Pro Bono project helps lead to US Army Corps of Engineers national Excellence in Partnerships Award

I still remember when Scott Murray called me early in 2011. He was starting a new nonprofit called Upper Reach, was looking for branding and web design services, and had been referred to us.

His reply when I inquired as to what his budget was still rings in my ears: "Nothing. Without a professional brand and site we don't have the credibility to get grant funds, and without grant funds we can't afford a professional brand and site."

Fast forward to 2015 and Upper Reach, in partnership with Roanoke River Basin Association, has just been awarded the 2014 U. S. Army Corps of Engineers national Excellence in Partnership Award. We're so excited for Scott and Upper Reach, and also proud that we had a hand in helping this fledgling nonprofit get off the ground. Other nominees included the Idaho Dept. of Parks and Recreation, Marklesburg Pennsylvania Volunteer Fire Dept., and First Midwest Bank in Illinois.

According to Edward E. Belk, Jr., Acting Chief, Operations and Regulatory Division, Directorate of Civil Works, the Roanoke River Basin Association-Upper Reach Program was chosen “due their efforts to provide ecotourism, recreational therapy, and environmental education throughout the Roanoke River Basin.” Belk further noted that the Roanoke River Basin Association through “innovative universally accessible canoe and kayak launch project has created recreational opportunities that empower communities to connect with the outdoors through
waterways.”

When Scott called me, it had literally only been several days since I had told the staff, "No more pro bono projects. We just can't afford to keep doing this." Why am I such a sucker? I just couldn't say no to him.

Maybe it was because both Glerin's office and my house are on Banister Lake in the town of Halifax, giving us a vested interest in preserving the lake and river. Maybe it's because I have a soft spot for projects that can benefit our youth and disabled community. Maybe it's because I was on the board of the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority at the time and realized how much quality of life has to do with landing good projects. Maybe it's just because Scott was so nice and we hit it off.

Whatever the reason, I said yes and we got to work creating the branding identity and site for the startup nonprofit - obviously no money in sight on this project, probably ever.

We decided if we were going to do it we were going to build something for Upper Reach that could serve as a model for other organizations. We developed an interactive map that shows boat launches and takeouts, with the ability to get directions to each; each spot also displays a short bit of information and a photo for some locations. The map also displays gps coordinates for various paddling trails.

Wanting to encourage the community to get involved, we developed a Wiki so paddlers can help create a repository of information about the Upper Reach waterways. Each location on the interactive map links through to its information on the Wiki. Paddlers can add their own information, but Upper Reach always has control of the content and can convert to previous versions if mistakes are found.

The site includes a number of other features like an events calendar, photo galleries, and blog, but the map and Wiki are what stand out in making the Upper Reach site unique.

We're very proud that our work has helped Upper Reach get the grant funding it needed to pursue its worthwhile projects!