2024 Grant Application: Beautification 2024

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Grant Overview

Please enter a brief descriptive name for this grant*
Beautification 2024

Briefly describe the purpose of the grant
The Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce has been working with the High School horticultural program to create hanging baskets to enhance the beautification of the village since 2009. The Chamber raises the funds to buy the flowers from the WUHS and then contracts with an individual to water, fertilize and dead-head the baskets from May 25-October 13th. We are requesting funds to pay for the maintenance of the baskets for 2024. We were very fortunate to contract with Roger Ansardi for the season. He did a fabulous job maintaining the baskets. The Chamber was informed that we need to replace the Cocoa liners for 2024 at the cost of $1,100. Also, The Chamber has worked with Timber Tenders and Chippers to help light the village for the Holiday Season. The Chamber is requesting funds to purchase the lights from our local hardware store. The Chamber will continue to coordinate with our local arborists to get the lights hung before Thanksgiving.

What is the total budget for the project for which you are requesting EDC support?
$15,000

How much funding are you requesting from the EDC?
$11,500

Applicant and Organization Information

Name of Applicant / Organization / Business
Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce

Mailing address
PO Box 486 Woodstock, VT 05091

Name of Project coordinator
Beth Finlayson

Coordinator's email address
bfinlayson@woodstockvt.com

Coordinator's telephone number
802-457-3555

Organization's website
www.woodstockvt.com

Organization's EIN
EIN # 03-0183829

If you are applying on behalf of an organization, describe the organization and its mission (if you are applying as an individual enter "None")
The Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce is a membership-driven organization of businesses and professionals who are committed to developing a vibrant community and improving the economic well-being of the Woodstock area by marketing and supporting our members and our towns.

If you are applying on behalf of an organization, what is your annual organizational budget (if you are applying as an individual enter "None")?
$160,000

Project Description

Please provide a detailed description of the project
The Chamber will be raising funds for the Flowers and hopes to receive in kind donations for the lights of $10,000. Last year the Chamber purchased a garden cart and a water containers to enable the care of the plants. The Chamber works with Chippers, ArborScape and Timber Tenders. These businesses donate the use their bucket trucks and staff. Their donations equal about $10,000 to put up and take down the lights. We will be working with these businesses to create a more uniform lighting tableau for the 2024 Holiday Season. The Chamber’s financial commitment to the holiday lights is $3,00. The project will be completed May 24-Oct 15, 2024 and November 18, 2024 through February 28, 2025. The projects enhance the beautification of the Village. You can see people taking photographs of their friends of family in front of the baskets and the Holiday lights enrich the marketing of Woodstock for Wassail Weekend. We work with the students of the Woodstock Union High School horticulture program to create the baskets. The lights benefit all of our Wassail partners including the Merchants, NWPL, Pentangle, local churches and visitors from throughout the country.

What is the timeline for the project (e.g. when will it be ready to start, when will it be completed,
are there important milestones along the way?
Flower Basket May 25, 2024 through October 15, 2024. Holiday Lights November 18, 2024 - February 28, 2025

What will success look like?
The flowers baskets will be hung, maintained, fertilized and deadheaded as well as be beautiful for the summer months. The Village will be filled with holiday lights for the winter season.

Project Budget

Please provide a link to a spreadsheet that shows the project's budget, using the format as indicated in this example
https://1drv.ms/x/s!AvUwLfymjhQFlsIC_RfhzuTBfqn8dg?e=wehyh1

Please confirm that no in-kind expenses are included in the budget spreadsheet
Confirmed

If there are any explanations you would like to provide to help us better understand the project budget spreadsheet
please enter them here
Excel sent as a separate sheet. Beautification

Community Support

Is there a "project champion" who strongly supports the project?
The Business Community and residents.

Describe the level of community support for this project
Rresidents, visitors and the business community.
Questions and Responses

Question: What attempts have, and will, be made to raise funds from local merchants to help support this project financially? (submitted by Jon Spector)
Response: The Woodstock Area Chamber will again fundraise to help defer the cost of the Flower baskets. We hope to receive a grant from the Woodstock Rotary Club to help pay for the costs of the plants purchased from the WUHS. We will solicit funds from the greater Woodstock Community at the end of April. Those funds will go directly to hard costs of either flowers or labor.


Question: If you were awarded the grant how would you plan to recognize the contribution made by the EDC (so the community can better understand the types of investments we are making in economic and commmunity development)? (submitted by Jon Spector)
Response: The Woodstock Chamber will acknowldge the grant with a sign at the Welcome Center thanking the EDC for thier generous support of the flower baskets.


Question: Do you foresee any future where the EDC is not requested annually to be the major financial source of funds for this worthy project? (submitted by Larry Niles)
Response: Actually, I do not. I am happy to explore all avenues for funding, such as the grant from the Woodstock Rotary Club. This was a project created by the Village Merchants that was initially funded by one business. We then raised monies locally from businesses- but that was unsustainable. The project was taken on by the Chamber because no one else would assume the responsibility. Paying for the baskets has always been problematic. We are incredibly grateful to Chippers and Timber Tenders for their donation of bucket trucks and man-power to get the lights hung for the holidays. They then donate the same resources to remove the lights.


Question: Would this request not come under the umbrella of our Downtown Beautification sub-committee (Joe and Stuart) and not as a Community Grant? If yes we would have more community grant funds to allocate. (submitted by Larry Niles)
Response: I am not part of that committee and I am not quite sure what their purview is. For a while I worked to help create Teagle's Landing but I have not been approached to serve of the committee or submit a grant. I am not sure if they want to consider lights and flower baskets.