Have you ever wondered how the MRTF operates—or where your membership dues, event registrations, or generous donations go? I’d like to share our FY26 budget with you to show how your involvement directly fuels our mission and makes a lasting impact.

The MRTF is guided by a dedicated and diverse board of directors—your industry peers from lawn care, golf, sports turf, distribution, and more. This board provides strategic direction to the executive committee and helps steer the Purdue Turf Program. Since 1945, our core mission has remained the same: to support turf research and education at Purdue University, driving progress in the turfgrass industry.

To advance this mission, the MRTF board carefully directs funding to several key areas:

• Turf research at Purdue University
• Operating support for the W.H. Daniel Turfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center
• Endowments sustaining long-term research
• Scholarships and student travel
• Educational and networking opportunities
• Member engagement and communication
• Industry advocacy and professional recognition

That’s a lot to accomplish—but every initiative is powered by you. Your membership dues, registration fees, and donations are the foundation of all that we do. And we make every effort to be wise stewards of those funds.

Let’s take a look at the FY25–26 budget:

• 6% of revenue is allocated directly to research—$137,500 for the Daniel Turf Center, research projects, and expansion planning.
• We’ve reduced event costs by 3% (from 24% to 21%) since last year through smarter spending, while still delivering high-quality education and outreach.
• Administrative costs are lean—just 16% of our budget. Except for our Executive Secretary, all MRTF board positions, including mine as Executive Director, are volunteer roles. This keeps overhead low and impact high.
• We’ve invested $6,500 in student initiatives and an additional $9,000 in scholarships through our endowments.
• Our spending on member services has increased from $11,250 (4%) to $18,000 (6.5%) to support items like membership renewals, member recognition through awards, and lobbying efforts.
• We also budgeted $12,250 for essential foundation operations like accounting, insurance, and compliance—expenses required to maintain our 501(c)(3) status.

All of this is made possible by your support—and I hope this financial overview gives you a clearer picture of how your contributions are used and appreciated. We are committed to transparency and accountability, and we take pride in the impact we make together.

Thank you for being a part of the MRTF. Each time you renew your membership, register for an event, or make a donation, you’re helping us shape the future of the turfgrass industry.

Thank you for your support!

Dr. Aaron Patton, MRTF Executive Director