Grants
Educational Grants
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AFE strongly believes in funding educational programs to promote and strengthen the floriculture industry. The majority of the programs funded are wide-reaching and focus on attracting young people to the industry or are educational endeavors to identify and solve industry needs and/or challenges – this includes our Educational Grants and the Meinders Retail Florist Education Grant Fund.
General Guidelines
The American Floral Endowment (AFE) educational grant practices have been established in accordance with the organization’s mission statement.
The American Floral Endowment is a not-for-profit corporation that raises and prudently invests its funds to support research, education, scholarships, and internship programs to benefit the floriculture industry.
This program does make loans and does not normally provide grants for: any religious purpose or for capital facilities, equipment, motion pictures, or television and radio programs, unless they are an integral phase of a project being funded.
The Endowment encourages any submission for grant funding of well-developed educational project. Preference is given to programs benefitting a broad geographical area or far-reaching programs. Multi-year projects are encouraged.
Who Can Apply
Any community-based organization with a program targeting the floriculture industry within the United States may apply. Preference is given to floriculture programs that are national in scope and identify or improve educational opportunities for young people.
Amount of Grants
Grants are reviewed on an annual basis, and funding is dependent on the amount of funds available. The Endowment directs its support to activities that are within its current interests and those that are likely to have a wide-reaching effect. Support is not normally given for routine operating costs. Grants normally range from $500-$10,000 per year but can exceed that depending on the project.
Application and Review Process
The American Floral Endowment’s Education Committee will review all proposals annually and make recommendations to the Board of Trustees. The Application for Educational Funding must be fully completed, signed, and submitted by June 1 each year.
- Any project funded by the Endowment will require the organization to submit a final report or article at the conclusion of the program. The report/article should include: a summary of the program, a summary of the results/outcomes, a summary of how the Endowment’s funds were utilized, and any future plans to continue the program.
- Applicants will be notified of the Endowment’s decision no later than September 1. Funds will be disbursed 60-90 days prior to the project date, unless otherwise arranged.
- All multi-year projects are reviewed annually and are subject to the availability of funds.
Special Educational Grant Reports:
- Relationship between High School Student Participation in State-level Future Farmers of America Career Development Events and Matriculation at the Host University, Kansas State University
- Floral Plant Give Away As a Recruiting Tool: An Evaluation of the Impact on Student Perception of Horticulture, North Carolina State University
- Building the Capacity of the 21st Century Floriculture Industry: Assessing Ways to Impact Student Career Choice and Enhance Post Secondary Education, University of Florida
- 2019 Collegiate Plant Initiative Annual Report
Examples of Previous AFE Educational Grants:
National Floriculture Forum
The National Floriculture Forum (NFF) is an educational meeting of university professors, students, government scientists and industry leaders with the objective of bringing together members of these communities for a three-day meeting to: 1) address issues of importance to the floriculture industry, 2) form collaborative relationships, and 3) learn from each other. Virtually any topic of significance can be the focus of any one year. In the past, such topics have included improvement of federal research funding, identification of research needs, and (most recently) recruitment of students into floriculture careers. This meeting is the only one of its kind and it brings more and more members of the floriculture community together each year.
e-GRO Alert
A weekly bulletin created by researchers across the U.S. to notify greenhouse growers of current problems and issues that the collaborators with expertise in nutrition, water, plant growth regulators, light, temperature, pests and pathogens have observed while visiting greenhouses.
Nutritional Monitoring of Floriculture Crops
To assist greenhouse growers in addressing nutritional disorders, e-GRO launched a Nutritional Monitoring of Floriculture Crops website, www.fertdirtandsquirt.com, led by W. Garrett Owen of Michigan State University Extension and Brian Whipker of North Carolina State University. The AFE-sponsored website assists growers in establishing an in-house monitoring program and serves as an information and education center.
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