1. Edible Gardens 101: Starting Community, School and Child Care Gardens

2. FUNDRAISING AND FINANCIALLY SUSTAINING A COMMUNITY GARDEN
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 & Panel Moderator: Keith Bliss
Founder, Cary’s Pocket Community Garden

3. Keith Bliss mail. keithbliss@gmail
Keith Bliss Connecticut Native Triangle Resident since 1995 Happily Married to my Incredibly Supportive wife, Gioia Bliss Proud Father of three – Carter (12), Cameron (9), Sawyer (6) Full-Time Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty - Cary Owner/Founder, 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 Founder Cary’s Pocket Community Garden

4. three goals today: practical & creative ways to get your garden up & running & sustained financially garden panelists – community, school & child care questions & answers

5. cary’s pocket community garden find us on facebook! locally grown food
for local people
find us on facebook!

6. Cary’s Pocket Community Garden
FIRST YEAR 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!

7. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
The 6 Most Important Ingredients to a Successful Garden

8. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
Community Garden Ingredients:
Dirt

9. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden

10. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
Community Garden Ingredients:
2.Sunlight

11. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden

12. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
Community Garden Ingredients:
3.Water

13. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden

14. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
Community Garden Ingredients:
4.Plants

15. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden

16. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
Community Garden Ingredients:
5.People

17. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden

18. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
Community Garden Ingredients:
6.Fund$

19. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
Community Garden Ingredients:
Dirt
Sunlight
Water
Plants
People
Fund$!

20. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
“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.”

21. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
Have a Purpose!
Locally Grown Food
Sustainable Agriculture
Community Involvement
Healthy Living
Education & Outreach

22. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
Funding Sources
Membership Fees
Donations
In-Kind Donations
Community Partners
Grants

23. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
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!

24. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
Your Donation Plan
Develop a budget
Create a specific wish list
Form a plan for raising the money
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.

25. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
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

26. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden

27. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
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

28. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
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)

29. Fundraising and Financially Sustaining a Community Garden
Sustainable Funding
Annual Operating Budget
Additional Construction Projects
Perennial Community Partners
Awareness/Fundraising Events
Adopt a Plot Program
Garden Feature Sponsorships
Annual Grant Applications

30. Highlights ~ Review ~ Starting your Garden
Form a Planning Community
Define a Purpose, Objective & Values
Organize the Garden & Activities
Create a Year Round Plan
Choose & Prepare a Site
Communication Plan
Establish a Budget
Stick to the Plan

31. Gardens 101: Starting Community, School and Child Care Gardens
Garden Panelists
Katie Murray
Community Gardens
Megan Lewis
School Gardens
Alle Forney
Child Care Gardens

32. Camden Street Learning Garden Raleigh

33. The Grow Zone Willow Springs Elementary, WCPSS

34. A Kind Garden Child Care Raleigh

35. Gardens 101: Starting Community, School and Child Care Gardens
Question & Answers ~
thank you!