Capital Fund Needs

Capital Fund Needs

The Chagrin Rec Center is a nonprofit organization that operates independently from both the Village of Chagrin Falls and the school district, receiving no tax dollars or funding outside of the Rec’s own member dues and small fundraising program.

For generations, membership dues allowed the Rec to flourish, covering both its operating and capital expenses through summer dues and class payments. Over the last decade, the Rec has seen a gradual decline in membership which we attribute to many factors, including the following:

1.     Reduced pricing at several local sports and country clubs which have seen drastic drops in membership and have responded by creating “summer only” memberships.
2.     An increase in families participating in multiple weeklong camps throughout the summer at various locations (local art centers, sports complexes, independent schools, etc.). Parents’ desire to use the summer months to help their kids develop academically and/or in their chosen sports and events means that traditional summer fun programs like the Rec may fall to the bottom of the list.
3.     An increase in families looking for child care during the day because of parent work schedules. The Rec does offer a day camp to help meet this need but it is competing with dozens of similar programs.

Even with a changing membership demographic, our membership still numbers more 2,000. Our summer programming reach is more than 5,000 people. We have no full-time staff and most of the management of the Rec’s finances and fundraising is done by a committee volunteer board.

The Rec remains the best, most affordable option for families looking for summer fun and a true sense of community. We have worked hard to keep our member dues affordable and hope to be able to do so for years to come.

If you share our belief that the Rec is an integral part of our small-town summers we are asking you to consider supporting some of our capital needs. Below is a list of the Rec’s needs – some are specific items we need to purchase and others are repairs or updates that need to be addressed. 

Playground equipment

Pool cover

New roof            

Remodeling the Snack Bar

If the Rec has been part of your Chagrin summers and if you understand the magic of this special, charming place we hope you will consider a contribution towards our capital fund.

Donations can be mailed to:
Friends of the Rec
PO Box 84
Chagrin Falls OH 44022