GRANTSThe Development Team works all year to source and write grants that will fund Boston Area Gleaner’s programs. In the past few years, BAG has received large government grants (including a USDA hunger relief grant during COVID-19) that funded BAG’s large distribution programs. Grants were…
OUTREACH Start by attending events, coalitions, networks, and organizations that focus on food access. Farmer’s markets are an excellent place to begin having these conversations with farmers, the Master Gardeners volunteers, and many interested communities members growing their own food. The AmeriCorps member should work…
When recruiting farmers to donate surplus produce, face-to-face interactions are critical to yield new partnerships. Attending the local Sno-Valley Tilth meetings was the first step in meeting farmers face to face. Tilth organizations are made up of community members who support sustainable food production through farming,…
Within the first week of service, the coordinator started attending monthly Food Access Coalition meetings. The Coalition’s members had a strong understanding of the county’s agricultural landscape and shared that knowledge. Because they had personal relationships with farmers, coalition members were able to introduce the…
Fruit Tree Donor Relations New Fruit Tree donors hear about the program through neighbor donors and word of mouth, tabling at events, newspaper articles, and community talks. A local newspaper highlighted the project in 2012 and brought a handful of new donors. The project has…
Outreach, Communication, and Engagement of Donors CSML’s marketing efforts in traditional and social media reached volunteers and donors alike by making the mission of the program known to the greater community. Though results from cold calls and emails were negligible, local media coverage about the…
Throughout its three years, Community Harvest has connected with a range of donors including small- to medium-sized independent farmers who sell to local markets, backyard producers, plant-a-row gardeners, farmers market vendors, and a handful of large scale orchardists. Establishing a large and varied donor base…
Donor Establishment Process The gleaning coordinator identified local farms that might be interested through either prior affiliation or expressed interest by the donor. (a) Often a tri-fold explaining what Community Harvest does along with some frequently asked questions was mailed or emailed to potential donors. (b) When possible, face-to-face contact was made to…
Establishing a solid donor base broadens the diversity of fruits and vegetables available, makes it a community effort and brings in more fresh produce. Farmers often don’t know that food banks accept produce, or where the closest emergency food agencies are located. Connect them to…
Written by Jordyn Egbert, Fundraising and Development Specialist VISTA. Updated by Vera-Camille Ingressa, Fundraising and Development Specialist VISTA. Every year, City Fruit harvests fruit from hundreds of privately owned fruit trees throughout Seattle. Each spring, the Harvest Team contacts all tree owners registered in City…