TechSoup.org/Intuit. These new relationships add great value for our members. Constant Contact, a leading email marketing service, provides RRCA members with an easy-to-use tool for creating and sending professional email newsletters, announcements, promotions, and more...all useful in club management. Always recognized for offering affordable event and club insurance, the RRCA now allows individual members an option for affordable insurance through our new partner, Merastar. And with TC logiQ, RRCA clubs and events have an affordable source for conducting important background screening of individuals involved in youth athletics.
• Sound Management Policies – The RRCA Board of Directors approved several new operational policies that will support continued solid management of your organization. These policies cover a wide range of topics, from ethics and criminal background checks to record retention and whistleblower protection.
• New Kids Run the Nation Program – Thanks to a generous financial contribution from members David and Sharlee Cotter as well as financial support from member clubs and individuals, we have the funding available to re-tool our youth running materials as well as provide small grants to worthy youth running programs.
• Improved and Affordable Footnotes – With two full years of on-line publishing under our belt, our quarterly publication, Footnotes, is definitely back and it’s affordable. It’s packed full of valuable information INSIDE TRACK
about our sport and our members. Thank you to everyone who has submitted articles and a big thanks to our new editor, Sandy Walton, for the stellar job she is doing producing this member-oriented magazine.
• 2008 RRCA Calendar – Complete with listings of members’ events and member-submitted full color photos, the inaugural 2008 calendar is available for purchase just in time for gift-giving season. Buy early and buy many!
• Critical Key Initiatives – As we started 2007, several key initiatives presented themselves and as we look back over the year, it’s great to see them completed as planned. Over the course of nearly 5 months, our bylaws were meticulously reviewed for accuracy and appropriateness and the Bylaws Task Force’s recommendations will be presented to the full membership at our next membership meeting scheduled for May 2008. In addition, we started the year off with an all new Regional Directors Guidebook. During the year, a Board Guidebook was developed and a the formal Performance Evaluation process for our Executive Director was refined.
• Successful Roads Scholar Program – Once again, we were overwhelmed by the number of Roads Scholar applications and, once again, we were very pleased to be in a position to award six $5,000 scholarships this year to promising postcollegiate runners. That’s some list of 2007 accomplishments and I only really provided the highlights! It was a very busy and productive year of continued growth for your organization. You can learn more about the RRCA Board’s work by reading the minutes online at www.rrca.org/ rrca/business/. A new year is just around the corner and with it will come another year of great promise for our sport of running and its oldest and largest supporter, the Road Runners Club of America. Thank you to each of you for your role in our success. Together, we keep the RRCA thriving! Happy holidays to you and yours. I look forward to seeing you at our 50th celebration in Cincinnati, May 1st – 4th, 2008. Sincerely,
Bee McLeod President@rrca.org PAGE
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BRANDING YOUR RRCA AFFILIATION A brand is a name, term, symbol, or other feature that distinguishes products and services from competitive offerings according to the American Marketing Association. As a member of the Road Runners Club of America, the oldest and largest long distance running organization in the US, we encourage our members to brand their affiliation with the RRCA. RRCA club owned events and event members in good standing are encouraged to use the royalty free RRCA logo to assist with promotional efforts for events, as long as the events are organized following the RRCA Guidelines for Safer Road Racing posted at www.rrca.org/ resources/management/. RRCA members that host a website are encouraged to post an RRCA logo on the main page of their website and link the logo back to the RRCA website at www.RRCA.org. By linking to the RRCA site, you increase our visibility with internet search engines. Does your organization belong to both USA Track & Field and the RRCA? Great, you can include both organization’s logos on your website’s homepage. Many clubs will explain their affiliation with the RRCA on their website. A recent search of a sample of clubs explaining the relationship with the RRCA provided a mix of results from affiliated with the RRCA to sanctioned by the RRCA. If your club or event is receiving nonprofit status (IRS 501 (c)3 designation) through the RRCA, the proper way to articulate this relationship on your website or in your newsletter is, “Our club is an affiliate member of the RRCA. Through the RRCA, we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.” This statement will help other organizations or governmental agencies that your club works with confirm your nonprofit affiliation with the RRCA. If your club simply states that it is a nonprofit organization, but does not identify that it is a nonprofit affiliate of the RRCA, a donor, sponsor, or local government may not readily be able to confirm your club’s nonprofit status. If your club or event is a nonprofit organization directly through the IRS or if your event is a for profit event, then the appropriate way to articulate your relationship with the RRCA is to simply say “Our club/event is a proud member of the RRCA.” When explaining your club’s relationship with the RRCA, avoid using the term sanctioned by the RRCA on club or event materials.
2008 RRCA CALENDAR CELEBRATE THE DIVERSITY OF LONG DISTANCE RUNNING IN THE USA! ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY AT http://store02.prostores.com/rrca/ MAIL IN A COPY OF THIS AD WITH YOUR CHECK FOR $15/CALENDAR AND GET FREE SHIPPING. BULK ORDER CALENDARS TO SELL AS A FUNDRAISER FOR YOUR CLUB OR TO GIVE AS MEMBERSHIP GIFTS. TO PLACE YOUR BULK ORDER, EMAIL DOROTHY@RRCA.ORG FIND THE HIDDEN RRCA LOGO IN THE CALENDAR EACH MONTH AND ENTER TO WIN GREAT PRIZES The RRCA Calendar was printed in the USA
The RRCA is not a sanctioning body; we provide guidelines and best practices information, but we do not dictate rules or oversee compliance with our members’ events. Continued on page 10
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IS IT YOUR EVENT? (CONCLUDED)
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you should consult with the RRCA National Office to confirm if the event is covered through the RRCA Insurance Program. If a club is simply providing consulting services or volunteers for an event, but the club does not own or manage the event, then the club CANNOT claim the event as an additional event and allow the event to access the RRCA Insurance Program. By knowingly claiming an event that is not owned or managed by the club for purposes of accessing the RRCA Insurance Program could impact a club’s membership status with the RRCA. However, this should not preclude clubs from providing consulting services or volunteers for an event that they do not own or manage. If a club is approached by a community based charity, school, church, or other entity to assist with an event then the club should be up front and instruct the event that they will need to be responsible for obtaining insurance by joining the RRCA as an event member or buying an insurance policy through another provider, as desired. As an independent contractor to an event, a club cannot charge an insurance fee and allow a non-club owned event to access the RRCA Insurance Program; this is fraud. If the club contracts with the event to provide consulting services or volunteers, the club’s activities with regards to their involvement with the event may or may not be covered by the event owner’s insurance. This is dependent on the contract language and the event owner’s insurance policy. If a club provides services to a non-club owned event on a volunteer basis, then the club should ask to be named as an additional insured on the events owner’s liability insurance, or at the very least, request a copy of the proof of insurance certificate for the event and ask if their coverage extends to volunteers. The RRCA insurance policy is an umbrella policy which means that what one club/event does affects all the clubs/events taking advantage of the insurance program. It is very important for clubs to ensure that they are correctly utilizing the insurance program when working on events to protect the integrity of the program. We encourage all of our members to review the Guidelines for Safer Road Racing, updated 2007, on our website at www.rrca.org/resources/management. This document has great tips and guidelines about promoting, staging, and carrying out a safe and successful event. If an individual member of a club is providing services to another event as a paid contractor, for example, timing a race with club owned equipment, then the RRCA insurance policy does not cover these activities. The event owner’s liability insurance may or may not cover these activities. It is best to clarify these details with the event before entering into an agreement to provide services. As a quick reminders, the RRCA policy covers members organizing the event, volunteers under the direction of the club, even if the volunteers are not members, and participants (members and non-members) in club owned events and activities listed on the RRCA calendar. It also provides coverage for spectators if they are injured due to negligence on the part of the event organizers. During our renewal period, this is a great opportunity to review the races that your club or event would like to insure and verify that the events are eligible for the RRCA Insurance Program. If you have questions regarding the event and your club’s role in an event, please contact Jessica Sleight (membership@rrca.org) in the RRCA National Office for further clarification.
Post your 2008 Women’s Distance Festival Event on the RRCA website for FREE
Photo Credit: Vicky Boyd, ShadowChase Running Club Modesto, CA
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THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY RRCA NATIONAL CONVENTION CINCINNATI, OHIO MAY 1– 4, 2008 THE CONVENTION:
THE SCHEDULE:
Since the beginning, the RRCA Convention has promoted fun, idea sharing, best practice discussions, the development of quality road races that anyone can run, and much more.
April 30 - RRCA Board of Directors Meeting - State Reps Meeting Starting 2:00 PM
We invite everyone in the running community to join us May 1– 4, 2008 for the RRCA’s 50th Anniversary National Convention and to celebrate Running the Nation for 50 Years! The Flying Pig Marathon will proudly host the 50th Anniversary RRCA National Convention in Cincinnati, OH. Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, the “Pig” has grown to be one the top 20 marathons in the country. The RRCA Convention is a fun tradition that offers great learning and networking opportunities that fit within your budget.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Club and event officers & members, race directors & officials, club & event volunteers, running & fitness media, sponsors, coaches, everyone involved in the running community and industry, and - of course - runners.
May 1
- RRCA Board of Directors Meeting - RRCA State Representative’s Meeting
May 2 -
Convention Opening General Session RRCA Annual Meeting of the Membership Expo, “RRCA Museum” & Silent Auction RRCA Luncheon Honoring the State Reps RRCA Club College & Seminars RRCA BBQ - Run & Fun!
May 3 -
RRCA Regional Meetings RRCA National 5K Championship Luncheon Past, Present & Future RRCA Club College & Seminars RRCA 50th Anniversary Birthday Bash & National Grassroots Running Awards
May 4
- The Flying Pig Marathon
CLUB COLLEGE:
BOOK YOUR FLIGHT:
RRCA: Club College® is a core group of educational session offered at the Convention designed to increase participants’ knowledge in key areas of running club management. The sessions include managing your nonprofit, effective financial management & asset protection, insurance & managing risk, and implementing RRCA programs & services to benefit your club. New this year to the Club College is the topic, Advanced Issues in Managing Your Club.
Flying to the Convention? Book your flight through OneCause at www.onecause.com/b1a147932/ and benefit the RRCA. Register with OneCause, select a travel provider such as Expedia from the list of merchants, and book your flight to Cincinnati, OH. Its that easy, and your purchase will financially benefit the RRCA.
50th Anniversary RRCA National Convention PAGE 6 Registration Form
First Name:____________________________________________________
Last Name: ____________________________________________________
Mailing Address: ___________________________________________________________________________
City: __________________________________________ State: ______________
Zip: _______________
Home Phone: ___________________________________ Email: _____________________________________
Club Affiliation:______________________________________ # RRCA Conventions Attended : ____________
Shirt Size (please circle): S
M
L XL XXL
Meal Selection: Chicken
Fish
Vegetarian
CONVENTION FEE: $250.00 Includes all seminars, reception & RRCA 50th Anniversary Birthday Bash, fun runs, and coffee breaks Options:
Meal Package - $80
Includes both luncheons & BBQ (save $10)
Friday Luncheon - $30
Runner’s World Luncheon Honoring the RRCA State Reps
Friday Night BBQ - $30
Run & Fun BBQ
Saturday Luncheon - $30
Past, Present & Future of Grassroots Running
Additional Birthday Bash Tickets - $50
(Convention Fee includes 1 ticket)
RRCA Coaching Continuing Education Classes I & II - $50* Checks payable to:
Cincinnati Marathon , Inc.
Mail registration & payment to:
644 Linn Street, Suite 626 Cincinnati, OH 45203 (513)721-PIGS
Amount Enclosed: _____________________ * Coaching course held concurrently with convention seminars
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Visit www.RRCAConvention.org for more details or to register online. Convention Central at $119/night: Millennium Hotel Cincinnati 150 West 5th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 513-352-2144 Tell them you are with the RRCA Convention PAGE
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RRCA PARTNERSHIPS BENEFITS CLUBS, EVENTS, & THE RRCA Active’s Volunteer Registration - Easy & FREE for RRCA Members Active.com’s comprehensive volunteer registration solution simplifies and streamlines the volunteer management process by providing a variety of tools to facilitate volunteer management. Clubs and events of all sizes can use this tool to create job coordinators, assign tasks, and more. Volunteers can register individually or in groups, and you can automatically assign them tasks. Communicate with your administrators and volunteers by e-mail to organize and manage the volunteer process. Active’s Volunteer module offers: • Real-time data management with functional reports that can be sorted by categories as desired • Complete administration tools to help staff manage volunteer tasks and stay connected • Broadcast e-mail tools to make communication between event staff, coordinators, and volunteers easy • Customizable volunteer waivers to reduce liability “We used the Active volunteer module this year for the Tahoe Rim Endurance Runs,” explained David Cotter, race director and RRCA Nevada State Rep. “It is a great tool, free to RRCA members, that helped us attract volunteers that we never would have thought to ask.” To learn more about this FREE service for RRCA members along with other great products and discounts offered through the RRCA partnership with Active.com visit www.rrca.org/services/online/.
Shop & Earn with OneCause to Benefit the RRCA Make your everyday purchases count with OneCause’s Shop & Earn™ program. Shop from hundreds of national leading merchants online, in stores, or through catalogs and earn up to 36% for the RRCA on every purchase you make! About OneCause The goal at OneCause is to change the way organizations and nonprofits raise money by providing a suite of nontraditional fundraising programs that are hassle-free to administer and work year-round to generate recurring contributions to organizations and nonprofits. OneCause provides value to the RRCA through a one-stop-shop for nontraditional fundraising programs to raise money utilizing everyday supporter purchases that contribute a percentage of the sales back to the RRCA. RRCA Supporters now have the ability to leverage their everyday online shopping to invest in RRCA programs. Get Started Today! Simply register with OneCause and start shopping. You don't need to purchase anything you wouldn't normally buy. Just shop with hundreds of OneCause merchants online, in stores, or through catalogs, and you'll automatically earn contributions for the RRCA! • Visit OneCause.com at www.onecause.com/b1a147932/ • Download the Shopping Buddy to record your online purchases made outside of OneCause • Before you shop online - start at OneCause.com and click on a coupon or select your favorite merchant, then start shopping • Tell Your Family and Friends! CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 • Book your travel to the RRCA Convention through OneCause PAGE PAGE
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MANAGING YOUR CLUB/EVENT FINANCES PART II
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By: Jean Knaack, RRCA executive director In the last issue of Inside Track (archives posted on the RRCA website) we introduced Managing Your Club/ Event Finances. The first article focused on the role of the Board, the role of the Treasurer, internal controls and important policies. In this issue, we will focus on planning and reporting systems to effectively manage your club or event. Important Questions Your Board Should Be Able to Answer: • Is your organization showing a profit or loss this month/quarter? • Is there a projected profit or loss for the end of the year? • What do you need to do to address a loss? • Are your revenue sources (dues, race registration, sponsorship) increasing or decreasing? • Do you have a diverse source of revenue or are you dependant on a single source? • Are key expenses under control? • Does your organization have sufficient reserves? • Is your cash flow projection adequate? • Are your revenue and expenses on track with your budget? • Is your budget consistent with your mission, strategic plan, or vision statement? Before any organization can answer these questions, they must first have a financial plan or a budget. Second, they must have a systems for recording income and expenses. This system is known as an accounting system. Third, the organization must generate reports based on the data input in the accounting system and discuss the reports. Without these three steps, a Board will not be able to answer the important questions outlined above. The Budget: The budget is the annual financial plan for an organization. While drafting and managing a budget can be a bit of a look into the crystal ball exercise, a few important planning steps can help improve budget accuracy. The first step in drafting a budget is to look at the prior year’s income and expenses to help establish an operating baseline. If your organization ran a deficit, learn from the loss. Was your organization over ambitious on revenue planning? Did you have an unexpected expense? Will this be a re-occurring issue in the future? If so, plan for it, don’t avoid it. Do you have new goals for the coming year? It is important to outline new goals in writing; then determine an associated cost or revenue projection. For example, if your goal is to increase membership or race entrants by 25% then you will increase your membership income budget, but at the same time, you may need to increase the budget for your marketing expenses. When drafting your budget, be realistic about the revenue your organization can generate. Inflating the revenue budget to simply exceed the budgeted expenses can lead to an actual deficit at the end of the year. Be sure to have a contingency plan if revenue falls short of expectations to minimize the likelihood of a deficit at year’s end. When drafting your budget, it is also important to review your accounting system. Your budget categories should match your chart of accounts or accounting categories. It is also important to account for income and expenses how they are outlined in a budget. If the two systems do not match, then you will not be able to generate financial statements that match your budget. The result is that your board may not get an accurate picture of the income and expenses compared to the budget. The actual budget should consist of three important elements: • The budget period i.e. January 1 - December 31, 2008 • Two year income and expense comparison (You may need to use projections for the immediate previous year) • The budget for the coming year which includes income, expenses, and budgeted profit or loss with notes outlining significant variances compared to previous years Continued on page 9 INSIDE TRACK
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Nonprofit does not mean no profit. A nonprofit club or event may budget a profit, but board members may not distribute the profit amongst themselves. This is what defines them as a nonprofit. A nonprofit may also elect to budget a loss if there are adequate cash reserves to support the loss. For example the budget may include spending reserves for a special project that annual income may not fully support. If a board elects to budget a loss, this fact should be clearly recorded in the organization’s minutes. Accounting for Income and Expenses Many small nonprofits use a simple cash basis for accounting, meaning they simply record cash in and expenses out of a checking account. This is adequate for very small organizations with simple operations, as long as the treasurer reports to the board the income received, the expenses paid, and the balance of the checking account and if there is an adequate cash balance in the account to cover future expenses. In organizations with more sophisticated operations, multiple events, multiple programs, independent contractors, employees, etc. an accrual and fund accounting system is recommended. An accrual system matches income and expenses within the same time period. To be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, financial statements should be prepared on the accrual basis. Fund accounting is a concept most often related to nonprofit organizations. Financial records should be maintained for each program, race, or activity that receives income designated for that specific purpose. Each set of records is called a “fund” and is considered a separate accounting category and may have sub-categories. There should also be corresponding expense lines. For example an accounting system or chart of accounts and your corresponding budget may look similar to the following: Income Membership Dues Individual Family Club Sponsorship Program Fees Beginning Running Program Marathon Training Program Youth Running Program Contributions Race Income (Create a category for each race as opposed to lumping them all together) Race Entry Fees Sponsorship Donations collected Misc. Income
Expenses Program Expenses Beginning Running Program Marathon Training Program Youth Running Program Race Expenses (Create a category for each race as opposed to lumping them all together) Permit Fees Contractors Finisher Items Contributions or grants given Prize Money Create additional line items as needed Club Management RRCA Membership—Dues & Insurance Board meeting expenses Membership Recruitment & Retention CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Staff (as needed) Depreciation of assets (timing systems, clocks, etc.) Create additional line items as needed Continued on page 11 PAGE
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE Seasons Greetings, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and success with your Turkey Trots, and I wish you warm Seasons Greetings and all the best for a Happy New Year. The 2008 renewal packets were mailed in late October, so your club/event should have received a packet from us. If for some reason you did not, or you accidently misplaced it, don’t worry, you can download the forms you need from the RRCA website at www.rrca.org/join/ clubs/. Please remember that membership runs on the calendar year and not the date when you mailed your membership payment and forms. We ask that members be sure to renew membership with at least a two week notice before a scheduled event to avoid a potential rush processing fee. It is important that our members make insurance coverage a priority and not an afterthought. As the year draws to a close, I wanted to remind everyone that beginning in 2008, small tax-exempt organizations that previously were not required to file tax returns may be required to file an annual electronic notice, Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations not Required To File Form 990 or 990-EZ.
This filing requirement applies to tax periods beginning after December 31, 2006. Organizations that do not file the notice may lose their tax-exempt status. Small tax-exempt organizations, whose gross receipts are normally $25,000 or less, are not required to file Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax, or Form 990-EZ, Short Form Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. With the enactment of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA), these small tax-exempt organizations WILL NOW BE REQUIRED to file electronically Form 990-N, also known as the e-Postcard, with the IRS annually. Details can be found at www.IRS.gov. Remember, the RRCA does not file tax returns for any members. The annual notice from the Nominating Committee is posted on the RRCA website and an email notices was sent. Please take a moment to review the notice from the Nominating Committee to learn about board seats up for election in 2008. Happy Running, ExecDir@RRCA.org Photo Credit: ASI staff photo
BRANDING YOUR RRCA AFFILIATION (CONCLUDED) Looking for content for your club website or newsletter? We can help! RRCA News is available as an RSS (Rich Site Summary) newsfeed. Webmasters can utilize the RRCA News syndication and it will automatically update on your site as new articles are posted by the RRCA.. For more details visit www.rrca.org/news/rrcaxml.html. This is a great way for your members to keep pace with the RRCA. Reprint RRCA Safety tips found at www.rrca.org/programs/education/ in your newsletters. Be sure to cite the RRCA as your source if you reproduce any information from the RRCA website. Post the link to FOOTNOTES on your club’s website. You can download the cover image from the RRCA website to include on your website with a link to www.rrca.org/resources/footnotes/. Reproduce the President’s or Executive Director’s letters from Inside Track, contents of Keeping Pace emails, or RRCA press releases posted in the RRCA News section on the website in your newsletter. Be sure to extend offers from our corporate supporters to your members. For example FuelBelt, Inc and SportScience offer discounts for online orders for RRCA members. Be sure everyone on your board of directors has signed up to join the RRCA email list. You can find the easy online sign-up at www.rrca.org/join/join/. Do you think your members would enjoy getting RRCA emails? Send us your email list and we will include them on RRCA emails. Use the RRCA tagline We Run the Nation!® Or create a variation on this tagline for your local club such as We Run this City! or We Run this State!
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THANK YOU TO OUR 2007 RRCA DONORS RRCA would like to thank all of our donors as of December 1, 2007 for your generous support throughout the year. Contributions help the organization promote and support grassroots running throughout the United States. Income from membership dues only covers a portion of the revenue needed to support the mission of the RRCA. It is the generous support from our individual donors, clubs, events, corporate supporters, and foundations that enable us to develop, improve, and implement valuable programs that benefit our members and the running community as a whole. 2007 Roads Scholar Fund Donors Albuquerque Road Runners Alta Vista Sports Atlanta Track Club** Cherry Blossom Road Runners** Fulmont Road Runners Club Howard County Striders Jersey Shore Running Club Lilac Bloomsday Association* Maine Track Club Napa Valley Marathon* Syracuse Chargers Track Club Travis Eliot Landreth Memorial Scholarship San Francisco Road Runners Eastbay Frontrunners & Walkers New Orleans Track Club* Huntsville Track Club River City Runners Lake Merritt Joggers & Striders Central Mass Striders Bee McLeod Lisa Paige Brent Ayer Kurt Stuke * $1000+ donors
2007 Kids Run The Nation Fund Sharlee & David Cotter in memory of Hank & Nancy Tyler** Lake Merritt Joggers & Striders* Peachtree City Running Club* Bee McLeod* Lisa Paige Brent Ayer Jean Knaack Ken Bendy David Epstein Dennis Novak Beth Onines JTC Running South Fulton Running Partners John C. Powers Badgerland Striders* Florida Striders Track Club North Carolina Roadrunners Club Chattanooga Track Club Calumet Region Striders Anniston Running Club
2007 Grassroots Supporters (General Fund) Team Footworks* DC Roadrunners Gulf Winds Track Club Chicago United Runners The Guam Running Club Old Goat Running Club Monroe Milers Douglas County Rogue Runners Pine Belt Pacers Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel Southern Arizona Roadrunners CBC Runners Club Zoy Racing Valley Running Club People Events North Carolina Roadrunners Club Club Loco Lisa Paige Bee McLeod Atomic City Roadrunners 2007 State Reps Fund Salisbury-Rowan Runners Randolph Road Runners Club
MANAGING YOUR CLUB/EVENT FINANCES PART II (CONCLUDED) There are many great accounting systems on the market to help organizations account for income and expenses and generate reports. If the organization utilizes an accounting system such as Quicken or QuickBooks or another product, then the club should own the software and not “borrow it” from a club member. The board may authorize for the software to be installed on a volunteer’s computer, but the club should own the software, so there is no question of data and software ownership if the volunteer chooses to relinquish their responsibility. This will also ensure accounting system continuity from treasurer to treasurer. If the club does not have paid staff, the club’s board should ensure that regular back-ups are made of the club’s accounting software and another member of the club should get a copy of the back-up data. Back-ups should be made at least monthly if not more often. To assist clubs in procuring their own accounting software, the RRCA entered into a partnership with TechSoup.org and Intuit, to bring our members Quicken Premier for Home & Business 2006 for a nominal fee of $2.00 plus shipping costs for a TOTAL OF $5.00. This is a savings of over $75 for our members. RRCA running clubs or event member may receive ONE copy of Quicken Premier Home & Business 2006 to implement as the club/event’s accounting software while supplies last. This product MAY NOT be resold or given away by the club/event and is only available through your renewal package. Track your income and expenses, interface with your bank account, generate financial statements for your board to review on a monthly basis and much more with Quicken Premier for Home & Business 2006. Join us for the RRCA Club College: Managing Your Assets session at the 50th Anniversary Convention to PAGE 11 learn more about effectively managing your club’s finances.
ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA 1501 Lee Hwy, Ste 140 Arlington, VA 22209 703-525-3890 www.RRCA.org Founded in 1958
RRCA PARTNERS WITH THE SAMPLE GUY, INC. The RRCA is pleased to announce that the Sample Guy, Inc has become the preferred race bag content provider for the RRCA. As part of the relationship, the Sample Guy, Inc. will work with RRCA members, regardless of event size, to bring new products and advertisers such as Quaker and Kraft to race bags around the country. Headquartered in High Point, NC, the Sample Guy, Inc. is a nationwide service dedicated to providing quality promotional bags for distribution at running events around the country. Their service offers advertisers the opportunity to reach their target audience for a fraction of the price of traditional ads or direct mail. By bringing desired advertisers to an event, the perceived value of a participant’s race bag can be significantly increased, and at the same time, a race director can focus on other important details of the event. The Sample Guy, Inc. will also work with the RRCA in 2008 to actively promote the RRCA Championship Events with their advertising clients. RRCA Championship Events utilizing the Sample Guy, Inc will receive a special RRCA Championship Event brochure with great product discounts from RRCA Corporate Supporters. Sign your event up today with the Sample Guy, Inc at www.sampleguy.com. For information about advertising in Inside Track contact Jean Knaack at 703-525-3890
In the Next Issue:
• • • • September 19, 2008
Contracts - How and Why? Managing Your Finances III 50 Years of Running the Nation And more
Subscription Information: If you would like additional copies of Inside Track mailed to your club officers and key volunteers, please send a check in the amount of $5.00 per subscription to the National Office along with addresses of the subscribers.