In El Salvador
Occasionally we get a question asking that since we are a non-profit foundation, what Educational and humanitarian projects do we do and where do donations and profits go?
Good Questions. We are a little bit different than those non-profits that show you a starving child or desolate village condition and try to guilt you into donating to the cause.
Our mission is to teach the world our invention of Square Foot Gardening, a method that works anywhere in the world for anyone that wants to help themselves become more independent and self sufficient. We decided that instead of conducting fund raising activities and starting a big organization to locate and feed the hungry, fund and build wells, latrines or schools for the poor we would do it differently. We want to empower them to be able to do all that themselves. Where do you start? Well here’s how we figured it:
Teaching Students in India
We know about and support the hundreds of humanitarian organization out there with everything in place and already sending volunteers and staff to the far countries of the world, building things and doing all the good things. We support those organizations helping them learn how to teach someone to feed themselves and become independent and self sufficient. We offer a 50% discount on our classes and a steep discount for our books and videos for any organization that is serious about using SFG to include that in their present mission.
We then back that up with constant contact, advice and encouragement. We also spend some of our income in preparing the necessary teaching devices, books, videos, etc for them to use for this purpose. We do not solicit funds for this but pay for this service out of our general finances and net profits from all of our product sales, as well as the generous donations people send us.
Mel Bartholomew, Pres.
Founder and President of
Square Foot Gardening Foundation
A 501-C3 IRS tax exempt organization for 16 years
Dear Mel,
Just a quick note from Holland were Jelle and I are more and more succesfull in promoting your system.
In these days when the bad economy and strict measures of our gouvernment is forcing people to think about their spending they are searching to find ways to save money. SFG seems like a good solution to many of them.
We always say that we support your SFG-Foundation and people like it very much. Lately though we experience that they mainly want to be helped themselves. Which is good of course, SFG is good for people and the envirement and thus the world.
One of Jelles dreams is to inspire the young people in developing countries and to give them hope for a better future. He is planning to go to one of the townships of Capetown, SA, to show young adults (18-25) it is possible to take real good care of themselves and their families by means of SFG, marketing and social media, computer skills etc. Combining these items can make a big difference for young adults!
We are saving some of the revenues Jelle makes with his website for this trip.
We would also like make another donation to your Foundation. Is their a specific project your working on now (like the homeless project we donated to last year)?
For us and for the readers of Jelles website it is much more concrete if the money is spend on a concrete project.
We wish you well Mel, it is wonderfull to see that you are so active on your soapbox!
Dear Saskia and Jelle,
Thank you so much for your letter. It’s good to hear from you again and Jelle I applaud your determination and desires to help others in the projects that you are doing. I remember you told me once that you would like to concentrate for a while on orphanages around the world. I think that will be an excellent place if you are still interested in that.
As far as your donation this year we have several projects going on, we are doing several high schools in Florida, we still have our homeless situation in San Diego we are working on and Victoria is just getting ready to start a homeless garden in Colombia and South Carolina. In fact I will be going in there in two weeks for the inaugural grand opening. We have Jim Teahan in Salt Lake City Utah that started to work with Habitat for Humanity and we are going to put gardens in all the houses that they are building and starting in Utah then hope to spread.
Do you have habitat anything near Holland? We are also just getting ready to launch in a couple of weeks a special program for schools to be able to give them a donation towards a school garden, including the lesson plan, a garden, and the soil mix.
So, let me talk with Victoria she just got back from Wisconsin tonight and she is actually going to North Carolina for the next two days for a nonprofit foundation Symposium. So, we would be very pleased and honored to receive another donation but let me look into something that we could make special for that and that would help us launch a fund raiser for other people to contribute to.
Hope you are doing well, tell me about some of your activities there in Holland. Do you think we are making any headway getting other people to start their own gardens? We are finding that Churches seemed to be very receptive to putting in a community garden on their grounds and we are now even getting communities. The Mayor of a town putting is in Square Foot Gardens in city parks, so those are just some of the ideas we are working on here.
Always love to hear from you and hope all is well there.
Best wishes and happy gardening,
Mel
Hi Mel,
I have visited San Diego, gas lamp district, many times over the last 4 years. I have seen the homeless there & am always amazed by the numbers. Could you please explain in further detail what your plans involve in that area?
Thank you
We have a project at Saint Vincents, with boxes and weekly training sessions. It’s a great organization and we are working on getting more SFG programs like their’s in San Diego. Let me know next time you visit the area! Are there any homeless shelters or transitional facilities in your area like Saint Vincent’s in San Diego that could use a SFG program? Planting, harvesting, and eating locally grown produce that you’ve grown yourself is so empowering, especially if you don’t have a secure place to lay your head but have a garden to tend to. It really is beautiful. Saint Vincent’s has a great staff that is always willing to work with us and answer our questions.
Hi Mel,
How can I get in touch with Jim Teahan in Salt Lake City. I live close to there and would like to get involved.
Thanks.
Dear Mel,
Thanks for your answer! We would love to hear about a project you are funding so we can send another donation for that specific goal.
SFG is getting really popular here. Square meter gardens are sold in garden centers (like I told you in 2010) and +magazines and newspapers are writing about it. Not every company gives you credit, some do say the system is based on SFG.
When people start searching on the internet Jelles site always pops up so then they know what the system is really about.
We get loads of emails of people who say thanks to Jelle because of this site and telling how happy they are to be gardening, with their kids, in the city, at schools etc.
Since kitchengardening is becoming a hype here (very trendy for people around 30 too!) lots of companies are stepping in, trying to make money of it.
Thats why Jelle wrote a book about the Makkelijke Moestuin and is selling it now (via the internet) and we can make these nice donations to you.
You really started something Mel, it must be such a wonderfull idea to know that people all over the world are using your method!
So to finish this mail: I do not think it is a problem to raise interest in SFG, if there is a “problem” it is more a matter of were do we start and how do we organize things. With Jelles school, my work etc.
We will find a way though and I still have a big wish to come to your place one day, hopefully with Jelle, to meet you!
Warm regards and many thanks!
Saskia and Jelle