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Friends of Imperial Parks nonprofit seeks board members, outlines volunteer and grant plans
Summary
Tony Lopez, parks and recreation director, presented the Friends of Imperial Parks, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed to support park improvements, youth programming and fundraising; the group is recruiting voting board members and has provided in-kind support to city events.
Tony Lopez, the city’s Parks and Recreation director and founder of Friends of Imperial Parks, told the City of Imperial City Council that the nonprofit was incorporated and granted 501(c)(3) status in April 2022 and is now recruiting board members to expand programming and fundraising.
Lopez said the organization currently lists 10 board seats: president, vice, treasurer, secretary, clerk, three at-large voting members, one city-council-appointed nonvoting member and one planning-commission-appointed nonvoting member. He said eight of the seats are voting members and two are nonvoting. The application period closed Feb. 28; Lopez said he has nine applications and plans to interview applicants one-on-one within about a month.
Lopez outlined volunteer-led activities the nonprofit has supported: a Go Jeep Run fundraiser, providing jumpers for an autism awareness fair, assisting the library by sharing the nonprofit’s tax-exempt purchasing status, and supplying refreshments and field-trip support for youth recreation camps. He said Friends of Imperial Parks helped with a kindergarten walk event alongside the police department and made donations to local veterans’ groups.
Lopez told council that Friends of Imperial Parks does not have a memorandum of understanding with the city and that board members serve as volunteers without compensation. He asked for council help in appointing the city’s representative(s) to the board; council members said they would clarify appointments and participate in the recruitment process.
Lopez provided a contact email for volunteers and applicants: f0iparks@outlook.com, and said the group intends to pursue grants and partnerships with local businesses once the board is seated.
City members responded positively, with several council members offering assistance and noting the nonprofit’s potential to supplement municipal park resources. Lopez said meetings for the new board will begin after appointments are finalized and that the board will coordinate recurring updates to council.
