Thank you for your continued support of Forever Flowers. We are now no longer using this site to continue to provide updates and to receive donations. Please visit this website to continue to follow us along in our dream for self-sustainability and to donate to Forever Flowers:
FOREVER FLOWERS
Flowers that Last Forever #2 -
Building a Future in the Community
Continuing from what was started last year, we are returning to you the vision of Forever Flowers as we strive for self-sustainability, and we are adding in an extension into the community. We need your support one more time in providing ONE-TIME DONATIONS to help us build off of what we have already established through Forever Flowers 1 and further EXTEND INTO THE COMMUNITY through Forever Flowers 2. Your donation will provide a loan to help a community member develop a microfarm as well as to construct the Business Center for the flower farm itself.
If you are not familiar with Forever Flowers 1, there is a link in the Side Bar to the right where you can view last year's campaign.
Enter: Olimpia, resident of Pisimbilla, is one of our participants in the project's Prevention Program and, along with her children, has been a loyal member of the project for a few years.
Life has been a struggle for Olimpia living in the modest Kichwa village of Pisimbilla. She cares for her 8 children alone as she has washed clothes for 20 years, struggling to support her family.
Our goal for Forever Flowers 2 is to extend the flower business further so as to not only benefit the project but to also benefit members of the community.
Our overall goal for Forever Flowers remains the same: to provide self-sustaining funds so that way the project will not be eternally dependent on foreign aid. Additionally, a secondary and complementary objective is to have small farms in the community owned by community members who will sell to us the same flower thus increasing our production levels and our supply to export in greater quantities. This part of extending the business into the community has always been a part of the vision for the Flower Farm Social Enterprise, we just couldn't include it last year as the budget had gotten too high.
Community members who are a part of our project's services, such as Olimpia, who need an opportunity for a better life will be chosen to participate in this community development extension of the Forever Flowers Social Enterprise.
To learn about "What we do?" see the section with that title in the Side Bar to the right.
The project in Cayambe started with one employee, Rolando Escola, and has now grown to the current state of having over 30 employees on staff.
Here is a picture of our staff:
The project in Cayambe is so well respected across the country of Ecuador that it receives Ecuadorian government funding as well as local donations from around the area of Cayambe.
The Long-Term Solution for Funding
What we have seen around the world is that international projects that are dependent upon foreign aid just do not last. Our goal from the beginning has always been self-sustainability for the project. Rolando Escola, our Project Director, and his team have always been working toward self-sustainability as you can see how the percentage of the project's budget has been sustained by funds within Ecuador and how that percentage has grown over the years:
But now we would like to take a bigger step...
Enter: Forever Flowers 1
Through our Forever Flowers Initiative #1, which we held last year during the year end, we raised money for purchasing the land (pictured above) for our flower farm as well as the initial costs with getting the land prepared. In case you weren't a part of last year's campaign, you can click the link on the Side Bar to the right to learn more.
Here is a breakdown of the budget of how the money has been and/or is being used:
For a more in depth Expense Report, you can see the Update posted at the bottom of this page called "Expense Report and Budget for Forever Flowers 2."
There are two updates from last year's campaign that we would like to share with you here:
- The land we have purchased is 4.5 hectares (11 acres) for $67,000 as opposed to what was budgeted in last year's campaign which was 1 hectare (2.4 acres) for $40,000. This will give us plenty of space to grow (pun intended). Due to our budgeting constraints, we are building greenhouses on the first half hectare (1.2 acres) of land. The cost of materials for greenhouses has gone up significantly.
- The other update from last year is that we have decided to plant Roses along with our Alstroemeria flower, splitting our first crop between both flowers. This way we will be able to see which flower grows the best on our land and which is more profitable for us. This decision was made after many consultations with agronimist and other current producers.
Our goal for this campaign is to raise $75,000 for the Community Catalyst, the Business Center and for the Commercialization and Administration of the Forever Flowers Social Enterprise.
For a more in depth Budget for Forever Flowers 2, you can see the Update posted at the bottom of this page called "Expense Report and Budget for Forever Flowers 2."
Our goal for this campaign is to at least reach $50,000 needed for the Community Catalyst and the Business Center. However, ideally, we would like to raise the full $75,000 so as to not have to use general funding, which is limited, for the Administrative and Marketing costs for the business.
One interesting point is that the Community Catalyst portion of the budget will be LOANS to five community members to start their microfarms in which they will be allowed to repay us slowly over time and their payment will be through the flowers they produce.
Donations will be accepted in any amount and all donations are tax-deductible for the United States taxes. Additionally, you can give with confidence knowing our history and reputation that comes through on our high rating on Guidestar.com as well as our very low U.S. administrative costs of 6% in the years from 2013 through 2021 of operations.
And just like last year if you give, you will be thanked through a specific reward for your donation according to this breakdown:
Please help us empower our Ecuadorian leadership through this Flower Farm Social Enterprise as we Extend into the Community in taking this next step in our Forever Flowers Initiative.
PLEASE BECOME A FUNDRAISER AND SHARE OUR CAMPAIGN WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY BY CLICKING "JOIN THE CAMPAIGN"
To DONATE please click the blue button that says "DONATE" on the top of this screen
