Financial Model

Who are our partners?

•  Outdoor Education Centers Host service projects Provide room & board for program participants Provide medium for sustainability outreach •  Schools Host service projects Provide medium for sustainability outreach •  NJ’s Craftspeople Provide part-time educators Make curriculum dynamic

•  NJ’s Green Businesses Provide part-time educators Invest in business Provide post-service placements Keep curriculum relevant •  At-risk youth services agencies Channel participants Keep curriculum relevant •  Colleges, Universities & Trade Schools Channel participants Provide post-service placements

 

What are our products?

1. People/Workforce Development:

• Advance graduates of “youth at risk” programs along the ladder of success in work & school.
• Empower leaders/innovators to work cooperatively for sustainable change in their communities.

2. Services to NJ’s Green Businesses:

• Train workers for green jobs—curriculum is flexible/modular such that a green business can hire GCF to train them a work crew.
• Create a living laboratory for field testing training programs and green business practices.

3. Services to Schools and Outdoor Ed Centers:

• Infrastructure Greening

• Curriculum Greening

4. Local, Organic Produce and Value-Added Foodstuffs

• Seasonal fruits and vegetables

• Maple sap will be harvested and processed into syrup each spring.
• Value added foodstuffs, such as bread, cake, jam, and kimchi

5. Handmade, Locally Produced Wood and Leather Goods

• Sustainably harvested Eastern woodland hardwoods and softwoods will be crafted into modern, valuable goods, such as drum frames, furniture, and tools.

 

Where is our funding coming from?

1.) Workforce development funding (grant based)

2.) In-kind facility sharing w/ outdoor retreat centers

Narrative: Outdoor retreat center will provide room and board for work crew the entire service year.  Outdoor retreat center may also host one or more of the year’s service projects, such as solar panel installation, organic garden, or maple sugaring.  Alternately, one or more service projects may be performed at another school or outdoor retreat center.

There are many outdoor retreat centers in northwest New Jersey that GCF can partner with to host green service projects; the following list is just a sample:

• Princeton-Blairstown Center
• NJ School of Conservation (Montclair State University)
• Kids Camp (Kids Corporation)
• Wildcat Mountain (Project USE)
• Lusscroft Farm (4H & NJ Dept. of Parks & Forestry)
• And more…

3.) Foundation/Grant support for Revolving Fund for Infrastructure Improvements

Narrative: GCF will seek a lump sum donation for the creation of a revolving fund.  Loans will be made from the revolving fund to finance infrastructure improvements at schools and outdoor retreat centers, such as the installation of solar panels, insulation materials, or an organic garden.  GCF service projects will provide services that have economic value by saving/generating energy or providing goods and produce for the host site.  As such, the schools and outdoor retreat centers will be able to pay back the loans taken out for infrastructure improvements with the money they save each year on goods/services.  For example, energy generated by solar panels can be sold to the power company and used to pay back the cost of installation.  Loan will be paid back to the revolving fund based on 5- or 10-year contract.

4.) Loans Receivable payments to Revolving Fund

Narrative: (See 3. above.)

5.) Sale of Locally made/harvested Goods

Narrative: Service projects will generate locally grown produce and handmade products.

6.) Investment by NJ’s Expanding Green Businesses

Narrative: GCF’s creates a service-learning framework that is innovative and effective for training workers in the green sector.  As a result, NJ’s emerging green business sector will turn to us to provide skilled workers and empowered leaders.  After the start up phase, GCF will be looking for businesses to invest in our training program.  Due to the current economic and environmental climate, there is amazing growth potential in the area of green workforce development.  For example, the lack of trained solar panel installation technicians is so great right now that there is a one-year waiting list for installation.  GCF can help meet that gap and further economic development.

 

What are our expenses?

1.) Start Up Costs

2.) Operating Expenses

 

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