Annual Report 2015-2016
Mission Founded in 1829, Massachusetts Horticultural Society (Mass Hort) is dedicated to encouraging the science and practice of horticulture and to developing the public's enjoyment, appreciation, and understanding of plants and the environment. Mass Hort is the oldest formally organized horticultural society in America. Attendance and Membership Mass Hort celebrated its second season as a garden tourism destination. Open May to October, visitors paid an admission of $8 (free to members). The Gardens at Elm Bank saw 4,000 visitors, collecting revenues of $13,000. Memberships sold at the gate totaled 85, with revenues of $5,847. Mass Hort currently has 4,120 members, FY16 Membership dues equated $282,447. Horticulture: Gardens & Greenhouse Mass Hort maintained 36 acres of grounds with 16 acres of gardens, and 3 greenhouses. We grew over 30,000 plants for the property. Horticulture staff under Director John Forti include David Fiske, Gardens Curator, and Thibaut Collin, Seasonal Horticulturist. FY16 Horticulture Budget was $223,528. Development Elaine Lawrence, Director of Development helped advance philanthropy. The annual fund raised $126,272 in unrestricted gifts and restricted gifts totaling $259,967 were released into the FY16 budget. The Twilight Garden Party, a celebration of our 20th anniversary at Elm Bank, was a great success coordinated by a hardworking committee under the leadership of Alicia Hesse-Cleary and John Cronin. 300 guests enjoyed our gardens and the event raised $30,250.
Flower Show The 2016 Flower Show attracted 57,000 people and Mass Hort managed the competitions for amateur horticulture, floral design, and photography. Paragon paid Mass Hort $90,000, and we have a 50% margin on this engagement. Bartlett Tree Experts supports Mass Hort at the Flower Show with a $20,000 sponsorship. Mass Hort sold 230 memberships valued at $15,295. Mass Hort s flower show garden Garden Classroom won 6 awards. Amateur Horticulture celebrated 55 years at the flower show and for the first time, the competition was presented on the flower show floor. Agriculture The Seed to Table garden harvested 4,000 pounds of produce, which was donated to the Wellesley food pantry. Hannah Traggis led a wonderful volunteer crew to plant, tend, and harvest the vegetable garden. Most seeds for the garden were donated by Johnny s Selected Seeds. Additionally, we received several sponsorships for the garden including $1,000 from Needham Bank. Volunteers Volunteers continue to be our greatest resource, donating their time in the gardens, office, visitor center, Flower Show, and evening events. Over $200,000 of labor was volunteered by hundreds of individuals. Master Gardeners support the gardens and Plantmobile programs. Our corporate volunteers included MathWorks and Constant Contact.
Capital Improvements A $50,000 grant was received to continue renovations of Weezie s Garden for Children under the direction of John Forti. New features include the Belvedere, which was first used as the centerpiece of our garden et the Flower Show. In October, Mass Hort won a $45,000 grant to purchase a new tractor. Generous donors contributed an additional $5,000 to help maintain this piece of equipment which is integral to maintain our 36 acres. Education In 2016, Mass Hort reached 1,064 adults through 55 educational programs which brought them to The Gardens at Elm Bank. The Plantmobile visited 51 locations and engaged 4,587 participants. The second annual School Garden Conference brought 130 educators, volunteers, and administrators to Mass Hort in February. Education revenue in FY16 was $44,101. The Library Mass Hort s library committee coordinated a visiting exhibition of The Highgrove Florilegium of TRH Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. This collection of botanical prints from the gardens of Highgrove was on display during February and March.
Functions Business Functions had a very busy season and grew by 23% in FY16 under the direction of Director of Events, Kayleigh Dowden, with $432,687 in revenue and commissions. Community Outreach Events Events revenue $272,961 in FY16 grew by 26%, notably with the help of the Festival of Trees pulling in $83,460 in revenue and sponsorship, representing 8% growth from FY15. Attendance increased from 6,000 attendees in FY15 to 9,000 in FY16. Capacity of this event grew thanks to the hardworking committee and to moving the train exhibit to the West Wing of the Education Building where Bill Meagher set up the collection for the public to enjoy. Honorary Medals: As executive vice president and director of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Kris Jarantoski received the George Robert White Medal of Honor. Fiscal Year Results Unaudited Income Expenses Net Profit $1,544,068 $1,467,242 $76,825