Additional information about alternative funding options can be found on the following pages:
Questions? Contact:
Missy Gable
Director
mjgable@ucanr.edu
(530)750-1266
Partner with Local Agencies
The UC Master Gardener Program educates the public in an effort to reduce burning, divert green waste from the landfill, reduce pesticide use for safer surface water runoff, and more. Find alignment between UC ANR strategic initiatives and regional/county/city mandates to seek funding support. County funding partnering with UC skills and knowledge results in successful partnerships and programs.
Programs using this model: Calaveras, Nevada, Orange, Placer, San Joaquin, Tuolumne
Examples: Air Quality District, Solid Waste Division, Water Utility
How can you get started?
- Understand the mandates of the local agencies, cities and special districts and identify areas where UCCE knowledge base and expertise can assist. Counties and cities may not have the knowledge base and skills they need to carry out their charge. Explain how you can assist when you have the required funds to support the education and outreach activities for them.
- Visit www.swrcb.ca.gov and find your region, select “TMDLs and Impaired Water Bodies”. You may find you can help out your county meet its education component to reduce pollutant fertilizer and pesticide runoff if they can fund a coordinator.
- Visit www.swrcb.ca.gov and find your region, select “TMDLs and Impaired Water Bodies”. You may find you can help out your county meet its education component to reduce pollutant fertilizer and pesticide runoff if they can fund a coordinator.
- Set the stage. Let decision makers know you have future plans to ask for such funding and why it makes sense. Let them know how other counties have benefited.
- Develop relationships with County Administrators and their staff members. Several County Directors won approval at this level and let staff sell the Board of Supervisors. In other situations the support came originally from the Board, especially in one county where a UC Master Gardener was actually a member of the Board of Supervisors. In another case, UC Master Gardeners are acquainted with board members and do much of the legwork for the Co. Director.
- Tell the UC Master Gardener Program story. Let UC Master Gardener volunteers educate county and city staff members about how program is serving the supervisors constituencies. Invite staff and supervisors to a UC Master Gardener events. Make sure the program is visible. It is a tremendous benefit and of great value to the county and city governments and residents. UC Master Gardeners carry tremendous political support. Use it.
- Ask for a full time equivalent (FTE) right away, don’t settle for less than needed. Counties may have more disposable resources than UCCE. Explain how much more could be done with greater FTE to manage and support volunteers.
- Use success stories from other UC Master Gardener Programs in counties where there are county funded positions. Have a description of what a UC Master Gardener Program can achieve for a county and how it benefits the county government and residents. Make it available for anyone who asks.