KEA Canada Brings A Fresh Perspective to Help Greenways Trail Alliance Meet Their $9.6M Fundraising Goal

Stats

25-km paved multi-use family-oriented trail connects the communities of Invermere and Fairmont Hot Springs
17 benches, 25 KM marker flagstones, 3 washroom facilities and 2 trailhead kiosks honour donors and their legacies along the way
$9.6 million in cash and in-kind donations secured to complete the trail

Bob Shaunessy

Passionate about community and conservation, Bob Shaunessy is highly regarded by residents of the Columbia Valley. He’s dedicated countless hours to serving his community as a board member, advisor, and volunteer with organizations like Columbia Valley Hospice Society, Western Sky Land Trust, and the Greenways Trail Alliance, and has served as a Director for the Nature Conservancy of Canada for 8 years. In 2016, Bob and his wife, Barb, kick-started the Westside Legacy Trail project by donating 12 km of private land—over 40% of the trail’s total distance. Over the next 6 years, Bob rallied friends and neighbours to complete the trail as Chair of the Westside Legacy Trail Fundraising Committee. He also enlisted KEA Canada to get involved.

Donor fatigue stalls fundraising

Construction on the Westside Legacy Trail comes to a halt as the flow of money slows, and the Greenways Trail Alliance faces capacity issues and donor fatigue.

Support every step of the way

The alliance brings Kathy Arney and the KEA Canada team on board in 2018 to share a fresh perspective, working alongside Greenways’s staff and volunteers to create and execute strategic fundraising plans.

““Hire a fundraising professional, and do it at the get-go, so they can help you design the capital campaign. If we had brought KEA Canada on at the start, instead of seven years, the project might have only taken five.” ”

— Bob Shaunessy, Chair of the Westside Legacy Trail Fundraising Committee

Putting their best foot forward

Lianne Lang of Greenways, and Kathy Arney promoting the Trail at the Fairmont Hot Springs resort.

With the support of Kathy Arney and the KEA Canada team, Greenways Trail Alliance raises money and awareness, resulting in over $9 million to complete the Markin MacPhail Westside Legacy Trail. The trail officially opens in 2020.

Blazing a trail

Greenways Trail Alliance is a group of like-minded organizations and volunteers committed to building healthy, resilient communities by increasing access to natural spaces. By working together to plan, build, and maintain trail systems, they’re enhancing interconnections in the Columbia Valley, and creating sustainable ways for people and the environment to thrive.

In 2015, Greenways embarked on an ambitious journey: to build a 25 km multi-use recreational trail that would connect the communities of Invermere and Fairmont Hot Springs, BC. Guided by Bob Shaunessy, the largest landowner in the area, the group set off on the campaign trail. They quickly found their footing, and secured $5 million in grants, cash, in-kind, and landowner donations from members of the community, both full and part-time.

Fundraising stalls as donor fatigue sets in

As Chair of the Fundraising Committee, Bob had assembled a team of 25 volunteers to raise the $5 million estimated to build and maintain the trail. Together, they met with landowners and donors, hosted community fundraising events, and completed countless grant applications. But after the first $5 million raised, the group found themselves facing capacity issues, ballooning costs, and donor fatigue.

Members of the Construction team showing off some beautiful new pavement.

With a full-time population of only 15,000 people, the Columbia Valley consisted of a small but dedicated donor pool. Hundreds had stepped up to support the project by volunteering time, and donating money and talent—including students from Windermere Elementary School who raised over $8,000 and garnered the attention of Canadian funnyman, Rick Mercer.

“It was a low number of people to ask for a large amount of money,” says Bob. “We recognized that we weren’t reaching enough people in different ways.” They needed to broaden their reach and secure additional resources from outside of the close-knit community.

A step in the right direction

Bob knew it was time to hire a fundraising consultant. He and the Greenways Trail Alliance Board were relieved to find a national firm with a long history of successful capital campaigns. A team of expert facilitators, community-builders, and enablers who would become part of the Greenways group and build on the success of the campaign to bring the project past its $9 million finish line.

“We needed a professional to help organize and refine some of the existing fundraising efforts that we already had in place,” says Bob. “Part of their duty would be to step up our social media presence, get exposure for the trail, and attract more users.”

The right fit needed to have expertise in grant writing, government relations, and fundraising communications to not only build relationships, but raise awareness of Greenways too. KEA Canada’s fresh perspective and strategic approach to fundraising met all of the criteria.

Where there’s a will, there’s a pathway

Winter fat bike ride - the Trail facilitated some incredible community-building events.

As part of the onboarding process, Kathy Arney, founder of KEA Canada, met Bob on bike to discuss the challenges Greenways was facing. As they rode, Bob shared the complexities of the project, and the need to complete fundraising to complete the trail. Thanks to 20 years of experience in the philanthropic sector, and a career in finance and fundraising, Kathy understood immediately.

She got to work, tapping on key members of the KEA Canada team as needed, developing realistic budgets for the project, reviewing donor lists and identifying prospects, planning and executing fundraising campaigns, and building the organization’s online profile.

Kathy and the KEA Canada team quickly fell in step with the Greenways group, matching their pace to fill gaps in capacity and find creative fundraising solutions. They worked side-by-side to complete grant applications, create naming opportunities, and implement an inter-provincial fundraising campaign–allowing Greenways Trail Alliance to focus on what mattered most: constructing the trail.

Leaving a legacy

One of the Trailhead kiosks beautifully designed by Donna Deschenes

The Greenways group not only met, but exceeded their goal of raising the remaining support, helping to ensure a sustainable trail system for the over 125,000 users who enjoy it every year. A total of $9.6 million was raised in cash and in-kind support, with 42% of that support from the private sector. Over 1,100 donors, all three levels of government, and grantors funded the trail.

Through it all, Kathy became a trusted coach, confidante, and advisor for the Greenways Trail Alliance. She participated in strategy meetings, and helped leaders build capacity to be better prepared for future projects, leaving the organization stronger and more capable of moving forward themselves. “She turned out to be exactly what we needed,” says Bob.

The path forward

After seven years of planning, fundraising, and construction, the Markin MacPhail Westside Legacy Trail officially opened on September 18, 2021. But the Greenways Trail Alliance isn’t stopping there. They’re on a mission to connect the entire region between Canal Flats and Donald, BC. And they’ve set their sights on Radium Hot Springs.