News
How to Get Involved and Volunteer with AFE
December 15, 2022
Did you know there’s a multitude of ways you can get involved with AFE? Volunteering not only supports vital floral industry programs – but also inspires networking, community collaboration, and leadership opportunities to help provide for the future.
The Endowment has been providing support for the industry for over 60 years, and we can use your help to keep going for the next 60 years and beyond!
Why Volunteer With AFE
AFE is the trusted source and catalyst for floriculture advancement through funding innovative research, scholarships, internships, and educational grants that best serve the dynamic needs and demographics of all industry sectors.
Through volunteer opportunities, you will get an inside look at how AFE makes an impact on our industry and a chance to provide input and shape the future of our initiatives. Working together, we can continue to make the biggest impact on the industry’s future growth!
What will YOU gain? Through volunteering with AFE, you’ll have professional leadership, personal development, networking, and collaboration opportunities. AFE brings together all segments and levels of industry members, from longtime leaders, including multi-generational family businesses, to up-and-coming new businesses and even students just starting their journey in floral. There is no shortage of diverse perspectives.
With AFE, giving financially is only one way you to make an impact on the floral industry; through volunteering, you can also give your time, talent, and expertise to our programs and initiatives.
Ways to Get Involved
AFE is committed to involving the industry in our programs and initiatives. As such, we are constantly expanding our opportunities for involvement. Here are some of the primary ways that you can get involved with AFE today:
1. Serve as a Scholarship Reviewer
AFE’s Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarship programs are the cornerstone of uplifting the next generation of industry leaders. By joining the Scholarship Review Team, you will give your input and thorough consideration to processing applications and awarding scholarships. Scholarship reviews are normally conducted after Mother’s Day and require 2-5 hours of your time.
Learn more about our scholarships here: https://endowment.org/scholarships/
2. Serve as a Research Reviewer
Reduced labor, production efficiency, improved pest management practices, and improved postharvest quality and efficiency lead to increased profits. These challenges face the floral industry every day. The Endowment supports industry-driven and industry-focused research. If you have an interest in reviewing research proposals for their impact on the industry, this opportunity is for you. You will review research proposals in late August/early September to provide feedback on the potential impact on the industry as it relates to current challenges. Time involvement is between 2-5 hours.
Learn more about our currently funded research here: https://endowment.org/currently-funded-research/
3. Become a Presenter for AFE’s Industry Webinars
Multiple opportunities exist for industry experts wishing to share their knowledge with our community. Currently, AFE runs monthly research webinars through our Grow Pro Webinar Series and regular professional leadership and development webinars for our Young Professionals Council. Additional opportunities can include best practices, current trends, consumer research for the Floral Marketing Fund, and more. Have a topic that you are interested in sharing? Let us know! We’d love to have you present for us!
Learn more about our webinars here: https://endowment.org/webinars/
4. Provide Editorial Content- Specialty or Industry Event Follow-Up
The Endowment provides several newsletters in addition to other one-off communications and social media content. Have a story that you’d like to share? We are interested in promoting new and exciting initiatives, research, industry events, and more that impact the floriculture community.
To see more of the content that we highlight, check out our monthly bulletin: https://endowment.org/afe-bulletin-newsletter/
5. Partnerships, Sponsorships, & Specific Funds
Partnerships and sponsorships are available for our annual fundraising campaigns, events, webinars, research initiatives, and more. If you have a specific focus that you’d like to support, please let us know. Currently, we are seeking major sponsors for our Sustainability Initiative.
Additionally, if you would like to establish a specific or designated fund, whether that be for a scholarship, research, or memorial tribute, we’d welcome the opportunity to discuss how to develop a fund that honors your specific focus.
6. Committee Work
We have opportunities to work hand-in-hand with AFE’s Board of Trustees and Staff on important initiatives through our committees and subcommittees. Currently, the committees include Vic & Margaret Ball Committee, Public Relations/Development Committee, Education/Scholarships & Internships Committee, Research Committee, and Floral Marketing Fund Committee. What part of AFE are you most passionate about?
Interested? Reach Out to AFE
Do any of these volunteering opportunities interest you? We’d love to get to know you and help you get involved with our programs. Reach out to us at afe@endowment.org or (703) 838-5211, and let us know how you’d like to get involved!
