March 18, 2011
Dear Prospective Beneficiary:
Since 1914 and now in its 97th year, the award-winning Rittenhouse Square Flower Market for Children’s Charities (RSFMCC), formerly the Rittenhouse Square Flower Market Association, has been dedicated to raising and distributing funds to and showcasing annually-selected Philadelphia-based charities devoted to the health and welfare of at-risk local children. The RSFMCC is the longest-running community event in Rittenhouse Square and an event annually looked forward to by the Philadelphia community. The Flower Market, occurring at a planting-perfect time the week just prior to Mother’s Day, is also the BEST place to buy flowering plants and herbs in Center City. This year’s Flower Market will be held Wednesday and Thursday, May 4th and 5th.
You are receiving this application for the year 2012, either because you have qualified as a beneficiary in the past, have previously applied, have expressed interest in the Flower Market, or because your organization has been recommended by one of the RSFMCC Board Members.
This year, we have made significant changes in our procedures, which may be an extra incentive in your decision to apply. Rather than stocking, setting up and manning their own floral booths, for the first time, our beneficiaries will only need to supply personnel to man the Flower Market Floral Booth, which is now being greatly expanded to include all of the Beneficiary booths. This Floral booth will now almost completely line the 18th & Walnut Streets entrance path into Rittenhouse Square and will be canopied by our once-characteristic red-and-white striped tents.
We’ve made this monumental time-saving change in the Market to allow our Beneficiaries more time to do what they do best, i.e., provide the much needed services they provide to our community. Additionally, we believe that it will ultimately result in increased revenues for our Beneficiaries.
Optionally, each Beneficiary may still sell approved plant-related items produced within their own organizations (e.g. painted pots, handmade cards, etc.), which can be sold along with and to complement the plant materials.
We’ve also allocated a separate area, centrally-located in the Square, for Beneficiaries to promote their organizations, through interactive activities for children and/or adults.
To qualify and receive funds, if selected, your charity would be required to assist in some fundraising and marketing efforts promoting the Flower Market, the Garden Party fund-raiser (see below) for the Flower Market and related activities (e.g., providing your Board lists, circulating posters and disseminating information to your organization’s contacts) . In return, you will receive not only the funds for the related items you sell, but also an equal portion of the funds raised by the Market and Garden Party as a whole, as well as the valuable exposure for your organization at the Flower Market and our related events.
P.O. Box 30613, Philadelphia, PA 19103 www.rittenhousesquareflowermarket.org
Rittenhouse Square Flower Market for Children’s Charities
FUNDING APPLICATION LETTER
PAGE TWO
Our primary fundraiser for our Beneficiaries is the Garden Party, the purpose of which it to informally introduce the charitable patrons in the Philadelphia community to our Beneficiaries. This is a rare chance for your charity to be featured at a fund-raising event where we entirely fund and produce the event for you. We also partner or coordinate with other Philadelphia organizations from year-to-year, as a means of raising additional funds for our Beneficiary organizations.
RSFMCC is also now part of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Donor Choice Program (Code # 45931), which should increasingly raise funds for our Beneficiaries.
The RSFMCC is composed solely and entirely of volunteer Board Members, all of whom are extremely committed to the efforts of promoting, showcasing and raising money for and alongside of our Beneficiaries.
We warmly welcome your application to be a Beneficiary of the 2012 Flower Market.
Before returning this application for consideration, please be advised of the following:
1. Qualification: Your organization must provide services to children and must have a 501(c)(3) designation. Special consideration will be given to organizations providing services in the areas of food, shelter and health needs to children.
2. Commitment: All beneficiaries are required to take part in the fundraising activities of the RSFMCC for the year in which they are a beneficiary. These activities primarily include:
- Supplying personnel for the committee floral booths; and
- Producing an interactive activity to promote your organization at the Rittenhouse Square Flower Market, which will be held next year on May 9 and 10, 2012; and
- Sending a representative to some meetings during the year; and
- Making your Board list available to the Committee to invite to its annual Garden Party; and
- Supporting our annual Happy Hour (an additional fundraiser designed to attract younger members in our community); and
- Soliciting entrants to our annual Poster Contest; and
- Helping to publicize the Flower Market through your organization’s communications network.
The net proceeds of the 2012 Flower Market (other than related items that you sell yourselves at the Market), as well as the activities related thereto, will be divided and distributed equally among our 2012 Beneficiaries.
If you are interested in becoming a 2012 Beneficiary of the Rittenhouse Square Flower Market for Children’s Charities, please fill out and return the enclosed application to:
Barbara Pomerantz
RSFMCC
PO Box 30613
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Rittenhouse Square Flower Market for Children’s Charities
FUNDING APPLICATION LETTER
PAGE THREE
For consideration as a 2012 Beneficiary, we must receive your application by June 1, 2011.
We also urge you to visit the Flower Market this year on May 4 or 5, where you may submit a completed application. Applications may also be FAXed at 215-569-0408, or emailed to bpommisc@aol.com, to the attention of Barbara Pomerantz. The selected beneficiaries will be notified following our June, 2011 meeting. If you have any questions, feel free to email or call Barbara Pomerantz, at (215) 569-3284 or Curtis Roth, at (215) 985-1112 (landline) or (215) 806-2321 (cell).
We look forward to hearing from you and potentially working with you in the coming year.
Respectfully yours,
Curtis J. Roth, Esquire Barbara Pomerantz
President President Emeritus
Enclosure (see attached Funding Application)
FUNDING APPLICATION
Founded in 1914, and now in its 97th year, the Rittenhouse Square Flower Market for Children’s Charities (RSFMCC) (formerly Rittenhouse Square Flower Market Association) annually raises and distributes funds to local charitable agencies devoted to the health and welfare of children. Selected beneficiaries share in the responsibilities and proceeds of each year’s Flower Market and other fundraising activities sponsored and coordinated by the RSFMCC Board.
Special consideration will be given to organizations providing services in the areas of food, shelter and health needs to children from prenatal to 18 years of age.
Applications must be received by June 1, 2011. Additional pages may be used if application space is insufficient. All applications will be reviewed by the Committee of RSFMCC. Selected beneficiaries will be notified by email following the June 2011 meeting and by mail shortly thereafter.
Name and Address of Organization:
Phone: Fax: E-mail: Website:
Name of Administrator:
Name and Address of Primary Contact for Events and Meetings:
Phone: Fax: E-mail:
Purpose of Organization:
History of Organization:
Rittenhouse Square Flower Market for Children’s Charities
FUNDING APPLICATION
PAGE TWO
Current sources of funding:
Geographic area served by organization:
How are children served by your organization?
What specific project(s) will be funded by the proceeds raised through the Rittenhouse Square Flower Market for Children’s Charities? (please try to quantify as much as possible the number of children that would benefit and in what capacity – although this might not be the amount actually received, use $5,000.00 as a guide)
How many volunteers can you realistically anticipate having to work at our Committee booths selling flowers and related items for two days at the Flower Market on May 9 and 10, 2012?
Please list the years in which your organization has been a beneficiary of the Flower Market in the past:
Please enclose a copy of your 501(c)(3) designation.
By signing and submitting this application, you declare that you are authorized by your organization to submit this Application, that the information you provided herein is true and correct and further acknowledge that you have read the above attached cover letter and agree to all the terms, conditions and requirements contained therein.
NAME POSITION DATE
===============================================================
MAIL APPLICATION WITH COVER LETTER TO:
Rittenhouse Square Flower Market for Children’s Charities
c/o Barbara Pomerantz
PO Box 30613
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(application may also be faxed to 215-569-0408 or emailed to bpommisc@aol.com )