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Select Board permits GoFundMe campaign to raise $50,000 for playground replacement
Summary
The board authorized the playground committee to start a GoFundMe with a $50,000 target to supplement about $17,000 in town playground reserves; members discussed fiscal sponsorship, accounting and a suggested end date of Dec. 31 to allow spring planning.
The North Haven Select Board on July 15 authorized the playground committee to launch a GoFundMe campaign seeking $50,000 to replace the town playground.
Staff member (S2), representing the recreation/playground committee, said the proposal aims to combine donations with about $17,000 already in the town’s playground reserve to cover a replacement. "What we are asking for is to start a GoFundMe for $50,000 that would cover the cost," S2 said during the meeting, laying out options for equipment: locally made cedar structures (Cedar Works) or recycled‑plastic commercial kits, and noting delivery costs vary by supplier.
Board members discussed logistics and fiscal oversight. Options considered included the town acting as fiscal sponsor using its municipal EIN or routing funds through a local nonprofit to preserve donor tax deductibility for larger gifts. Staff and board members emphasized bookkeeping and donor acknowledgement: the playground committee would monitor donations and provide lists to the treasurer for auditing and thank‑you notes. One member suggested a firm campaign timeline and an end date (Dec. 31) so the committee could know how much to budget and plan assembly and installation in spring.
The board noted the playground reserve balance and agreed that a successful campaign would allow the town to avoid fully draining reserves. Members also discussed volunteer time for assembly, tradeoffs between locally produced cedar equipment and imported plastic kits, and how to handle fiscal management so that town staff workload (particularly the treasurer’s office) would not be unduly burdened.
The board voted to allow the playground committee to proceed with fundraising subject to meeting with town finance staff to confirm the fiscal process and reporting. The Select Board recommended the committee set a firm campaign period and to return with a timeline and fiscal plan.
Ending: The board asked the playground committee to work with the treasurer and staff to finalize the fiscal sponsorship approach, reporting schedule and a target campaign end date to ensure installation planning ahead of next summer.
