Staff Time

While most of our organization is made up of dedicated volunteers, we do have two very important paid staff positions that keep us a well oiled machine! Our Senior Extension Coordinator & Educator and AmeriCorps member work as a team to ensure that all of our operations are running smoothly  These salaries are the largest portion of our budget. 

Nursery Expenses

While we salvage many of our plants at the nursery from sites scheduled to be developed and paved over, we do purchase bare root and seeds from other sources to grow throughout the year to ensure we have enough stock for our plant sales and habitat restoration projects. Keeping our plants happy and healthy is also no small expense; soil, tool upkeep, fertilizer, plant tags, and more are all important to keep our nursery functional. We also have two older work vehicles that require upkeep and maintenance throughout the year.

Online Infrastructure

Between our website, metric tracking, and email services, keeping our online resources up to date and our communications regular can cost a pretty penny! We are required to track metrics such as number of events, volunteers, learners, hours, etc. As a non-profit with a large volunteer base, we need to use a paid program so that we can easily keep track of and document everything for our various reporting requirements. Online infrastructure is a necessity for successful non-profits! 

Outreach

We have a large volunteer base, and we like to ensure everyone is able to participate whether they are new to us or not! We keep a stock of communal gear such as gloves, rain gear, knee pads, and more for anyone to use during our field events if needed. We also expenses related to branding, marketing, and supplies for events such as new tents, tables, displays, etc. The small things that you may not think about are often the ones that add up the most!