Alexandria, Virginia – In February, each of the American Floral Endowment’s committees met virtually to wrap up 2020 and plan ahead for 2021, which includes AFE’s 60th Anniversary year-long celebration. The committees include Investment, Public Relations & Development, Education, Floral Marketing Research Fund(FMRF), Research, followed by the Executive and Board meetings in March.
Committees are made up of AFE’s Trustees and volunteers all aimed at pushing forward each area of the Endowment’s ongoing success.
“Although we are all eager to get together and meet in-person, we’ll continue to meet virtually until it’s safe for everyone,” says AFE Chairman, Laura Shinall. “We have a very dedicated group of Trustees, and nearly all virtual meetings were at 100% attendance which rarely happens with in-person meetings.”
The Trustees, representatives from all segments of the industry, also had an opportunity to compare notes on the Valentine’s Day holiday, and by all accounts, agreed that overall sales were up from previous years, even with the holiday falling on a Sunday.
As the Endowment celebrates our 60th Anniversary of providing for the future of the industry, the Trustees focused on new funding, programs, and projects being carried out in 2021, which include:
- #AFEandME campaign – success stories sharing the impact of industry donations
- $60 for 60 Fundraising Campaign – Get an anniversary T-shirt!
- 7 newly funded research projects
- 3 consumer studies through the Floral Marketing Research Fund being released this year
- 30 Scholarship Opportunities for students and young professionals
- NEW Grow Pro Webinar Series allowing opportunities to talk to AFE-funded researchers
- AFE Board Strategic Planning Session in 2021
- Career Recruitment Resources
- AFE Career Center expansion – with more employers and job seeker resources
The Trustees and staff would like to personally thank each and every person who has supported the Endowment over the last 60 years. Because of your ongoing support, we are able to report that over $18 million has been funded since 1961, and throughout the pandemic, we were able to stay connected to researchers, students, and industry members to sustain our annual funding when it was needed the most.
The Endowment ensures our ongoing commitment to the growth and success of the floral industry. We look forward to another 60 years of funding advances through research, grants, scholarships, and internships.
If you’d like to get involved or become a supporter, consider taking part in our 60th anniversary or reach out to the Endowment at afe@endowment.org.
For a full list of the AFE Trustees, visit endowment.org/about-american-floral-endowment-afe/board/.
About the American Floral Endowment (AFE)
The American Floral Endowment is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the floriculture and horticulture industry through funding research, educational grants and scholarships. Since 1961, more than $18 million has been funded in research and educational projects, and more than $3 million has been funded in scholarships and internships designed to attract and retain the future leaders of the industry. To learn more about AFE or how you can support floriculture programs, visit www.endowment.org.
