Lily Creek Farms Therapeutic Riding Center
Our Mission is to help individuals heal mind, body, and spirit through equine assisted and farm related activities.
Why Lily Creek Farms Needs Your Help Now
In 2023, Lily Creek Farms stepped into a bold new chapter—purchasing a larger property to meet the growing demand for our programs. With that came a mortgage, which we planned to support through savings and increased annual fundraising instead of a capital campaign.
We’ve made remarkable progress. We’ve increased fundraising by 30%, launched social enterprise efforts through our apple orchard, and added staff to serve more clients than ever before. But we’ve also encountered real-world challenges:
Fundraising has grown substantially, but hasn’t fully covered the increased monthly costs
Economic pressures and inflation have driven up operating expenses and affected giving
Staffing needs have increased with our expanding caseload
Client fees, by design, don’t cover the full cost of care
The apple orchard’s social enterprise, Mahnke Market, is near breaking even but not yet generating net revenue
We’re proud of our impact. But to sustain it, we now face a $10,000–$12,000 monthly gap that must be covered by donor giving to balance our operating budget.
This is a cash flow problem, not a mission problem. We’ve grown to meet the wellness needs of our region, but now we need our community to help us grow financially to sustain the mission.
We know what needs to be done:
Recruit new recurring donors
Expand peer-to-peer fundraising
Boost engagement with upcoming events and campaigns
Continue operational and financial restructuring with expert support
Consider a future capital campaign to pay off the mortgage
Here’s how you can help today:
Make a donation (https://secure.givelively.org/donate/lily-creek-farms/trailblazers)
Start a personal fundraiser (https://secure.givelively.org/donate/lily-creek-farms/trailblazers/fundraisers/options)
Volunteer or help recruit volunteers and promote our upcoming events (http://www.lilycreekfarms.org/Contact.html)
Share our social media content
Participate in our “How I can Help” virtual Q&A session on Monday June 2 at XX time (link here)
We didn’t get here overnight, and we won’t solve it alone. But with your help, we will solve it and secure Lily Creek’s future for generations to come.
Q&A
Q1: What’s really going on financially?
A: Lily Creek Farms is experiencing a cash flow shortage. This means we are not currently bringing in enough income to meet basic operational expenses, specifically payroll and essential bills. We have a strong mission, and long-term viability is possible, but we need immediate action to bridge the gap and pay off our mortgage.
Q2: Is the farm closing?
A: No, the farm is not closing. This is a moment of restructuring, not shutting down. Leadership and the board are acting decisively to fix the issue. That includes adding experienced leadership, scaling current fundraising campaigns, and mobilizing the community.
Q3: How did this happen?
A: Rapid growth, unmet fundraising expectations, inflation and delays in pledged giving have created a strain on cash flow. Our programs and impact have grown faster than incoming revenue. The apple orchard program is now breaking even, but the learning curve of managing this new enterprise required considerable leadership attention. Additionally, the overall scale of the new farm and its daily demands stretched our capacity, impacting our ability to maintain a consistent focus on strategic revenue development. We're correcting that with additional leadership, a clear plan and your support.
Q4: What is the plan to fix this?
A:
Scale current fundraising campaigns (Trailblazer Peer-to-Peer campaign, Monthly Giving, Drone Drop, Golf Outing, Family Farm Fun Day Sponsorship and Summer Camp Enrollment) to bring in operating support now
Engage volunteers, staff, and supporters to ask their networks to donate or participate
Build recurring donor income through monthly giving
Review and streamline internal operations
Determine the feasibility of a capital campaign to pay off our mortgage
Improve financial reporting and forecasting for long-term health
Q5: What’s the best way to help right now?
A:
Donate now—every dollar helps
Start a personal fundraiser—ask your friends and family to give
Buy a Drone Drop Ticket - Drop is June 14th
Sponsor one of our 7 Family Farm Fun Days
Register a Foursome in our July 19th Golf Outing
Promote our fundraisers on social media or via email
Share our Therapeutic Riding Program with a potential new client
Volunteer—we need help organizing, promoting, and running events
Spread the word—we can't do this quietly
