The Beat Goes On Marching Band - Travel Assistance
Program (TAP) Details
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Intent of the Program
- The memories created as the "band family" on major
road trips are a significant part of the TBGO experience. The Travel Assistance
Program has been created to expand the range of Band Associates who can be
part of those experiences by making trips more affordable for those who couldn't
otherwise travel.
- Major events deserve a major-league performance, and great
performances are required if the band wants to keep being invited to major
events. Since band is a "team sport", it takes strong representation
from every segment of the band to produce a performance that satisfies our
expectations. By reducing cost as a barrier to participation, the Travel Assistance
Program enables TBGO to field the strongest possible band at major events.
TAP Awards
- A TAP Award is intended to fill the gap between the cost
of a major road trip and the available travel budget of a Band Associate who
would otherwise be unable to make the trip. TAP Awards comprise a combination
of funds from TAP Donors and available band resources.
- TAP Awards are available only for major trips. TAP Awards
are not available for day trips.
- To better enable the
band to allocate scarce resources, each TAP Award Applicant is asked to state
the amount of his/her Proposed Travel Budget
as part of the application. The Proposed Travel Budget is the amount that
the Applicant is willing to spend for the trip if he/she receives a TAP
Award. For example: If a $900 trip is unaffordable but a $600 trip WOULD be
affordable, a Band Associate could apply for a TAP Award with a Proposed Travel Budget of $600.
- The TBGO Board will establish a Minimum
Acceptable Travel Budget for each trip for which TAP Awards are
available. For example, for a $900 trip the Board might establish a Minimum
Acceptable Travel Budget of $300. TAP Award Applications with a Proposed Travel
Budget below the Minimum Acceptable Travel Budget will be rejected.
- The TBGO Board will establish an
Award Application Deadline for each trip for which TAP Awards are available.
Donating to the Travel Assistance Program
- Donors who would like to contribute to the Travel Assistance
Program may do so by check or via a PayPal link on the TBGO Donations page
online. If you choose to contribute by check, we would appreciate an advance
email to the TBGO Treasurer (treasurer@thebeatgoesonmb.org) advising us of
the amount so that we can plan for it in advance of its arrival.
- Donations may be made in any amount.
- Donations to TBGO for the Travel Assistance Program are
tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law (TBGO is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3)
organization). As with other donations to TBGO, donations to TAP qualify the
donor to make matching donations to the Oregon Cultural Trust that are eligible
for Oregon state tax credits to the extent specified by Oregon statute.
- Donations to the Travel Assistance Program may NOT be designated
for the use of a specific individual or class of TAP Award Applicant.
- The names of donors to the Travel Assistance Program will
remain confidential.
- Donations made to TAP will be used only for TAP (i.e.,
they will not be used for general band operations).
- Any donations not used to fund TAP Awards for a given
trip will remain in the Travel Assistance Program for future use.
- The TBGO Board may, at its discretion, transfer part of
its general operating fund to the Travel Assistance Program.
Applying for a TAP Award
- Any Band Associate may apply for a TAP Award. To apply,
sign up for the trip in advance
of the Award Application Deadline using the established signup procedure for that trip. During signup, you will be offered the opportunity to apply for a TAP Award. If you select "yes", you'll be asked for your Proposed
Travel Budget. Please ensure that the Proposed Travel Budget equals or
exceeds the Minimum Acceptable Travel Budget for the trip
for which you are applying. In the Comments section of your signup, you may include any other information that should
be considered by the Board as part of its deliberation, including caveats
and other travel constraints. (Applicants are encouraged to keep this information
relatively brief.)
- The names of TAP Award Applicants and all Application details
will remain confidential within the TBGO Board.
- Applicants are encouraged to propose their highest affordable
Proposed Travel Budget since that increases the number of TAP Awards that
can be funded and may improve an Applicant's likelihood of receiving an
Award.
- If a TAP Award is funded, a TAP Award Applicant should be
prepared to pay the amount of his/her Proposed Travel Budget for the trip.
- We recommend (but do not require) that an Applicant who
receives a TAP Award consider "paying it forward" by contributing
to the Travel Assistance Program in the future if his/her circumstances change.
Award Process
- TAP Award Applications received by the TAP Award Application
Deadline for each trip will be considered for funding.
- TAP Award Applications that do not meet the Minimum
Acceptable Travel Budget will be rejected.
- The number of TAP Awards available for each trip will vary
depending on donation levels, other resource constraints, and needs of the
band.
- The TBGO Board may fund or reject any TAP Award Application
at its sole discretion.
- The TBGO Board will prioritize TAP Awards based on
perceived need of the applicant, demonstrated consistent service to the band, and the
performance needs of the band (i.e., impact on the band's ability to put on
a good show).
- Applicants will be notified of the status of their application
(i.e., whether or not a TAP Award is funded). Explanations or justification
will not be provided if an application is not funded.
- An Applicant whose TAP Award Application is funded will be charged ONLY for the amount of his/her Proposed
Travel Budget (using the deposit schedule specified for that trip). An Applicant whose TAP Award Application is NOT funded will have his/her trip signup CANCELED and is not responsible for any trip deposits or payments.
- The Board respectfully requests that successful applicants maintain confidentiality regarding details of TAP Awards.
- Travel and rooming details (including roommates) for any
funded TAP Award will be specified by the TBGO Board to take
best advantage of available resources. Travelers who receive TAP Awards are not eligible to request trip upgrades (including upgraded airline seating) since that violates the intended purpose of the award.
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