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| Find the Funds |
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How much is your dog run going to cost? That depends on the location and condition of the site you've chosen. A decent dog run-with basic drainage, surfacing, a decent fence and gates, benches, bag dispensers, trash barrels, and a source of water-can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $75,000. Then there's the budget for maintenance, which generally runs around $3,000 to $5,000 a year in a public park, and far more in a private space (where you may need to pay for insurance and garbage collection).
If your run is located in a San Francisco park, its creation and maintenance would be funded by the city. You may find, however, that securing outside funding to help with construction and maintenance costs will improve your chances of approval greatly. At the very least, it will allow you to include more and better amenities (such as a multi-level drinking fountain or attractive lighting) in your park.
Once you get approval for a run on city land, the Recreation & Park Department will work with you on developing an accurate budget and construction plan. If your chosen site is owned by the Department of Public Works, that agency will more than likely transfer the land to the Recreation & Park Department's jurisdiction upon approval.
Where will the money come from? Begin by researching available grants related to animals, parks, neighborhood improvements, and other relevant topics. The funds are out there; you just have to know where to look. For example, San Francisco's Neighborhood Beautification Fund and San Francisco Beautiful give modest grants to help establish and maintain gardens, medians and other types of park projects. Oakland's Community and Economic Redevelopment Agency also makes grants to neighborhood improvements that fall within established redevelopment areas.
Don't forget to raise money from dog owners in the neighborhood (start with the names you collected to establish your dog owners group), local merchants (especially pet-related merchants), and companies that make pet products.
Before you rev up your fundraising efforts, you may want to incorporate your dog owners' group as a 501c3 non-profit organization. Becoming a non-profit takes time and money, but it makes fundraising easier because it makes donations tax-deductible for donors. For help incorporating as a non-profit, read the "How to Start a 501c3" article on the California Association of Non-Profits website (it's hiding under the FAQ's link) or buy this how-to book on the subject from Nolo Press. Another, easier, option is to set up a fund or an account through an existing not-for-profit "Friends of the Park" organization, or through the San Francisco Parks Trust.
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