R.I.S.E. to Support Floral Between May 15-June 30! Donate Now

Krissy Doyle Memorial Tribute Established

In 2000, Krissy segued that energy into her successful career at SAF. As a primary force in the association’s membership department, she interacted daily with SAF members from all over the country and around the globe. She was well known for her mastery of database technology and used that expertise to help SAF communicate with targeted audiences of floral industry business owners. Most of all, Krissy was recognized and embraced by all corners of the floral industry for her warmth, generosity and giving spirit. “Krissy had a passion for our industry and what SAF does for our members. Just ask anyone who ever called or emailed to join or, for that matter, drop their SAF membership. Little did they know…

AFE Awards Educational Grants for 2019

The American Floral Endowment announces 2019 Educational Grants Funding.Thirteen organizations will receive funding through the Endowment to support educational training, conference program support, and industry resources for floral industry members, students, and faculty.Through AFE’s Educational Grants programs, organizations, universities, or industry groups can apply for grant funding or sponsorships from AFE. Every organization AFE supports provides an important resource or program that is vital to the advancement and success of our industry.“There are so many great opportunities out there to support the growth of our industry,” says Debi Chedester, AFE Executive Director.  “Unfortunately, AFE’s funding is limited, so we aren’t able to support them all.”The Education Grant programs put a priority on programs that are wide-reaching and those that aim…

Michael Kraft Memorial Tribute Established

Michael married his wife Allison in 1989 and together they had two daughters, Shelby and Lindsey. He loved traveling with his family, cooking, being with friends, skiing in Colorado, and supporting the University of Kentucky (his alma mater) and the University of Louisville. or send a check to:American Floral Endowmentc/o Michael Kraft Memorial Tribute610 Madison St, Ste 101, PMB 803Alexandria, VA 22314 The family is always notified of donations and contributions can be made in any amount.

AFE Awards More than $42,000 in 2019 Scholarships

Contact: Debi Chedester(703) 838-5211dechedester@afeendowment.org AFE Awarded $42,300 in Scholarships in 2019. ALEXANDRIA, VA – August 21, 2019 – The American Floral Endowment (AFE) has awarded 15 students with scholarships totaling $42,300. Seventy-four applications were received for this 2019 scholarship cycle. “We had many outstanding students apply for scholarships this year, which is why some scholarships were awarded to two recipients,” said Greg Royer, AFE Education Committee Chair. “I’m excited to see the high quality of students each year and the AFE Board is pleased that AFE is able to award financial assistance to these well-deserved students to help them continue their education and become passionate industry leaders.” AFE awards scholarships annually and applications are due by May 1 of each…

Scholar Ignite Competition at ASHS 2019 Annual Conference

By Yiyun Lin, YPC Member This July, at the annual conference of American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), 60 graduate students participated at the Scholar Ignite Competition. This competition was a great opportunity for graduate students to talk about their research to a general audience that shared an interest in horticulture. In the competition, the students were given three minutes to present with a single slide. The students were judged by five different judges based on their communication styles, the comprehension of their talks, their inspiration/engagement/outreach ability, the impact of their research, and the slide content. The competition presented us with a collection of current horticulture research and was hosted on a nice evening in Las Vegas. As much as…

SAF, AFE Partner Up to Advance Floral Industry Research Priorities

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A groundbreaking research fund that has supported scientific innovation in the floral industry for nearly three decades is getting a boost in its effort to provide high quality, cutting-edge research today and into the future, thanks to a strategic new agreement between two longtime industry groups.Effective Aug. 1, the Society of American Florists will continue to support the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative (FNRI) through key administrative functions, including lobbying for additional funding and communicating with members of Congress so that they are aware of the importance of FNRI research to the floral industry and their constituents.Meanwhile, the American Floral Endowment will assume the role of floral industry liaison with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for FNRI,…

My Internship Experience with AFE

By Shanley King, AFE Communications Intern Flowers. I thought I knew all there was to know about them. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some make me sneeze. They can be arranged together or alone, and people buy them for apologies, decoration, well-wishes, romance, congratulations or no reason at all. However, there’s a lot more to flowers than an occasion, a few hometown florists, or a store-bought bouquet. AFE opened my eyes to this, and the entire floral industry. My name is Shanley and I’m a rising senior majoring in Communication Design at Elon University. My expertise in flowers and flower-growing goes about as far as the next non-gardener. What’s the opposite of a green thumb?…

AFE Fundraising Dinner 2019

AFE’s largest fundraising event of the year – the 2019 Annual Fundraising Dinner is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019, from 6 to 9 p.m. in Amelia Island, FL, in conjunction with the Society of American Florists’ Annual Convention. Come together with hundreds of other industry members to celebrate floriculture successes, honor industry champions, and raise money to support future research, programs, and grants. The important work of the Endowment can only be done with industry contributions, and with annual support, AFE can increase funding for research, programs recruiting top talent to our industry, and educational opportunities for industry members. If you are attending the SAF Annual Convention this year, you can purchase a dinner ticket on the SAF Registration…

A Look Behind the Scenes: AFE at IFE

By Ashley Alexander, AFE Communications Manager In July, it’s hot and humid in Virginia where our office is located. It doesn’t feel like I’ve left Miami, where I was last month for the 2019 International Floriculture Expo. I was there for my first trade show experience and turned out to be even grander than I could have ever expected. But first, I experienced a little bit of Miami importer business. After landing at Miami International Airport, I was taken from the passenger side to see the cargo side from afar. Here is where flowers are flown in from all over the world. Their journey to sale in America had just begun. They were unloaded from the planes early in the…

AFE announces the winner of the 2019 Paul Ecke, Jr. Scholarship!

Established in 2002, the Paul Ecke, Jr. fund offers $5,000 a year for two years to one graduate student who demonstrates the skills and passion to become a leading floricultural scientist and educator. The scholarship honors the late Paul Ecke, Jr., who made significant contributions to the floriculture industry and believed strongly in research and education.This year’s winner of the Paul Ecke, Jr. Scholarship is Mary Lewis.A member of AFE’s Young Professionals Council, Mary is currently working toward a master’s degree in horticulture at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. She graduated from the same institution two years ago with an already impressive C.V. Among other activities, she interned at Walt Disney World Resort’s Epcot theme park (supported by an AFE Vic…

Get Involved with AFE

Make an Impact

Ways to Give

Volunteer With Us

Opportunities