FAQ
1) Where do my dues go? What do you do with the money?
This is a great question – annual dues to organizations can add up quite quickly. Selecting and joining an organization is a process in which you must examine how the organization is using your money and leveraging their membership for the greater cause. Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization. This means that no member of the organization benefits financially from the business of such and that our work is done in the community as a charitable cause. Dues money allows us to provide a FREE service to the community, and also covers operational expenses and Member Benefits, including:
-Promotional Materials
-Organization Legal fees
-Web Development and Domain names
-Training curriculum development
-Discounted Training classes
-Annual Banquet
-Notification system
-Partial Funding for our Search & Rescue-Emergency Support Team (SAR-ES)
New for 2018
-Sponsorships to Land Use Organizations
-Trail Adoptions and Maintenance
2) What does Colorado 4x4 Rescue and Recovery do?
Colorado 4x4 Rescue and Recovery is an all volunteer organization designed to recover people and their vehicles from the back country when things go wrong.
3) Why don’t you do recoveries on county/state roads?
Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery was founded as a non profit organization in June of 2016. Part of this process included creating a mission statement to define the scope of the organization. The decision was made to focus on forest service roads and 4×4 trails in the state as most county roads can easily be addressed with traditional towing services. Our niche has always been to fall into that space between towing companies and search and rescue. It’s where we can put our resources, knowledge, and abilities to best use.
4) Can I still help with recoveries that are run through other groups?
We love to see our members involved in all aspects of our community. While we do not restrict our members from helping with other recoveries, we do remind them that the training they have received has been specifically tailored to our recovery needs and standards. Other groups may have different approaches and requirements that need to be followed on their activities. Specific skills may cross over, but please keep in mind, Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery has no responsibility for recoveries that we did not manage, regardless of whether or not members of our organization were participants.
5) Can I represent Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery on recoveries run by other groups and organizations? How about to someone broken down of the side of a public highway?
Again we love to see our members assisting the community and getting involved with multiple organizations, clubs, and groups. However, it should be noted that under no circumstance should a member use his or her position or status as a member of Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery to convince someone to let them assist in a recovery which Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery is not managing. Nor should a member position themselves as representing Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery on any activity being managed by another group or individual.
6) Do we get discounts from suppliers for parts and equipment?
Yes! We have partnered with many companies this year, please visit the sponsor page for more details.
7) My club would like do join, is there a club membership to Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery?
At this time, we are not accepting any new club memberships. We hope to offer club options in the future
8) What does Colorado 4x4 Rescue & Recovery charge for services?
Colorado 4x4 Rescue & Recovery is a 501 (c)(3) Nonprofit Charity Organization. We do not charge anything for our services, and only ask for donations be made if the individual is financially capable of doing so.
9) Are my dues tax deductible?
While you may be able to deduct portions of your dues from your income tax, Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery is not in a position to provide tax advice for its members. We suggest consulting with a tax professional before making any changes to your regular tax filing.
10) Do I get reimbursed for gas money if I participate in a recovery?
This question falls very closely with the last. While Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery does not reimburse members for gas expenses, you may be able to deduct expenses and mileage from your income taxes. Please consult with your tax professional prior to making any changes to your regular tax filing.
11) Why do we have to pay to volunteer?
Joining and becoming a member is about investing in professional development, training, the works of this organization, and impacting how the organization is run and managed. By utilizing members to perform our services we can provide a more consistent and professional experience for the parties we help. The safety of our teams and the parties we help is also much easier to manage.
12) What do I need for Recovery Equipment?
This is a tricky question as every recovery is different. For these reasons all of our Dispatchers are familiar with and take our training courses to have a good understanding of what is needed to do a recovery safely. The minimum we recommend people to carry is; Recovery Straps of various lengths (6', 20', and 30' are most common), shovel, ax or saw, good quality bow shackles, good quality pulley blocks, and a Hi-Lift jack (not any of the cheaper knock-offs).
13) What Radios do you use?
While there are a lot of different kinds of Ham Radios and some can be very inexpensive the majority of our Members use Yaesu and/or Kenwood Radios. It is from our experience that while the cheaper options are ok, there is no replacement for good quality equipment.
14) How can I donate?
There are many ways to donate and not all of them Donating cash. You can find the donate links on th. We also accept equipment donations that we make available for our Recovery Teams to use during a recovery.
15) Aren't you a 501(c)(3) nonprofit? How can you charge for dues and classes while maintaining this status?
We are in fact a 501(c)(3) non profit organization. What this means is that we have formed for non profit purposes under state law, and we are organized and operated exclusively for one or more exempt purposes.
Our mission to provide free recovery services, support local agencies when high clearance vehicles are needed, and to advocate for proper trail use is what allows us to remain 501(c)(3). So long as our proceeds are used in a manner that supports this charitable and public purposes, we retain our 501c3 status.
All finances are used to further our mission of serving the community by providing a free recovery service to the public on service roads and 4×4 trails in Colorado.