National China Garden Foundation

Programs: The foundation hosted a delegation from the chinese side design team and working group and representatives of china construction america and plaza construction for a tour of the china garden site, review of construction laydown plans and routes and also met with members of the chinese side to discuss fundraising plans for the project and for the maintenance endowment (no expenses associated with the tour and meetings). The foundation worked with the page team (u. S. Architectural and engineering group), kcm (project manager) and the usda-ars facilities division and the ncgf design committee to respond to usda-ars comments and revise the 100% submittal package, including draft construction drawings, specifications and narratives. Page and kcm worked together with the foundation to secure permits needed for the start of construction. Page and kcm fees are tracked on the balance sheet as "construction in progress". The foundation participated in combined federal campaign promotions and events, participated in a giving tuesday campaign and met with fundraising consultants to revise the fundraising campaign strategy and plans. The executive director met with several companies to introduce the china garden project and the campaign for the maintenance endowment and submitted formal requests for contributions to cargill, cv starr, and smithfield. The foundation worked with the us-china business council to raise visibility for the project during a luncheon honoring vice premier wang yang at the start of the first u. S. -china comprehensive economic dialogue and participated in the 2017 select usa special forum on m & a investment with china. The foundation also signed up for 30 hours of support from the dc business development center shanghai and received promotional support for the project and the fundraising campaign to build awareness and to cultivate support in china. The foundation website and presentation materials were updated to reflect the focus on the endowment campaign. Foundation board members, the executive director and the project architect hosted a group of members of the china general chamber of commerce dc chapter for a tour of the arboretum, the garden site and presentation about the project. A foundation working group (governance and nominating committee and fundraising committee) developed a proposal to restructure the board and to transition to a fundraising board to achieve the goals for the endowment campaign and to meet future foundation operating funding needs. The board adopted the proposal in december 2017. The executive director spent 89% of her time on fundraising, friendraising, prospect identification, research, introduction, and cultivation and solicitation activities in 2017, including work on the board restructure proposal.