HOW DO BOTANIC HOW DO BOTANIC GARDENS SURVIVE GARDENS SURVIVE WHEN FUNDING IS WHEN FUNDING IS

LOSTLOSTA Discussion Forum to Share A Discussion Forum to Share

Experiences facilitatedExperiences facilitated by Chris Fominyam of by Chris Fominyam of

Limbe Botanic Garden Cameroon Limbe Botanic Garden Cameroon

DISCUSION PLANDISCUSION PLAN

• Introduction

• Key Questions

• Some Gardens’ Experiences

• Encouragement

• Resumé

IntroductionIntroduction

– Challenges when funding is lost

– Different ways of awareness of fund lost:• Garden concerned is pre informed or warned of an

eminent lost of funds for some reasons and asked to get prepared for the hit.

• The lost of funds takes the garden by surprise (no time to get prepared for the hit)

• No warning but a gradual reduction of funding year after year.

KEY QUESTIONSKEY QUESTIONS

– How many Gardens are currently facing this problem or about to face it?

– what are, our experiences in handling this scenario– What are the measures to be put in place in order to

survive?– How were they carried out, and what are or were their

successes?– What lesson did we learn passing through these

difficult times?– Are the ‘Surviving Gardens’ really going to survive in the long

term?

General Tips from Minnesota General Tips from Minnesota Landscape Arboretum USA Landscape Arboretum USA

ExperienceExperience• 1. Lay off the least needed staff. I like to think of

this as the last resort

• 2. Try to draw in more visitors who will spend money.

- 2 for one entrance passes (we charge an entry fee)

- special events such as music, displays, etc

- try to attract kids -- Kids bring the parents!!

• 3. Find corporate sponsors where they give you money and you use their logo and promote them as sponsors (not their products necessarily, but you could do that too).

• 4. More effort spent trying to get donors to give more money - more requests sent out, maybe for special projects such as children's gardens or horticultural therapy, or special or specific collections or gardens that are popular

• 5. Promote memorials - people give money (in memory of someone who dies) for a tree, bench or particular garden.(don't undersell it!)

• 6. Reduce non-essential spending, such as trips, classes for staff, even though I think these things are important.

• 7 Ask staff to volunteer for things or to work more special occasions, special events or during very busy times and then take off the time during slower parts of the year.

• 8. Use more volunteers to work in offices and on the grounds. (This may be difficult in highly unionized countries but if they do jobs that are non-traditional (deadheading flowers, etc) you might get away with it.)

General Tips from Limbe Botanic General Tips from Limbe Botanic Garden Cameroon ExperienceGarden Cameroon Experience

• Cost centre analysis

• Cost-reduction strategies put in place rigorously

• Limbe did most of what MLA mentioned above.

• Raise funds through paid consultancy; Lobby and tender for contracted jobs with the expertise of the institution (identify staff skills and use them to make money) like a private firm

• Increase rental facilities

• Establish profitable partnership with other organizations both locally and outside.

• Funded Collaborative research

EncouragementEncouragement

• Don’t be afraid of fund lost, face it bravely it could be a door opener

• Look at it as ‘stick’ that could be turn into a ‘carrot’ for a better independent source of income

• Leads to the discovery of other opportunities that weren’t exploited properly

• Develop Garden Managers to be more Entrepreneurial

ResuméResumé

• Lessons learnt resulting from our discussions

THANKS FOR YOUR THANKS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATIONPARTICIPATIONWISH YOU SUCCESS IN WISH YOU SUCCESS IN

SURVIVAL EFFORTS AFTER SURVIVAL EFFORTS AFTER FUNDING IS LOSTFUNDING IS LOST