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Running Head: GROWING VETERANS: MANAGEMENT & SWOT 1

Growing Veterans: Management Functions and SWOT Analysis

Katie Coty, Brianna Flott, Anna Mahoney, Claire Rotter, Haley Spencer, & Mika Zeta

Western Washington University

November 19, 2014


Through countless experiences and thought-provoking conversations, seeds of inspiration

were planted into the mind of Chris Brown, a U.S. Marine veteran and Purple Heart recipient.

Realizing the severity of the harm generated by our society’s subsidized food systems and

knowing all too well the difficulties veterans face upon returning home, Chris knew something

had to and could be done. In 2012, Growing Veterans burst into life. Based on a three acre farm

in Lynden, Washington, the organization is dedicated to eliminating veteran isolation and

undoing the damage caused by irresponsible farming practices. Growing Veterans is a 501(c)(3)

non-profit corporation that is registered with the Washington Secretary of State as a charitable

organization. Their mission is to empower military veterans to cumulate the growth of food,

communities, and each other. Growing Veterans provides a place for military veterans to become

community leaders in sustainable agriculture while engaging in peer-to-peer support and getting

some essential “dirt therapy”.

Additionally, Growing Veterans firmly believes that isolation is the root of many

problems veterans face, such as unemployment, homelessness, suicide, divorce, and depression.

Their mission strives to create an environment where veterans can find community, support, and

services for these issues (Mission, overview, & photos). Their five values of focus are: service,

stewardship, community, dedication, and responsible leadership. Growing Veterans has crafted a

set of values which are directly intended to compliment and build off of each other. The

organization is relatively new, but their foundation is established. The organization is in the

process of growing which puts them at Stage III of the five organizational life stages of

nonprofits (Worth, 2014, p.192). Growing Veterans has many goals and program plans aimed to

reach thousands of veterans in meaningful ways as well as change the conversation in America

about veteran reintegration and sustainable agriculture. Growing Veterans has three distinct


programs to service their mission: Main Farm, Outpost, and Peer-Support programs. Each of

these programs reaches out to veterans to create community and establish supportive

relationships through the means of growing food. All of the services that Growing Veterans

offers to their clients are a direct representation of the mission of their organization.

Programming

At the Main Farm, farming practices are used to aid the transition of veterans from

military life to civilian life. The core purpose of the Main Farm is the formation of professional

and personal community among veterans and community members, this is accomplished by

combining veteran reintegration with sustainable agriculture. Through the community, veterans

have access to jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities, and other beneficial connections and

resources. The programming for the Main Farm is based on four pillars: the burden of suicide, a

healthy future for all, continuing a selfless career path, and empowering warriors by modeling

Native Americans (The 4 Pillars that Guide Us, October 14, 2014).

An important element of Growing Veterans is their Peer-Support programming. The hope

is to create a strong and comprehensive peer support training program in which veterans are able

to connect with and encourage others with similar experiences and struggles. With an estimated

twenty-two veterans dying from suicide every day, suicide is an obvious and prevalent issue

among the veteran population. Efforts towards creating friendships and cultivating purpose are

crucial in combating this statistic (Growing Veterans, n.d.).

Every Thursday from mid-June through October, in partnership with the VA Puget Sound

Healthcare System; Growing Veterans manages the only market stand outside the Seattle

Regional Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. At their stand, Growing Veterans is able to sell

produce and flowers grown on their farm sites. Revenue from sales is a source of income that


goes directly back towards the veterans and the farm. Any products left at the end of the day are

donated to the Fisher House, a facility that provides temporary lodging for families visiting

veterans in the hospital (VA Seattle: Farmers market). This partnership has proven to be

successful as Growing Veterans properly identified a business opportunity. They recognized

their organically-grown produce as a marketable asset, saw that their products would be fulfilling

an unmet need, and determined that they would be willing to take the necessary steps in

obtaining staff and other resources (Worth, 2014, p. 310).

Organizational effectiveness, as described by Worth (2014), has to do with “efficiency,

productivity, or quality (p. 135). According to these standards, the effectiveness of Growing

Veterans’ programs is proved by the reported satisfaction of the veterans involved, the

production of produce grown from their land, and the enthusiasm of other organizations in

forming partnerships and collaborations. On the other hand, “an organization’s performance [is]

broader than effectiveness… measuring achievement against mission” (Worth, 2014, p. 135).

The diverse programming of Growing Veterans offers many support services to veterans that are

lacking in the greater community, which aligns with the overall mission of “empower[ing]

military veterans to grow food, communities, and each other” (Mission, overview, & photos).

After an examination of the organization’s programs, it is clear that Growing Veterans strives to

have a deep understanding of the demographic it serves.

Geographic Area and Demographic Served

Growing Veterans is committed to serving veterans and their families in Washington

(Lindberg Grant Proposal, Summer 2014). While Growing Veterans focuses on diminishing

issues that veterans are particularly vulnerable to, the organization is successful due to collective

efforts by veterans and community members. The Main Farm is located in Lynden, Washington


and thus primarily serves Whatcom County. Through the Outpost program, Growing Veterans is

also able to serve communities in King County and Thurston County (Outposts, n.d.). The larger

community is also served through organic produce that is harvested from the four farm sites and

distributed to eighteen farmers markets in the region (Orange County LOI Proposal, Summer

2014, p. 3).

In December of 2010, Chris Brown, director of Growing Veterans, had the opportunity to

visit Israel with a delegation of Washington State Political and Veteran Leadership (“Sharing

Our Model”, n.d.) . There, he was inspired by the peer mentorship model of the organization

Hope for Heroism, which has been instrumental in developing the Peer Training Support

Program of Growing Veterans (Orange County LOI Proposal, Summer 2014, p. 1). Hope for

Heroism operates under the model “injured soldiers helping injured soldiers”, in which veterans

are intentionally paired with another veteran who has a similar injury and/or similar experiences

(“What We Do”, n.d.). As outlined in the Orange County LOI Proposal (Summer 2014), ten

members of Growing Veterans will have the same opportunity Chris Brown had: to travel to

Israel to observe and better understand successful peer-to-peer mentorship and to implement

gained knowledge into the reintegration of veterans in Washington State (p. 5).

In addition to a partnership with Hope for Heroism, Growing Veterans is utilizing other

external resources to expand their Peer Support Training Program. According to the Woodruff

Proposal (Winter 2014), Growing Veterans will use the “Best Practices Identified for Peer

Support Programs”, a comprehensive list resulting from research conducted by the Defense

Centers for Excellence (Service Delivery Location section, para. 2). There is also an existing

partnership with Seattle University, which is currently making research efforts towards better

understanding the needs and behaviors of veterans in the surrounding Seattle area (C. Brown,


personal communication, October 22, 2014). It is evident that Growing Veterans highly values

collaboration in order to provide the best services for its demographic. This basis of operations

strongly influences the organizational structure of Growing Veterans.

Organizational Structure

Worth (2014) explains that some organizations operate in a very bureaucratic and

centralized way with “everyone following tightly prescribed policies and procedures sent down

from the top” (p. 63). Others, as Worth (2014) describes, are more flexible and decisions are

made with more input from those being served (p. 63). While both types play a role, Growing

Veterans’ organizational structure primarily follows the latter model. Growing Veterans has a

top-down approach, as indicated by their organizational flow chart (APPENDIX A). It is clear

that the relationships between board members, the executive director, operations director, and

every management position are tightly knit and flexible. Additionally, due to the smaller size of

the organization, director Chris Brown states that his vision for the board of directors is “for its

members to serve in a participatory manner—bringing in resources, fundraising, setting up future

partnerships, and helping guide staff leadership in the decision making process (C. Brown,

personal communication, October 22, 2014).

As explained in Growing Veterans Orange County LOI Proposal (Summer 2014), the

board was designed by Director Chris Brown in 2013 and currently has five members with the

intent of recruiting a sixth. Each member of the board is either a part of the larger organization,

Growing Washington, or has played a significant role in the development and services of

Growing Veterans. This leadership style demonstrates what Worth (2014) meant when he said

“others are more entrepreneurial and flexible, with decisions being made closer to the action in

the field” (p. 63). This type of board is also a representation of what Worth (2014) considers to


be a “self-perpetuating” board (p. 75). Choosing, nominating, and reaching out to specific people

within the organization and encouraging them to consider board membership is the primary way

that Growing Veterans acts as a self-perpetuating board.

Growing Veterans as an organization is an active “friend raiser” (K. Slette, personal

communication, October 22, 2014). Word of mouth has been the organization’s strongest and

most effective way of recruiting staff, both paid and unpaid. Growing Veterans relies heavily on

regular service volunteers, but the organization also benefits from the time and finances of

episodic volunteers who work special volunteering events such as ‘Make a Difference Day’ and

monthly work parties, as well as virtual volunteers that serve through distance learning

internships (Worth, 2014). The diversity of the staff can be seen in their socioeconomic status,

age and gender, though a stronger representation of ethnic variation would increase the diversity

even more (C. Brown, personal communication, October 22, 2014). Although individuals learn

on the job, Growing Veterans is currently working on implementing formal training guidelines

which are critical for risk management. This act of producing training guidelines also

demonstrates the organization’s commitment to strategic planning.

Worth (2014) defines strategic planning as “a process that produces a product—a

strategic plan—that puts meat on the strategy and points the way to implementing it (p. 161). At

Growing Veterans, the strategic plan aligns closely with it’s mission, and is driven by the input

of it’s donors. When asked in a personal interview how Growing Veterans implements strategic

planning, Chris Brown answered “I typically make decisions and form future strategies based off

of conversations with our key staff and stakeholders” (C. Brown, personal communication,

October 22, 2014). The strategic plan of the organization reflects the opinions of board members

and key stakeholders, however, those members and stakeholders are very involved with the


clients that growing veterans serves, and thus their decisions are more flexible, and they are able

to make decisions based more directly on what is happening at the organizations service level.

Another reason that Growing Veterans is able to operate in a more flexible manner is due

to the revenue it receives. The operational structure of Growing Veterans is unique to the age and

size of the organization. The organization’s separation from Growing Washington is cause for

much of the revenue to be dependent on external donations and grants, but thankfully farm

production represents a significant source of the yearly income and is produced internally.

Fiscal Snapshot

Growing Veterans is a fairly new non-profit organization that is quickly growing. It has

been noted by those highly involved in the organization that this year, 2014 looks much different

in terms of finances than 2013. However, the fiscal snapshot for 2013 is the one most recently

available (APPENDIX B), and is the one being assessed in detail here.

The organization’s primary expense is the equipment, tools, and materials used to farm-

spending $7,200 in 2013. These particular funds came from Growing Veterans’ personal

account, as well from various different grants and partnerships. For fundraising, marketing, and

office supplies, Growing Veterans spent $2,953, all out of their personal account. The land on

which Growing Veterans farms is currently rented, and rent and utilities come to be an annual

$5, 261 expense. This is seen as a weakness for the organization, and they are looking to buy

land as their own to cut down this expense in the future. Lastly, the organization pays 4 different

salaries- a Director at $31,000 annually, a Farm Manager at $20,000, Farm Hands totaling

$11,000 annually, and a Transition Specialist for $2,000. In total, Growing Veterans saw

$79,434 of expenses in 2013.


As for revenue, Growing Veterans received its 2013 income from three main sources-

farm production, grants, and donations. Farm production was the primary source, bringing in the

organization $32,000 in 2013. In Funding Sources, What is the Right Mix? it is suggested that

“no more than 25% of revenue comes from any one source” (2011, p 1). Farm production

accounts for 46% of the organization’s revenue, so while it may not follow the 25% rule the

article suggests, this is viewed as strength as it is an internal source of revenue that the

organization can consistently count on. The second source of revenue comes from various grants

and partnerships. Growing Veterans received revenue from two different partnerships (Transition

Whatcom and Bellingham Co-Op), one grant (Home Depot Foundation Gift Card Grant) and one

fiscal sponsor (Growing WA), all totaling $36,350 in 2013. The organization also received

$10, 872 worth of donations as well as an addition $229 in recurring pledge donations. This

revenue source accounts for 14% of the organizations revenue, which is a safe position for them

to be in as donations can always vary, and while they are highly appreciated as well as a great

contribution, the organization does not solely rely on them. The diversification of the

organization’s revenue can be examined in APPENDIX C. The organization’s revenue totals

$79, 451, leaving Growing Veterans at a positive $17.38 for 2013.

Director Chris Brown provided some of the organization’s 2014 fiscal information as

well. He stated that their projected budget for 2014 is $203,009 if all fundraising goals are met.

He also said that nearly 50% of their budget comes from farm produce sales, 20% from local

fundraising, and 30% from regional proposals and grants, an adjustment from the 2013 fiscal

year (APPENDIX C). Growing Veterans has received the following grants to date: Bob

Woodruff Foundation-$70,000 and Home Depot-$4,000. They are awaiting grants from

Whatcom Farmers Co-op, Whatcom Educational Credit Union, and a regional USDA grant. The


primary fundraiser Growing Veterans is working on is the Make the Shift Campaign; a local

fundraiser for $40,000 that targets farming supplies and veteran farm interns stipends for the

remainder of 2014 (Orange County LOI Proposal, Summer 2014). Though their diverse set of

fundraising has presented the organization with many great opportunities that were otherwise

fiscally impossible, Chris Brown states that the weakness with their current funding is that their

employees are not provided with health benefits, and grants are currently be written to help

address that issue.

Conclusion

A much better understanding of Growing Veterans’ strengths and weaknesses was made

after extensive research of the organization’s management styles and organizational structure.

Additionally, possible external opportunities and threats to the organization are brought to light

(APPENDIX D). Growing Veterans has many strong attributes, such as a strong mission

statement which targets the community issues of veteran reintegration and sustainable

agriculture. The combination of these is progressive and effective. The distinct approach of

Growing Veterans stands out in the community, especially with so much interest in organic and

sustainable foods.

The organization works to build partnerships with other farms around the state to

establish more outposts. This greatly widens their reach of services in a way that is manageable

and puts them at less of a risk of overextending their resources. There is a huge need for veteran

services but unfortunately not many resources available. Additionally, the military’s values of

strength and pride have resulted in a stigma attached to those who seek help. The informal peer-

to-peer support model used by Growing Veterans helps break down this stigma. This unique


model is critical in encouraging veterans to actively engage in the organization as well as their

surrounding community. The organization hopes to solidify their peer-to-peer model in hopes

that one day it can be replicated by other organizations to build camaraderie and support for

veterans across the nation.

Many of the weaknesses outlined by our research have less to do with the integrity of

Growing Veterans and more to do with how young the organization is. For example, the

organization is at a disadvantage in regards to risk management. Growing Veterans has not yet

established crucial guidelines such as policy and procedures or training handbooks. The financial

implications of being a new organization also greatly impact Growing Veterans. Without the

financial resources to independently cover operational expenses or provide healthcare to

employees, the organization has to heavily rely on grants. Another chief concern is that Growing

Veterans does not own the land that their Main Farm is located on. This puts numerous

constraints on their farm development and results in the constant debate of how much time and

resources to invest in a property that is not their own. Many of these weaknesses are currently

being addressed by the organization as they continue to grow.

The role of systems was a large component when determining threats to Growing

Veterans. For example, renting farming property puts the organization in a vulnerable position to

be affected by the systems process. Ultimately, the landowners are in the position to make

decisions regarding the land which affects the organization. Renting prices are liable to fluctuate,

land can be sold, and these decisions are out of Growing Veteran’s control. Another large system

at play in this situation is nature. The organization heavily relies on their abilities to farm, but

nature brings a large element of unpredictability. Growing Veterans is susceptible to being

affected by this system as well, and the repercussions of a bad farming season could be


devastating fiscally and organizationally. Fluctuation in crop prices can result in lower revenue if

there were ever to be unfavorable weather conditions such as a drought, or a flood a whole

season's worth of income could be lost instantly. Another external system is the IRS and their

power in approving a nonprofit’s status. Gaining their own 501(c)3 status is critical to the

functionality of Growing Veterans’ management system, because it would allow the organization

to continue to be eligible for funding and support as Growing Washington transitions to for-

profit status. Having this status could is essential for grant opportunities and maintaining donor

interest, because donors could potentially receive tax breaks or benefits and there would be more

opportunities to qualify for grants. There is also a level of professionalism that comes with this

status that would allow the community to recognize that Growing Veterans is committed to

advocating for the veteran population. Recognizing the effects of these larger systems is crucial

to developing a successful management system.

Though Growing Veterans has their fair share of areas for refinement, it is important to

recognize how young the organization is and how successful they have been thus far. The

organization is only in the “Ground and Grow” life stage of nonprofits (Worth, 2014, p. 192).

They are recognizing potential threats, their weaknesses and developing plans for improvement.

There are already many impressive elements of their management even though the organization

is still in the process of grounding themselves. The mission is solid, the programs are

demographically designed to serve their targeted population, and the organization has many

plans to achieve specific goals. There may be a few imperfections in their finances, but fiscally,

they have put themselves in the fortunate position of having a variety of income options and

opportunities. The organization is generally positive and well functioning, largely due to the

tight-knit relationships between management staff and the passion and motivation they bring.


Though there are many aspects in which the management of this organization needs to improve,

at two years old, their management is very impressive. They are still navigating the process of

establishment, but Growing Veterans is still growing.


APPENDIX A

A chart depicting the organizational structure of Growing Veterans


APPENDIX B

Growing Veteran’s 2013 Fiscal Year Budget


APPENDIX C

Diversification of Revenue Pie Charts for the 2013 Fiscal Year

40%

46%

14%

Revenue Diversification2013

Farm Production Grants Donations

32,00040%

4,0005%2,000

3%350 0%

30,00038%

10,87214%

2290%

Revenue Diversfication (Detailed) 2013

Farm Production Home Depot Foundation Grant Co-Op Confirmed Partner Transition Whatcom Confimed PartnerGrowing WA Donations To Date Predicted Pledge Donations


APPENDIX D

An analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats Growing Veterans faces.

S.W.O.T. AnalysisStrengths Weaknesses

● Dual purpose organization: combining veteran reintegration with sustainable agriculture

● Members and stakeholders very involved allowing for flexible decision making

● Strategic planning driven by stakeholder input and mission alignment

● Multiple outpost locations for greater community outreach

● Informal peer-support model lessens stigmas associated with seeking help; Veterans more likely to participate

● Diverse funding● Active friend-raisers in the community● Strong social media presence● Run by veterans for veterans

● Currently renting property, do not own land● Policies and Procedures handbook has yet to

be completed● Formal training guidelines not yet

implemented● Not yet able to independently cover operating

expenses● Unable to provide health benefits to

employees● Lack of ethnic diversity in staffing

Opportunities Threats

● Incredible need for provided services (>15,000 veterans in Whatcom county alone)

● Momentum is building in movement for sustainable/organic agriculture

● Only market stand outside of Seattle Regional Veterans Affairs Hospital

● Organic produce distributed to 18 farmers markets

● Peer-to-peer support model is replicable and could be adopted for veteran reintegration across the nation

● Involvement with Hope for Heroism● Research partnership with Seattle University

● Fluctuation of crop prices● Harmful weather conditions● Possibility of soil contamination● Grants are not a guarantee (an organization is

doing well if they are awarded at least 20% of the grants they apply to).

● Unforeseen legal ramifications● Relationship with VA needs to be maintained● Possibility of IRS not approving 501(c) status


References

Brown, Chris. (Winter 2014). Woodruff Proposal [grant proposal]. Bellingham, WA.

Growing Veterans.

Brown, Chris. (2014, October 14). The 4 pillars that guide us: Chris Brown. Retrieved from

http://growingveterans.org/4pillars/

Funding Sources What is the Right Mix? (2011). Needs Scan Report, 1-3.

Growing Veterans. (August 2014). Home Depot Proposal [grant proposal]. Bellingham, WA.

Author.

Growing Veterans. (Summer 2014). Lindberg Grant Proposal [grant proposal]. Bellingham,

WA.

Author

Growing Veterans. (April 2014). Newman’s Proposal [grant proposal]. Bellingham, WA.

Author.

Growing Veterans. (Summer 2014). Orange County LOI Proposal [grant proposal]. Bellingham,

WA. Author.

Mission, overview, & photos. (n.d.). Growing Veterans. Retrieved from

http://growingveterans.org/overview/

Outposts. (n.d.). Growing Veterans. Retrieved from: http://growingveterans.org/outposts/

Sharing our model. (n.d.). Hope for Heroism. Retrieved from

https://www.hopeforheroism.org/helping-other-wounded-soldiers/

What we do. (n.d.). Hope for Heroism. Retrieved from

https://www.hopeforheroism.org/what-we-do/

Worth, M. J. (2014). Nonprofit management: Principles & practice. (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA:


Sage Publications.

VA Seattle: Farmers market. (n.d.). Growing Veterans. Retrieved from

http://growingveterans.org/vamarket/

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