Tree Farm System



2021 ATFS Annual Program Health and Financial ReportThe American Forest Foundation is proud of the work that our state committees and volunteers accomplish annually in order to keep the American Tree Farm System program working. In order to maintain a record of these accomplishments and to monitor the overall health of our state committee programs, we ask each state committee to complete an annual report. Data from these reports allows us to report on your accomplishments to AFF's Board of Trustees, donors, and future sponsors. We have also included some reflective self-assessment questions in order to help your committee better monitor your state program's overall health.Timely and complete submissions of your report are crucial not only to our ability to accurately report this information, but also so that your committee may receive its annual program funding.Annual reports are due no later than March 31, 2021 and must emailed to operations@ to be considered complete. Please return your 2021 committee rosters by this date as well. Committees that submit their report after this deadline will not be eligible to receive annual program funding. These unclaimed program funds will be returned to the pot and may be made available to other committees throughout the year for special projects. Please note that data collected in these reports will be shared.State Committee: Report submitted by (primary contact person for questions about this report):Email:Overall Program Summary and ReflectionBased on your State Program’s Strategic Plan, what are the top 1-2 priorities for 2021 in the following categories? If you do not have a 2021 goal or priority for a category below, write "none".Inspections and Internal Monitoring:Leadership/Board Development:Capacity Building and Financial Sustainability:Communications and Outreach:Other:What are the most pressing 1-2 challenges facing these priorities in 2021?If you had additional funds, what new or existing projects you would take on or grow? Be specific.How would you rate the operational and programmatic support and resources that your committee receives from the ATFS national office? 5 - Highly Supported43 - Supported21 - Not Supported at allPrefer not to answerHow would you rate the financial support and resources that your committee receives from the ATFS national office? 5 - Highly Supported43 - Supported21 - Not Supported at allPrefer not to answerWhy does Tree Farm matter in your state? For example: How is your committee having an impact on landowners in ways that delivers clean water, wildlife habitat and sustainable wood supplies? How has ATFS made a significant change in the community? Staff will use these stories to promote your committee to policy makers, funders and others who can help us all with our shared mission. Governance and Committee LeadershipPlease list your program's co-sponsors (no acronyms, please).:Does your state program have a dedicated Program Administrator?Yes, full-time and paid by the committee.Yes, full-time and paid by a partner organization.Yes, full-time volunteer.Yes, part-time and paid by the committee.Yes, part-time and paid by a partner organization.Yes, part-time volunteer.No program administrator.In an average week, approximately how many hours does your Program Administrator spend on business of the tree farm committee? 0-10 hours11-20 hours21-30 hours31-40 hours40+ hoursOur committee does not have a dedicated Program Administrator.Strategic PlanningIn what year did your committee complete its most recent review and revisions to its written Strategic Plan?2021201820172016 or earlierWe do not have a written Strategic PlanIf you have a Strategic Plan, please include the most recent copy.Leadership Development and SuccessionDo you provide access to or give copies of a current orientation or leadership manual that includes basic information such as an organizational chart, roles of each position, contact information, and a succession plan to all of your committee members? YesNoDid you recruit any new committee members to serve in 2021?YesNoIf yes, how many new members did you recruit and what approaches did you use to recruit them?Does your committee have term limits for its members?YesNoIf yes, what are your committee's term limits?Please include the most recent copy of your leadership manual. In the past calendar year, how did you provide committee members opportunities for leadership development? (Select all that apply) Shared leadership resources like the Leaders Only section of ATFS websiteSent committee members to the ATFS National Leadership Conference Provided mentoring for new members by more experienced members Hosted special trainings or speakersForwarded key communications from ATFS national officeEncouraged committee members to attend ATFS Quarterly Webinars NoneCommittee Representation and Composition How many people in the following groups are currently represented on your committee? Please do not double-count members of your committee. Make sure all committee members are accounted for. If no committee members fall into a category, please enter 0.LandownersState/Federal Forestry AgencyForest IndustryConsulting ForestersLandowner AssociationsNRCSExtensionState Implementation CommitteeConservation Organization (Land trust, watershed collaborative, etc.)All Other Committee Members:Does your committee have representation from the following demographics (check all that apply)?Age 30 and underAge 31-45Age 46-60Age 60 and overMalesFemalesOther significant demographic?If you answered "other significant demographic" above, please describe:How often did your committee hold meetings in the past calendar year in which you conducted official business (this can include official conference calls, but should not include field days, workshops and other hosted events).More than once/month.MonthlyQuarterlySemi-AnnuallyAnnuallyWhat percentage of committee members are present at an average meeting?0-25%26-50%51-75%76-100%Please indicate your committee’s active subcommittees (check all that apply). Fundraising/FinancialInspectionsLandowner Outreach and/or EducationAwards and/or RecognitionEvents/Workshops/Field DaysMarketing/PublicityVolunteer Engagement and Recognition No Active SubcommitteesOther (Please list below)Other subcommittees not listed above:To the best of your ability, estimate the number of volunteer hours donated during the past calendar year. Since everyone may calculate these hours a little differently, please help us understand your estimate by including a justification of explanation of these calculations below. Enter whole numbers only with no mittee Meetings (Total Hours)Inspections (Total Hours)Landowner Events (Total Hours)Trainings and Workshops (Total Hours)OtherJustification/Explanation of Estimated Total Volunteer Hours (For example: 5 committee members attended 4 meetings at 1 hour per meeting. Plus 1 hour travel time per attendee.)If you would like to include any additional information that you have used to track volunteer hours and activity in the past calendar year, please do so here.Did you award a State Outstanding Inspector of the Year (OITY) last year?Yes, we held an awards ceremony and presented an award to our state-level OITY(s).No, we did not have a state-level OITY last year, but we have presented at least one state-level OITY in the past three years.No, we did not have a state-level OITY last year, and it's been more than three years since we last presented a state-level OITY award.Please list any other awards that you presented to volunteers in your state in the past calendar year.Annual Monitoring, Inspections and DatabaseApproximately what percentage of each group completed your state program's inspections in the past calendar year (required, as well as otherwise)? Please estimate whole percentages only; total should add up to 100%.State Forestry Employees (%)Consultant Foresters (%)Industry Foresters (%)Additional CommentsDo you regularly assign optional (or "scheduled") inspections to your inspectors?YesNoDo you regularly assign inspections to Pioneer landowners?YesNoDo you use the "Prospect" designation in the ATFS Database to track interested landowners who want to become Tree Farmers?Yes, we use the Prospect category regularly.I know it's there, but we don't regularly follow up with Prospect landowners.We do not use this category in the database and/or I've never heard of this.What is your committee's procedure for assigning inspections to newly trained or re-trained inspectors?Is your committee regularly reaching out to landowners who have not been contacted and/or re-inspected in 5 years or more? YesNoPlease explain.Please use the space below to provide any additional comments regarding annual monitoring, inspections and the ATFS Database.Landowner Outreach and EngagementIf your state program has a live website, please provide the link below. If not, please indicate n/a.In the past calendar year, did you have regular communications (newsletters, e-mails, postcards, etc.) with all Tree Farmers in your state to help convey the value, benefits and responsibilities of the program as well as opportunities for Tree Farmers to learn through workshops, field days, webinars, etc.?We sent more than eight (8) direct communications to Tree Famers last year.We sent four (4) or more direct communications to Tree Farmers last year.We sent fewer than four (4) direct communications to Tree Farmers last year.We did not sent any direct communications to Tree Farmers last year.Additional CommentsPlease select the communication tools you used to reach Tree Farmers in the past year. Select all that apply.E-MailDirect MailNewsletterMagazine ArticleOnline WebinarWebsiteFacebookInstagramTwitterLinkedInNoneOtherDo your committee members utilize any of the following communication resources provided by AFF? Select all that apply. State Specific Web Pages at State Specific Content in Forest and Families E-mailsState Specific Content for FacebookNoneOtherIf none, why?Additional or "other" communication tools and events used in the past calendar year: Please select the landowner event types that you used to reach Tree Farmers in the past year. Select all that apply.In-Person Seminar/Classroom TrainingField DayExhibit BoothSpeaking Opportunity/PresentationNoneOtherIn total, how many in-person landowner events did your committee host (or co-host) in the previous calendar year?In total, how many landowners/attendees did you reach at your landowner events in the previous calendar year? Please list any landowner events you already have scheduled for this year (date, name of event, location).Did you award a State Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year (OTFY) last year?Yes, we held an awards ceremony and presented an award to our state-level OTFY(s).No, we did not have a state-level OTFY last year, but we have presented at least one state-level OTFY in the past three years. No, we did not have a state-level OTFY last year, and it's been more than three years since we last presented a state-level OTFY award.Please list any other awards that you presented to landowners in your state in the past calendar year.Based on the past calendar year, how would you qualify the efficiency of your state program's ability to respond to new landowners interested in the Tree Farm program including capturing contact information and responding to requests for information in a timely manner?Interested landowners were contacted within a week to capture contact information. Follow-up requests for information are provided within one month of initial contact and a site visit is made in a timely manner.Interested landowners were contacted within a month with their request for information but follow-up visits took a while.Requests for information were recorded but not systematically. We have no system in place to track requests for information or follow-up to ensure they have been handled or scheduled.We did not use any regular system to respond to new landowners interested in becoming Tree Farmers.Financial SustainabilityIs your committee an independent 501(c)3?YesNoNot yet, but we will be by the end of this year.No, but we fall under the umbrella of another organization with a 501(c)3.Please explain your answer.What is the purpose of your 501 (c) 3?Have you filed your 990 Form?YesNoPlease upload a copy of your most recent W-9 Form.Revenues and SpendingPlease fill in the following totals (using whole dollar amounts) showing your program's overall revenues and spending over the last calendar year. In addition to these figures, please include your B.Y.O.Budget and any additional detailed budget documentation to show a more complete record of your program's revenues and expenditures in the past calendar year. Please enter whole numbers only. No symbols and no decimals, please.2021 Beginning Balance2021 Total Expenses:2021 Total Overall Income (include grants and donations):2021 Total Income from sources other than AFF/ATFS National Office:2021 Ending Balance:Please include a detailed budget documenting revenues and expenses in the past calendar year. This is required. What was your state committee's fundraising goal for the past calendar year and did you achieve it? Fundraising goals could be whole dollar amounts or something like "become a 501c3."Is your committee pursing a landowner membership model?Yes, independently as our own 501 (c) 3Yes, in partnership with our co-sponsoring or local partner organizationNot yet, but we will be by the end of this yearNo, and no plans to.Don't know yet.OtherIn-Kind Donations Please estimate the in-kind contributions made to ATFS by volunteers during the past calendar year. Note: this does not include hours spent at meetings or events because these were previously reported. Ex. un-reimbursed mileage, materials donated, time doing general administration and officer duties. # Estimated Amount ($) for OverheadDescription - you may include a summary and calculations if you wish# Estimated Amount ($) for PersonnelDescription - you may include a summary and calculations if you wish# Estimated Amount ($) for Materials and EquipmentDescription - you may include a summary and calculations if you wish# Estimated Amount ($) for OtherDescription - you may include a summary and calculations if you wishTotal In-Kind DonationsInspection IncentivesIf received, states can choose how to use the inspection incentive funds as long as the funds are used for expenditures that facilitate completion of the required inspections and/or strengthens the state’s pool of inspecting foresters. Acceptable expenditures include, but are not limited to, stipends for inspectors, mileage reimbursement, awards, and/or workshops and training. States are required to report on how they utilized the funds.Please remember that state committees are responsible for issuing IRS 1099 forms to any individual who receives over $600 in stipends in a calendar year. Many state committees are requesting suggestions on how to use their Inspections Incentive funds and we will be using the narrative section to provide them with ideas and suggestions, therefore the more information your program provides, the more suggestions we can provide to your colleagues. How did your state committee spend its inspector incentive funds in the past calendar year? (Check all that apply.)Cash gifts to inspectorsGift cards to inspectorsGeneral incentive such as a recognition dinnerOther Did you supplement your inspector incentive funds with additional monies from another source in the past calendar year to provide incentives or rewards to inspectors?YesNo If you answered yes, please enter $ dollar amount:Please provide any additional explanation as to how you distributed incentives and to whom during the past calendar year.Chair SignaturePlease have your chairperson send their approval to operations@. Your report will not be considered final until it has been emailed to operations@ and your committee chairperson has send his/her approval to operations@. If the chair is submitting the report than no further action is necessary. ................
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