Solvency through Diversified Revenue Streams: Lessons from a Small Garden

Keith Tomlinson, Jules Maloney, and Kim McCleskey, NOVA Parks and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Public Garden Magazine Vol. 31, Issue 1, 2016

GARDEN LIFE IN AND AROUND THE FEDERAL DISTRICT 

The District of Columbia, the seat of the United States federal government, has few rivals in terms of economic and cultural amplitude. With five public gardens and arboreta within its greater urban core, not to mention Smithsonian Gardens, and the numerous nationally significant historic estates within its orbit, the District is a veritable treasure trove for public garden visitors. Funding for these institutions is similarly diverse. Predictably, some are 100 percent federally funded. Others mix substantial municipal funding with limited enterprise revenue. Fundraising is prolific at several institutions. The region has a pressing need for open space conservation. The area’s gardens and parks fill an important role across a cityscape that spans as many as sixty miles in some locations.


CHARTING THE FUTURE OF OPEN SPACE

In 1959 a group of citizens concerned about urban sprawl formed the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Land acquisitions followed, parks opened, and a small staff emerged. Funding was a challenge. Today the Authority, now known as NOVA Parks, manages nearly eleven thousand acres spanning six jurisdictions and offers over thirty diverse parks from rowing facilities, a Civil War battle field, and an interpretive farm to nature centers, campgrounds, golf courses, a forty-five-mile, multiuse rail-to-trail system, and a public garden. No official tax mandate exists; some parks make considerable income, while others run annual deficits. Until recently Meadowlark Botanical Gardens fell neatly into the latter group. Through a unique combination of entrepreneurship, strategic planning, detailed budget analysis, and limited jurisdictional support, NOVA Parks are now 85 percent self-funded, placing it in an exclusive category nationally.


In 1980, while development was consuming the region, Gardener Means, an economist, and Caroline Ware, a social historian, donated their farm to NOVA Parks with the simple wish to create an arboretum or a public garden. There was no endowment or obvious source of funding beyond the park system and occasional bond referendums for facilities development. Some donor support materialized. From an unkempt farm in the Piedmont region of Virginia, Meadowlark Botanical Gardens began to emerge, and opened officially in 1987. An initial master plan focused on large ornamental collections. In the late nineties botanically-focused native plant collections were added. While programmatic and institutional relevance flourished, a large annual deficit remained.


THE EVENT VENUE: THE LURE OF LIFETIME EVENTS IN THE GARDEN

Summer 1998 marked the opening of the Atrium, a smartly designed, lushly planted event space that can seat 270. It immediately became a top garden event venue in the region. Weekends booked solid. This pace kept up through every season but winter (apart from during the holiday season). The diplomatic community took an early liking to the space and held several events. The multicultural fraternity of greater Washington makes for a very diverse clientele. Atrium staff carefully cultivated several high-end, specialty caterers. A close working relationship developed. The Gardens rapidly achieved annual earnings of a half-million dollars. But the building was expensive to run and maintain; more events meant more maintenance and horticultural upkeep. Revenue covered operational costs but made only a minor impact on the Gardens’ collective deficit. Many events are booked a year in advance. Stewarding these clients requires detailed event planning, contract negotiation, and staff time. Negotiations can be complex depending on cultural expectations; keen interpersonal skills combined with cultural sensitivity are crucial. Client focus, event details, and dedicated customer service are essential when tens of thousands of dollars are changing hands and guests are arriving from around the world. A specific payment schedule has to be clearly defined and adhered to. Weddings constitute 90 percent of events in the Atrium.


INTERNAL CATERING: BIG REVENUE POTENTIAL AND OPERATIONAL COMPLEXITY

In 2008 the concept of a wholly internal catering operation emerged. It was greeted with initial reservations by garden event staff who expressed concerns about quality, staffing, and the physical plant. After several code-mandated kitchen upgrades, the internal program launched in 2009. Predictably, several regular caterers at the Atrium were sorely disappointed, revealing the need for new operational standards. A larger staff with specific catering experience was hired. Several set menus have gained in popularity, but custom meals are also offered. The option to use an external caterer still exists, but it entails a substantial fee. All alcohol is handled exclusively by internal catering. Tastings are popular, frequently resulting in full bookings. Currently 95 percent of events use internal catering. An executive chef was added to ensure high culinary standards and operational efficiency. Within two years catering operations produced earnings of several hundred thousand dollars and many satisfied customers. Merging the rental and catering process is an attractive option for clients seeking a full-service garden venue.


THE HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW

Holiday light shows are well-established traditions at many public gardens. However, the initial launch of such a show is a huge endeavor. At Meadowlark the planning process took nearly two years. Consultants, including electrical engineers and high tree contractors, provided important design and installation services. Market research revealed a quality show would produce considerable earnings, tapping the region’s robust economy and attraction to holiday events at cultural institutions. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Brookside Gardens, both of which are located within thirty miles of Meadowlark, have long-standing traditions of  displaying holiday lights. At the conclusion of three seasons, the Winter Walk of Lights earned a half-million dollars. The show’s success with visitors of all ages is owed to its core elements: numerous trees wrapped very high, a strong nature theme, and several software-driven features. The lights are essentially a complex temporary physical plant. Refining, replacing, and refurbishing are ongoing tasks that ensure quality. After concluding in January, the entire show is neatly stored on site in shipping containers. Its impact on the actual gardens is minor, but they still require additional work as spring approaches.


MORE THAN A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, THE THEME OF CONSERVATION IS CONSTANT

The face of a four-year-old glowing with fascination during a light show is magical. A bride and groom search for the perfect photo spot within the garden. Out of sight in a fully licensed kitchen, catering staff puts the final touches on a fine dessert. All this happens while the earthly aroma of fresh leaf mulch wafts across the landscape, fostering a horticultural cornucopia. Horticulturists and volunteers work together, carefully tending ornamental and native plant collections. Beyond all the revenue activity, Meadowlark is ultimately a public garden endowed by the emotive magnitude of nature. Indeed, it’s unlikely these enterprising activities would yield the same revenue if it weren’t for the garden setting, but the Gardens’ core mission must not be lost.


Meadowlark was the first garden in the Washington, DC region to implement the International Agenda for Botanical Gardens in Conservation. In addition, various aspects of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) support the gardens conservation collections, but none more so than Target 14: The importance of plant diversity and the need for its conservation incorporated into communication, education, and public awareness programs. This simple message is emphasized in every aspect of the Gardens’ branding and education programs. Moreover, it’s an important interpretive forum that adds intrinsic value to the enterprise operations. People are eager to support institutions that have a clear conservation message.

Our garden is small, with no research program and limited fundraising staff, so our dependence on our parent agency is central to all our operations. NOVA Parks embodies operational, leadership, and budget and facilities management across a broad spectrum of expertise. While we share these resources with nearly thirty other public parks, we are a specialized site. The success of enterprise operations at any public garden is dependent on various institutional assets, mission focus, and economic geography. At Meadowlark the culmination of focused customer service, the region’s economy, and cultural expectations has resulted in full annual funding. Ideally, a continuum of diversified revenue streams can support the conservation of open spaces, including public gardens, when revenue goals are realized.