Re: 2026 Financial Issue and Fundraising Efforts
What happened to cause a financial issue?
The warm weather and lack of snow this past winter meant that Telemark opened late and closed several week earlier than normal. When we were open we had some good skiing and snowshoeing but the conditions were not up to our normal mid-winter high standards. Down in town there was little snow and people were not thinking about xc skiing and snowshoeing. People simply did not come up to Telemark to xc ski and snowshoe which meant that we were not taking in $ revenue.
How bad is the financial situation?
Don’t worry, the Club is not “going under” but we do have a substantial cash shortfall to get through the off season. 1/3 of the Club’s revenue comes from day users through passes, rentals, lessons etc. We rely on that revenue and it was down by about 80% compared to a normal season. Certainly with less grooming and lower costs due to the shortened season we have saved some $ but it does not nearly make up for the loss of revenue from public day use. The shortfall is about $75,000.
What is the Club doing to solve the issue?
Club is doing several things to mitigate the issue and reduce that deficit.
– Cutting costs where we can by… grooming only as absolutely needed, laying off seasonal staff early, delaying the volunteer appreciation dinner, cutting the Athlete Bursary program, delaying equipment repairs & maintenance etc.
– Temporarily cutting back on any new projects eg. Signage, Trail work etc
– Spreading out some costs over time. For example: Our buildings & equipment insurance is a substantial payment that is normally paid in the spring. This year are working with the insurance company to spread the cost out over the next year with monthly payments.
– We are looking for new sponsors and have already found at least one new one at the “Black Diamond”$5,000 level.
– Selling Season Passes early in June to help bring in some $ through June, July and August.
– We are also fundraising through our “Uplift Telemark” Campaign and also through our ongoing Panorama Cabin fundraiser.
What is the “Uplift Telemark” fundraising campaign?
Upon hearing about our financial issues, the Telemark Community members asked how they can help Telemark Nordic Club get through this difficult time. We thought a specific fundraising campaign would help to make it easy to contribute. Through the campaign people are able to make direct $ Donations to help stabilize the Club now and enable us to prepare for next winter. The goal of the campaign is to raise $30,000. That amount along with all the other measures we are taking will make sure that we are able to continue to operate and have a successful 2026-27 season.
Why are you fundraising for the Panorama Cabin at the same time as the Uplift Telemark Campaign?
The Panorama Cabin project is a long-term capital investment being developed in partnership with Nordic Canada. Funds raised for this project have come from personal and corporate donations specifically for the Cabin and are formally “Restricted” to the construction of the cabin and cannot be used for general operations or to cover any budget deficits. While we have some of the Cabin funds in place we still need more $ to complete the cabin. The Panorama Cabin campaign ends on March 31st, 2026.
Do you give tax receipts for donations?
Direct donations to the “Uplift Telemark” campaign or any other direct financial support of the Club are NOT eligible for tax receipts. This is because we are a registered not-for-profit organization but NOT a charity.
Tax receipts ARE available for donations made to the Panorama Cabin Fundraiser because this fundraiser funnels through Nordiq Canada and tax receipts come directly from Nordiq Canada.
Are there any other fundraisers happening?
Yes. We have developed a relationship with Pink Weasel Coffee. They are a small coffee roaster based in Summerland who make delicious, micro-batch roasted coffee. They will donate $5 from every bag sold back to Telemark. We encourage you to try some wonderful Pink Weasel coffee and help out the Club at the same time. We will also be looking at other fundraising options as needed.
Why not just borrow some $ to cover the shortfall?
This has been discussed by the Telemark Board of Directors but is NOT thought to be a good strategy. The Board is concerned that if funds are borrowed we could be in an even worse situation next year if there should be another bad season. While we anticipate things to be back to normal for next season the board does not want to take that risk. The best strategy is to cover as much of the shortfall as possible now.
Does the Club have a contingency fund?
As a not-for-profit organization that relies, in part, on BC government funding we have limited ability to have operational contingency funds and we have not had a long-term contingency fund.
Funds set aside are mandated as “restricted funds” for specific projects like a new groomer or the Panorama Cabin etc. Also, we are obligated to reinvest $ back into the facility and have normally put $ back into the programs and facilities (i.e. expanded parking lot, new groomer, replacement of rental equipment etc).
While the Club has seen up and down seasons over its 48 year history we have never seen a season like this and a long term contingency has never been needed.
Having said all that the Board will be looking at options to make sure there is a $ buffer in the future.
Can the Club make $ with other activities
While we are always open to other opportunities and partnerships the Club’s ability to make $ from other activities is limited. The main reason for this is that the Telemark Trails are in a BC Recreation Site on Crown Land. The Club operates the Rec Site under the terms of a Partnership Agreement (Permit) with Recreation Sites & Trails BC (RSTBC) . We are allowed to operate and collect $ fees from November to April. The rest of the year the trails must be open to the public “free of charge” for hiking, biking, dog walking, horseback riding etc.
Also we are volunteer run not-for-profit organization with a mission to provide… Quality facilities, trails, and programs supporting Nordic sports and snowshoeing in a friendly, fun, and safe environment. So, while we endeavour to operate the Club in a business like manner we are not a business and do not have the mandate or capacity to run other business models. Cycling is often mentioned as an example of a possible revenue generator. This has been considered by the Board but is not a viable option because the Rec Site is open free of charge for biking. Also, most other bike trails are free of charge. So, even if we could amend our Permit with RSTBC there is not likely to be any revenue from biking.