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Below are the steps Randy McManus took to get Friends with Flowers
started:
- Met with local Hospice to see if they were interested.
They
loved the idea and worked with Randy to figure how many arrangements
were needed and in what locations.
- Contacted a lawyer to help file for non-profit status.
The lawyer donated some of his time pro-bono (free), but legally
the filing fees for the IRS forms have to be paid by the non-profit. The
forms to look for are Employer Identification Number (EIN), and the
501(3)(c) tax exemption status. Visit
the IRS website for more information.
Expect to pay between $800-1,000 in just filing fees. That is if
you get a lawyer to donate most of his/her time.
- Opened a checking account.
Took advantage
of a community bank checking account with no fees offered to non-profits.
- Choose Board of Directors.
Carefully
choose board members based on how each member can contribute talents
and connections to help your organization. For example, we
have people with gardening, accounting, advertising, business and
fundraising experience. You will need to appoint a secretary
to take detailed minutes at your meetings and to have a treasurer
(preferably a CPA) that will help file yearly reports with the IRS. All
board members volunteer their time and services free to help this
worthy cause.
- Met with local Ad agency for logo design and letterhead.
We
had a local ad agency graciously design a logo, letterhead and thank
you cards. While some cost was involved with the printing,
the agency donated its design services and time. If your organization
is interested in using the Friends With Flowers logo and letterhead
design please contact Randy.
Click here to view our letterhead. (add pop-up to
show letterhead)
- Raised funds to get supplies and materials needed to start.
In
Randy's case, since he is in the floral business, he sent a mailing
to his Floral and Event clients to introduce this new idea. Support
was overwhelming and over $20,000 was donated. These donations
went into the new checking account to purchase vases and flowers.
Purchasing flowers is necessary during seasons when gardens are bare
and when there haven't been events (weddings, holidays, etc) where
the flowers can then be reused.
- Solicited Donations from Floral suppliers and warehouses . Randy
contacted all his floral suppliers about the possibility of getting
better prices and overruns to use for the arrangements. The
support was amazing. One grower planted an entire row of zinnias,
another donated overruns, a vase supplier donated discontinued models.
If you are not a florist yourself, you can contact your local florist
and ask about using overruns and flowers picked up from events to
be used in your own Friends with Flowers program.
- Solicited local gardeners to cut from their gardens.
Ask friends and local gardeners if they would share their flowers
with your cause. Roses, for example, need to be constantly
cut, this is a perfect opportunity for gardeners to share their passion
with the terminally ill.
- Recruited volunteers to make and deliver flowers.
They
are the most important people in your organization. Church groups
and gardening friends can sometimes be the most dedicated volunteers.
Friends seem to have fun together. They also support and cover each
other (if need be) for their weekly shifts. It's hard to describe
how important these volunteers are in making your organization run
smoothly. Keeping
a well-organized calendar with volunteers who respect their commitment
and find their own substitutes is crucial. We found that two
friends working together make the perfect team.
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