Community Affiliate Program

The City of Evanston’s Parks & Recreation Department has a rich tradition of providing quality leisure-based facilities, programs and services to the community. Throughout its history, the Parks & Recreation Department has actively worked with various affiliate organizations to meet the needs of its residents. The demand for available space to host these organizations has grown and Parks & Recreation Department is striving to provide an equitable and fair process to allocate space. Due to the limited resources, the Parks & Recreation Department has instituted an efficient, fair, and transparent system for providing space in our facilities. The Parks & Recreation Department has created a Community Affiliate Program. The program establishes a fair, equitable, and cost-effective system in which to manage our limited facility resources and administer reservations at the Parks & Recreation Department.

BENEFITS OF THE COMMUNITY AFFILIATE PROGRAM

For the Parks & Recreation Department:

Allows for an efficient response to requests for facility space from affiliate organizations.
Supports the Parks & Recreation Department mission of creating and fostering partnerships.
Ensures that tax-supported facilities are assigned and utilized in a manner that is aligned with the Parks & Recreation Department’s mission, vision, and values.
Provides the Parks & Recreation Department with vital information concerning non-profit organizations that have access to its facilities in order to assure compliance with use requirements.

For the Community:

Defines a clear system for how Evanston non-profits can gain access to Parks & Recreation Department resources.
Ensures that the use of tax-supported facilities is fairly distributed among the various user groups.
Sets top priority for relationships between Parks & Recreation Department and user groups that enhance the Department mission and provide resources to Evanston residents.
Establishes limits on facility use by groups to ensure facilities are protected from overuse and to provide access to the general public.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This guide was created for organizations that are interested in using Parks & Recreation Department facilities on a regular basis with the process of applying for and becoming a member of the Community Affiliate program. It is also designed to serve as a resource for Community Affiliate members on Parks & Recreation Department policies and procedures. This guide is not an exhaustive list of every benefit and/or expectation associated with the program. Organizations should consult with the department liaison for clarifications. If you have questions about information in this guide, contact the Parks & Recreation Department via the information below:

To apply to the Community Affiliate Program: Community Affiliate Program Application

Community Affiliate Program Structure

The Community Affiliate program has been established to effectively manage and fairly permit the use of the department’s facilities while maximizing the benefits to Evanston residents. Organizations that do not meet the requirements into the program will still have the ability to request use of the department’s facilities, but will be required to follow the same procedures, policies, and fees as set for the general public.

Affiliate Organization (No fee)

This category is reserved for organizations that closely match the Parks & Recreation Department in mission and objectives, serve the community similar to the Parks & Recreation Department, or are able to participate in a partnership that is mutually beneficial. Examples include other Evanston government entities through intragovernmental agreements, Evanston area educational institutions through facility sharing agreements, or non-profit organizations whose work directly benefits the Parks and Recreation department. These organizations provide an avenue for the Parks & Recreation Department to meet its mission and enhance the recreational opportunities to the residents of Evanston by working together.

Affiliate Organization (Reduced fee)

These Evanston based non-profit organizations provide and actively promote non-competitive recreation opportunities and/or community services. These opportunities or services must be made available to Evanston residents without any pre-qualifications, other than age. These organizations must be non-profit corporations (registered with the State of Illinois with a 501c status) or operating with a volunteer board of officers. In addition, these groups or organizations must possess liability insurance in excess of one million dollars aggregate and be willing and able to name the City of Evanston as additionally insured.

Becoming Part of the Community Affiliate Program

Community Affiliate Program Application

Participation in the Community Affiliate program is open to any organization as long as they meet the program criteria. In order to participate in the program, an organization must first complete and submit a Community Affiliate Program Application with the required documentation. Applications must be submitted for review and processing. Depending on the timing of the application this process could take up to one month at the discretion of the Parks and Recreation Board. This application and accompanying information serves as the basis for determining if an organization will be accepted into the Community Affiliate program. Applications can be submitted online. If you are interested in receiving the link to the online form please email mpoole@cityofevanston.org to request the application.

Acceptance into the Community Affiliate Program

Not all organizations that apply to be part of the Community Affiliate program may be accepted. Possible reasons for being denied participation in the program are incomplete applications; organizations that do not meet the requirements outlined in the program structure; organizations that provide similar services to those already provided by the Parks & Recreation Department or existing Community Affiliate member organizations. Additionally, groups who have been placed in the program in the past, but have failed to live up to the expectations set by the program may be denied. There is no guarantee that groups will automatically be accepted into the program, even if they have participated in past years. Organizations accepted in the community affiliate program must reapply every three years. Organizations not participating in the Community Affiliate program are still welcome to apply for use of park or facility space following the guidelines set for the general public.

Review Process for Acceptance into Community Affiliate Program:

Complete application and supporting documentation will be initially reviewed by Parks & Recreation staff.
Organizations will be notified in writing whether they are approved to move to Parks & Recreation Board review or denied.
Organizations that were approved by staff will then be reviewed by the Parks & Recreation Board for final approval.
Organizations will be notified in writing if they received final approval and are designated for the calendar year as a Community Affiliate of the Parks & Recreation Department or denied.
Approved Organization will need to reapply for Community Affiliate status three (3) years after their initial approval year.

ADVANTAGES OF PARTICIPATION FOR ORGANIZATIONS

The Community Affiliate program is designed to provide qualified non-profit organizations specific benefits for participation.

Priority scheduling before the general public for facilities.
Reduced fees for use of Parks & Recreation Department facilities.
Recognition in the Parks and Recreation brochure guides as a Community Affiliate.
The ability to post for your organization’s meetings and events in City of Evanston Community Centers on the City of Evanston calendar.
Access to non-City owned or operated recreation facilities that the Parks & Recreation Department manages or schedules on another party’s behalf.
Access to specific City of Evanston locations may be granted. The distribution of City keys or access codes may be issued only to the main community affiliate contact or the backup affiliate contact. The Community Affiliate is responsible for the issued items and must return them promptly upon completion of the use.

EXPECTATIONS OF COMMUNITY AFFILIATE ORGANIZATIONS

In order for an organization to have and keep the above benefits, they will be expected to adhere to the terms of the program and Parks & Recreation Department expectations. Some of these expectations include:

Demonstration and /or documentation of compliance with all terms outlined.
Designation of two persons to serve as organization representatives and communication of organization representative changes. Representatives work with department staff to coordinate the organization’s use of Parks & Recreation Department facilities.
Compliance with Parks & Recreation Department General Use Ordinances in the City Code.
Timely payment of required fees or charges.
Communication to your participants regarding Carry-In/Carry-Out program to reduce waste in the Parks and Recreation facilities.
Any organization that has contact with minors as a result of the meetings or events held at Parks and Recreation facilities must conduct Criminal Background and Sexual Offender checks on those persons and submit the results to the Parks & Recreation Department.
Present before the Parks and Recreation board about the status of their organization in non-renewal years.
Provide a current general liability insurance certificate naming the City of Evanston as additionally insured.
Provide yearly participant statistics with supporting documentation.
Comply with all City requirements for storage use.
Responsible for all access items issued (keys, codes, etc.).Liable for the misuse of these items.

Community Affiliate Indoor Facility Fees and Reservation Process

COMMUNITY AFFILIATE ORGANIZATION FACILITY RESERVATION PROCESS

Each community center has separate rules, regulations, and application procedures that must be followed. These rules and regulations will be communicated to organizations when rental reservations are issued and are designed to protect the facility, user, and the Parks & Recreation Department. Affiliate status does not guarantee facility room use. Availability will be based on the schedule and staffing of each individual center.

Affiliate organizations must request facility use through the rental coordinator of that specific location.
All facility requests must be submitted in the preferred manner of the facility.
Parks and Recreation will provide a requesting window to Community Affiliate organizations prior to the spaces become available to the general public on August 1 of the preceding year. These dates may be subject to change based on the decision of City of Evanston staff.
When requesting use of facilities, organizations must note set-up, tear-down, or clean-up time required as part of the reservation.

COMMUNITY AFFILIATE ORGANIZATION FACILITY FEES

Use fees and room discounts are subject to change annually at the discretion of the Parks & Recreation Department. Discounts on facility use do not extend to security deposits or any additional permits processes, i.e. liquor licenses, etc.

Affiliate organizations will receive a 50% discount on the total cost of the facility reservation during the outlined times: Monday – Friday after 4pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am-11pm.
Affiliate organizations will receive a 100% discount on the total cost of the facility reservation during the outlined times: Monday – Friday 9am-4pm
- This discount is subject to facility schedule and availability.
- Facility use outside of this time frame will be charged at the 50% discount

Outdoor Facilities Available to Affiliate Participants

Participants in the Community Affiliate program are eligible to reserve outdoor facilities managed by the Parks & Recreation Department for a reduced rate. Affiliate organizations must apply for the use of athletic field space through those specific reservation processes. Please contact mpoole@cityofevanston.org for more information. Affiliate organizations are subject to the rules and regulations of these locations they are designed to protect the facility, user, and the Parks & Recreation Department. Affiliate status does not guarantee park or athletic field use. Availability will be based on the schedule of the individual location. The fees charged for this kind of use will be in line with the current Sports Affiliate pay structure.

Guidelines for Facility Use

FACILITY USE AND ALLOCATION STANDARDS

The Community Affiliate program recognizes the importance of having an equitable system for managing the use of Parks & Recreation Department facilities. Parks & Recreation Department facilities are available not only to Community Affiliate organizations but also to the general public through Parks & Recreation Department sponsored activities or on their own in accordance with the City Code. With this in mind the Community Affiliate program sets forth the following standards in regard to the use and permitting of the community parks, centers, and specialized facilities:

The Parks & Recreation Department has a responsibility to provide community access outside of organized activities. As a result, the Parks & Recreation Department will work to ensure that a portion of open hours are dedicated to public use and are not permitted for any outside activities.

No reservations will be made at areas under construction when doing so places undue hardships on the Parks & Recreation Department and users of the property, or poses safety concerns that are not realistically manageable.

The Parks & Recreation Department reserves the right to temporarily close facilities when unsafe conditions exist including but not limited to weather, special events, unforeseen emergencies, etc.
Below is the order by which facility use will be prioritized following the initial yearly request. After that initial time frame requests will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis:

City of Evanston programs and special events
District 65, District 202 and City of Evanston non-profit supportive organizations
Community Affiliate group requests
Evanston residents
Non-resident / Non-resident based organizations

Organizations are required to leave the facility in the condition in which it was found which includes cleaning up any materials and replacing furniture and/or equipment back in its original location. Carry In/Carry Out rule applies to all facilities—indoors and outdoors.
Facilities will not store rented items for organizations. If an organization chooses to have rental items delivered to a facility, they must remove those items by the end of the use unless approved by the Parks & Recreation staff. Delivery and pickup of any outside items must be supervised by the organization representative unless otherwise approved by the Parks & Recreation staff.
Community Affiliate organizations will not be able to request City of Evanston facility use for any other purpose than their own. If an organization reserves the use of facility space for an organization outside of their own they may forfeit affiliate status.

NOTIFYING PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF OF NONUSE DUE TO WEATHER ISSUES

If an organization is forced to cancel use due to a weather related issue they must notify parks and recreation staff via the available online form within 14 days of the occurrence. These cancelations include the field closures issued by the City of Evanston parks department. Any cancelation notices submitted outside of that window may not be honored.

PARTICIPANT AND VOLUNTEER SAFETY

Community Affiliate organizations should visually inspect the facilities they are using and equipment they are working with before the start of each activity. Organization representatives need to familiarize themselves with the location and operation of emergency exits, restrooms, first aid kits and AED machines. If something appears unsafe, the organization representative must notify the Parks & Recreation Department and take actions that will ensure user safety. It is the responsibility of the affiliate organization to collect waivers from all of their participants and volunteers. The City will provide the required waiver. It is the responsibility of the organization to keep all necessary waivers and be able to produce them if requested by the City.

Once the activity has ended, an organization representative stays on site until all participants and volunteers have left the facility. Special care is to be taken with minors who are only released to parents, guardians, or other responsible parties designated by their parent or guardian.

All accidents and incidents, no matter how minor they appear, must be addressed and reported. If an accident occurs during an organization’s use of a City of Evanston facility, the organization leader on site must act calmly, promptly, and efficiently to take care of the situation. If a Parks & Recreation Department staff member is on duty at the facility, organizations can request their assistance in providing First Aid. If a Parks & Recreation Department staff member is not present, organizations should to the best of their abilities respond to the situation, calling for help from ambulance or police as necessary.

The City of Evanston has a strong policy against any form or type of discrimination and harassment by, among, or to its affiliate organizations. Discrimination and harassment can be defined as any behavior that is disrespectful and causes discomfort to another person, be it physical, verbal, visual, or sexual. Organizations are responsible for their own actions/conduct the actions/conduct of and their employees, volunteers, and sub-contractors. Organizations must never engage in discrimination and harassment.

Whenever the City of Evanston deems it reasonably necessary for security reasons, the City of Evanston may conduct at its expense, criminal background checks of Community Affiliate Organization staff or volunteer, including fingerprinting and DCFS authorization. Community Affiliate Organization shall reassign immediately any such individual who, in the opinion of the City of Evanston, does not pass the background check or fails the drug testing.

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