The American Floral Endowment (AFE) has announced that a record-breaking $161,080 was raised through industry sponsorships and donations in support of the $100,000 in 60 Days Virtual Fundraising Campaign. 2021 marks the 60th Anniversary of AFE’s existence, and while an in-person event wasn’t feasible, a 60-day peer-to-peer virtual fundraising campaign was launched. With the support of 24 fundraisers (seen right) from AFE’s Board of Trustees, staff, and most devoted ambassadors, the campaign kicked off June 14th and wrapped up on August 13th.
Within the first 30 days of the campaign, AFE surpassed its initial goal of $60,000 thanks to the quick work of AFE’s ambassadors and the generosity of our floral industry community. This gave AFE the opportunity to aim high, increasing our goal amount to $100,000. Incredibly, the second goal was also passed with the support of over 150 donations.
This fully virtual campaign took the place of AFE’s annual fundraising dinner in order to ensure the safety and continued health of the floral community. AFE is looking forward to an in-person event next year but is grateful that the community could celebrate with us from their homes during these uncertain times. AFE’s dedicated fundraisers made the campaign a huge success by reaching out to their own networks along with AFE’s existing community of donors — expanding the reach of AFE’s programs and resources.
For the past 60 years, AFE has provided vital scientific research, supported education, and awarded dozens of annual scholarships, as well as administered industry internship programs nurturing young professionals.
Supporters of this sponsorship-based campaign are directly impacting the industry by investing in the future. Contributions to AFE help the industry face new challenges and ensure that all of AFE’s programs can continue to meet growing demands. AFE’s funding goes directly back to the industry it serves — providing for the future of floral.
Click here to see some of the first-hand impacts of AFE’s programs and funding. Industry leaders, researchers, faculty, and students have shared with us their stories of how AFE has changed their lives in the industry using #AFEandMe. One example includes the following from AFE’s scholarship recipient, Armando de Loera, “The American Floral Endowment helped me to achieve my professional goals and start a successful career in the floral industry. The scholarship provided was valuable support that greatly furthered my professional training and allowed me access to more resources while gaining knowledge and experience.”
AFE is incredibly grateful for the support of all of our committed sponsors, donors, and fundraisers. Thank you for providing for the future of the floral industry and celebrating our 60th with us!
The 60th Anniversary Celebration continues through December 31st, so there’s still plenty of time to support AFE with a contribution. Every dollar – small or large – grows the annual funding. Visit www.endowment.org/60th for more information about AFE and to participate in its Anniversary celebration through a tax-deductible contribution.
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.
