Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1
Brief Overview:
On April 28, 2015, members of the Kingman Community Garden Steering Committee met to
discuss the feasibility of pursuing start up funding from community foundations. They were
joined by Judi Adams, a grant writer who had volunteered to research funding opportunities to
find a match for this project.
Under immediate consideration was a Request for Proposals from the Aetna Foundation which
is due on May 6th. The group reviewed and discussed the requirements. A local church, Praise
Chapel, is serving as the 501(c)3 and questions were raised that will need further research
about the Aetna RFPs requirements for information regarding personnel, financial records, and
tax status pertaining to the non-profit that will host or be the pass through for the community
garden project.
The group decided to move ahead with gathering background information and developing the
project description; benefits, strategies, outcomes, etc. in order to be able to complete requests
for proposals, and agreed to provide demographics needed for the proposal.
Judi took the group through a planning process that identified all that had been accomplished
thus far (page 4), created a shared vision of what the garden would look like when it was fully
operational in one year (page5), conducted a current reality check which looks at strengths,
weaknesses, benefits and threats/challenges of this project (Page 5). Next the group was asked
what they actually intended to accomplish over the next 12 months to bring this community
garden to fruition (Page 6). Finally, they developed an action plan, completed with assignments
and actions for the next 90 days (page 7).
Next steps will include following up with the church to see if they are able/willing to provide the
documentation needed in time to apply for the Aetna grant. In the mean time, the group has
requested that Judi help complete an application for funding from the Kingman Regional
Medical Centers community benefits fund.
The next page contains a summary of the findings from this meeting, formatted to answer RFP
questions. This is followed by documentation of the planning process.
At the end of the meeting, the group expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the meeting:
We are all on the same page, This helped us get organized, Got a lot done very quickly,
Now were organized!
2
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS IN PREPARATION FOR WRITING GRANT
PROPOSALS
Mission:
Goal: To improve the Health and Wellbeing of children, families, and individuals living in
Kingman AZ
Need: There are children in our community that dont know what vegetables taste like; there
are people in our community that are hungry, dont get decent meals; we have a large senior
citizen population that are on fixed incomes, living alone, isolated; there are a bunch of
homeless kids living out in the desert without any adults; there are pockets and silos of isolation
in our neighborhoods. People have lost touch with the connection between eating and food
production. Large areas of land lie fallow unused. We have lots of talent and resources in our
community that would blossom if they had the right community project.
Solution: Create the Kingman Community Garden to educate about/and provide citizens with
their own gardening plots in which to grow fruits and vegetables to feed themselves, their
families as well as those who are homeless and hungry in the community.
3
WHATS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED THUS FAR WHAT DO WE HAVE IN PLACE?
Project Management:
We have a 501(C)3 Praise Chapel has agreed to let the Community Garden
operate under its non-profit status
We have an acre of land that has been cleared
Finances: We have a checking account: DIG It Kingman Community Gardens
We have $3000 cash on hand
Weve registered the Trade Mark with the State
We have businesses that said they will donate
A steering committee to nurture and guide the project
Project Support:
A data base of 126 people who want to participate in this project
We have community support: Kingman Regional Medical Center and the Food
Bank
The Citys Clean City Commission supports us as does Parks and Recreation
We have support from local churches
Service clubs: Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions
Board of realtors
The Garden Club
University of Arizona
All the schools on are on board or will be in support of this project. Kingman
Academy is on board.
Weve surveyed the neighbors and they are supportive of the garden location
Project Strategies:
We have a community engagement strategy
We are committed to using conservation techniques
4
OUR VISION: THIS IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY GARDEN
COULD LOOK LIKE 12 MONTHS FROM NOW
5
CURRENT REALITY CHECK
These are the strengths we have as a group that Like every group we have some weaknesses
will help us achieve our vision that could get in the way our success
We have a shared vision Communication keeping everyone informed and
Deep roots in the community up to speed so we are all on the same page and
We are a diverse well-round group know whats going on
We know a lot We havent worked together like this before
Strong leadership Can be strong willed, emotional, even bossy,
We have a bevy of workers that want to help
We can tap into resources in the community
These are the benefits of achieving our vision These are some of the concerns and challenges that
we need to keep in mind once the garden is up and
running
We will be serving our community loving our Liabilities and exposures
community Weather conditions
Kids will get vegetables - there are kids in our We could have vandals, thefts there will be
community who never eat vegetables security costs
The community will be united, coming together The community could lose interest
for a common cause Gardeners could disagree with rules about what
Educating people how to garden in Kingman can and cant be planted, following irrigation and
Promoting healthy life styles through nutrition, soil abatement expectations
exercise, socializing
Teaching people how to be more self sustaining
People will be able to save money
All ages will be working together
This first garden will expand to others until we
have community gardens all over Kingman
People will use the park more that is next door
to the garden
PLANNED ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Given our accomplishments to date, our vision for the future of our garden, and our
current reality, this is what we intend to accomplish over the next 12 months:
Prepare the land and open the plots to the community
Determine operational costs and prepare a budget
Acquire financing and resources
Engage the community
Develop the education plan
Develop a volunteer staffing plan
Have a Harvest!
6
ACTION PLAN: Planned Accomplishes, Leadership, Key Actions