Cary s Pocket Community Garden FUNDRAISING AND FINANCIALLY SUSTAINING A COMMUNITY GARDEN practical and creative ways to get a garden up and running and sustained financially Guest Speaker: Keith Bliss Founder, Cary s Pocket Community Garden
Keith Bliss kbliss@kw.com Connecticut Native Triangle Resident since 1995 Happily Married to my Incredibly Supportive wife, Gioia Proud Father of three Carter (7), Cameron (4), Sawyer (1) Full-Time Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty - Cary Co-owner, The Bliss Real Estate Group Historic Preservation / CAP Anthemion Award Recipient Board of Directors, The Heart of Cary Association Board of Directors, Friends of the Page Walker Cary Visual Arts Public Artist Selection Committee Downtown Cary Way-finding Committee 2010 Founder Cary s Pocket Community Garden
cary s community pocket locally grown food for local people garden www.carypocketgarden.org
Cary s Pocket Community Garden By the Numbers: 6 weeks from an idea to groundbreaking 100+ volunteers & donors 6,000 square feet of land 1,500 square feet of garden beds 800+ concrete blocks 60 yards of compost/soil mix 60 yards of hardwood mulch 28 Raised Garden Beds 1,500 vegetable, fruit & flower seedling plants 1,500+ lbs of produce 500+ lbs donated to Interfaith Food Shuttle <150 days of harvesting +/- 20 garden members 100% by donation!
The Six Most Important Ingredients to a Successful Garden
Community Garden Ingredients: 1.Dirt
Community Garden Ingredients: 2.Sunlight
Community Garden Ingredients: 3.Water
Community Garden Ingredients: 4.Plants
Community Garden Ingredients: 5.People
Community Garden Ingredients: 6.Fund$
Community Garden Ingredients: 1. Dirt 2. Sunlight 3. Water 4. Plants 5. People 6.Fund$!
The BIG WHY What is the Garden s Purpose? Do you have a Mission Statement? Why would someone want to join? Why would a business donate? if you focus on the why, the how will follow.
Have a Purpose! Locally Grown Food Sustainable Agriculture Community Involvement Healthy Living Education & Outreach
Funding Sources Membership Fees Donations In-Kind Donations Community Partners Grants
Membership Fees How many Members can you have? What do you expect from Members? What do they get in return? More Members/Less $? More $/Less Members? Membership Attrition it happens!
Your Donation Plan 1. Develop a budget 2. Create a specific wish list 3. Form a plan for raising the money 4. Make a list of potential donors: what you will request who will do the asking how donors will be recognized and involved in the project how you will express your appreciation.
In-Kind Donations Spread the Word Create Relationships Have a 30-second commercial Understand your purpose & mission In-kind Donation Request Forms Ask, ask, ask then ask again Thank & Involve your Partners
Community Partners Foster partnerships between local businesses, service organizations, universities or community colleges. Contact the local Chamber of Commerce to identify potential partners. Look to the parents of the children who garden for support from their businesses. Create an Adopt a Garden or Adopt a Plot Program
Grants American Community Garden Association America the Beautiful Fund Capital Planet Foundation Environmental Grant Makers Association Environmental Protection Association (EPA) The Mott Foundation National Gardening Association Stonyfield Farms Profits for the Planet Program Seeds of Change Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
Sustainable Funding Annual Operating Budget Additional Construction Projects Perennial Community Partners Awareness/Fundraising Events Adopt a Plot Program Garden Feature Sponsorships Annual Grant Applications
commu nity cary s pocket locally grown food local people garden for www.carypocketg arden.org
Thank you for Coming! And remember