Nonprofit to support Downtown Bowling Green and Parks and Recreation

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- As sponsorships and partner opportunities become available in the downtown area, people want to know if their donations are going to the city or to a 501(c)(3).

Donating to the city is technically donating to a nonprofit, but for tax purposes, it will be easier for donors to donate to a 501(c)(3).

A new nonprofit will bring this vision to life, A Better BGKY, serving as the nonprofit fundraising arm for both the Bowling Green Downtown Division and Bowling Green Parks and Recreation.

At the city commission on Tuesday, a request will be made to file the articles of incorporation and file the by-laws at the federal level.

Downtown Development coordinator for the City of Bowling Green, Telia Butler, says, “The financial procedures and procurement procedures will be followed that the city already has so this nonprofit, even though it’s gathering money for city projects and special uses, all of that funding will be used the official way through financial procurement. We are treating all of those dollars as if they are taxpayer dollars, and spending them the way that we would normal dollars.”

The nonprofit has five board members, including the director of Parks and Recreation, the director of Neighborhood and Community Services, the city CFO and two community partners from the private sector. The board will meet four times a year, and the County Clerk will keep records and all meetings and information at the meetings will be available to the public.

In the future, A Better BGKY hopes to establish small business grants, facade grants or even scholarships for students interested in economic or park development.