Marriott Ballroom 1-3

1. The Exploding Organization:
Managing Rapid Growth in an Urban Forestry Nonprofit
A Case Study from Austin, TX

3. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

4. 11/10/2016 4
Presented to ACTrees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

5. Dry --------------------------------------------------------Wet
Cool
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Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

6. Edwards Plateau
Oak-Juniper Woodland
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

7. Presented to ACTrees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

8. Presented to ACTrees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

9. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

10. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

11. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

12. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

13. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

14. • Community Tree
Plantings
• Free Tree Giveaways
• Partnership with the
City of Austin
…. For 20 years
• Budget <$180,000
• 1-2 staff
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

15. Great!
• Nearly 75,000 street trees in 20
years
• Everyone was having a good
time doing what they liked
• Long history created valued
place for TreeFolks in Austin’s
cultural landscape – and
bolstered support for urban
forestry municipal efforts
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

16. Great!
• Nearly 75,000 street trees in 20
years
• Everyone was having a good
time doing what they liked
• Long history created valued
place for TreeFolks in Austin’s
cultural landscape – and
bolstered support for urban
forestry municipal efforts
But!
• Reliance on one community partner
• Lack of diversity in funding stream
• Lack of branding created confusion on
what TreeFolks really was.
City Agency? Landscaping Company?
What?
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

17. Sept 13, 2011 Oct 25, 2016
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

18. High Winds +
Drought +
Weakened Trees
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

19. Bastrop County Complex Fire
Image Courtesy Austin American Statesman
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

20. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

21. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

22. Bastrop Reforestation Program
 2.2 million trees in 5
years 2012-2016
 500 landowners
 4,000 acres
 Overplanting to mimic
natural forest
regeneration and
eventual density
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

23. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

24. • Many partners at the table to
provide technical feedback, clear
policy role, and funding
Bastrop County
Texas A&M Forest Service
Arbor Day Foundation
American Forests
Texas Parks & Wildlife
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower
Center
American YouthWorks
Lost Pines Recovery Team
Alcoa Foundation
Apache Foundation
H-E-B
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

25. • Many partners at the table to
provide technical feedback, clear
policy role, and funding
• Nonprofit role became clear –
implementation, community
engagement and education
• TreeFolks became the bridge
between public resources and
private land/residents
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

26. • More than doubled budget and staffing overnight
• Added only one program FTE + temp in short term
– high focus on flawless program delivery. Big
success! High survival %
• Little investment in messaging or development
• Inherent end date to program
Presented to ACTrees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

27. Time for some soul-searching, also known as strategic
planning.
• Asked the hard and wonderful
questions – who do we want to be?
• Answers:
• Broader in reach
• Greater in impact
• SUSTAINABLE
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

28. How do you make this sustainable?
0
5
10
15
20
$0
$400,000
$800,000
$1,200,000
$1,600,000
$2,000,000
1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014
Budget # Staff
?
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

29. Nonprofit Sustainability
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

30. Image Credit: Steve Zimmerman
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

31. • Nonprofits face a unique set of circumstances
• An over-reliance on fee-for-service can cause a nonprofit to fail the “exempt
purpose test” and endanger 501(c)3 status
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

32. The goal of financial sustainability for nonprofits is to maintain or
expand services within the organization while developing
resilience to occasional economic shocks in the short term (e.g.,
short-term loss of program funds, monthly variability in
donations)
-- L.M. Sontag-Padilla et al. 2012. Financial Sustainability for Nonprofit Organizations.
RAND Report.
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

33. Sustainability strategy
• Leverage short-term emergency funding by expanding capacity in non-program
areas
• Ensure percentages of program funding – EVERY program - are dedicated to
support staff
• Diversify funding: you MUST balance fee-for-service with private giving,
grantwriting, external partnerships
• Brand awareness
• Realistic expectations for what long-term means in nonprofit
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

34. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

35. Memorial Day Weekend Floods 2015
Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

36. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016
Total Affected Area:
• 61 miles of river
• 1200 parcels/ landowners
• 4800 acres
• Total trees: 600,000 in 3 years
Memorial Day Weekend Floods 2015

37. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016
Blanco River Reforestation Program: Trees for the Blanco

38. Blanco River Reforestation Program: Trees for the Blanco
Modeled after Bastrop
program
Provides:
• Trees
• Planting services
• On-site consultations
• Education
• Need to convince
landowners to steward
riparian land (reduce
mowing!)
Presented to ACTrees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

39. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016
• Reached participation
target in 2 months rather
than 2 years
• Raised significant private
and foundation support
quickly
• Inclusive stakeholder group
model helped with
resources and significantly
increased service quality to
recipients

40. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016

41. Presented to Alliance for Community Trees Day at Partners in Community Forestry 2016
• Understand your organization’s ecological niche
• Know what your programs are worth and don’t be afraid to
ask for it – including overhead
• Diversify funding and partners – but diversify board and
staff, too
• Hire the best people and pay them a living wage
– then don’t micromanage
• Learn from other sectors

42. Thais Perkins
Executive Director
thais@treefolks.org