Green Connect has called on the Illawarra community to help keep the farm growing. Photo: Green Connect.
The clock’s ticking for Warrawong social enterprise Green Connect, which needs $150,000 by 1 August, or will be facing some “tough decisions” affecting its farm, staff and community programs.
The organisation has launched an urgent appeal to raise the funds, which leaders say will provide the critical runway needed to secure a sustainable future.
The not-for-profit, which employs young people and former refugees to grow organic food and deliver hands-on sustainability education, recently became independent after eight years under national umbrella organisation Community Resources.
The split, which took effect in April, followed a shift in focus at Community Resources toward large-scale job creation — a model not suited to Green Connect.
“We tend to be smaller and go deeper,” CEO Robert Servine says. “The people we work with often need more support, and we’re not as scalable in that way. We decided to separate so they can focus on what they do best and we can focus on what we do best.”
Independence has given Green Connect the freedom to chart its own course — but also left it without access to centralised systems like marketing and HR, which the team has had to rebuild on a shoestring.
Mr Servine says the organisation has been “incredibly careful” with its spending, trimming costs wherever possible, negotiating discounted services with local providers, and even reducing staff hours.
Despite that effort, the organisation has been hit hard by an increasingly competitive funding landscape.
“We applied for around 20 grants this year, but the not-for-profit funding sector is more competitive than ever. One funder told us they’d received seven times the number of applications than they had in any previous year,” Mr Servine says.
“We’ve missed out on several grants we were counting on, and we now face some incredibly difficult decisions if we can’t bridge the gap quickly.”
Mr Servine says “tough decisions” will need to be made if the organisation doesn’t bridge the gap, which will impact the farm, staff and community programs. Photo: Emily Henderson.
The $150,000 the team seeks would help cover operating costs while giving them time to implement a strategic plan to become more financially sustainable. About 70 per cent of Green Connect’s revenue is already self-generated through activities such as veg box sales and educational programs. The goal is to push that above 90 per cent.
To get there, the team has already improved efficiencies on the farm, boosting weekly veg box capacity from 160 to 220 without needing to add an extra production day. Now, they need to match that capacity with sales.
There are also plans to grow farm-based activities such as school tours, playgroups and picnic days by at least 15 per cent, creating more ways for the community to engage while generating income.
Green Connect employs 26 people — 20 of them young people or former refugees — and delivers work experience for up to 48 participants annually. According to a recent Deloitte Access Economics study, Green Connect’s average cost per successful employment outcome — just over $8000 — is significantly lower than the $6100 to $83,000 range reported across the sector.
“The return on investment is incredible,” Mr Servine says. “And more importantly, it’s deeply human — confidence, connection, skills and a real job.”
Longer term, Green Connect hopes to become eligible for a social enterprise loan through White Box Enterprises, but must first demonstrate progress on its plan. If successful, that loan would help buy time to approach impact investors and further build on its sustainability.
“We have so many ideas for things we can do — like adding a hospitality stream through a coffee cart or cafe with a farm-to-table offering — but first, we need a solid foundation under us,” Mr Servine says.
“If we don’t raise the funds to bridge the gap, we will need to reexamine closely and make some tough decisions. I don’t want us to lose the farm – too much love has gone into it and it’s such a beautiful space.”
So far, the campaign has raised just over $12,000. The team now calls on the wider Illawarra community to get behind them.
Help can be in the form of donation, or — equally helpfully — by subscribing to a veg box, booking a tour or activity, volunteering or sponsoring.
“This farm has never been about turning a profit,” Mr Servine says. “It was created to grow food, grow jobs and grow hope. With your help, we can keep doing exactly that.”
Donate via Green Connect.
