RSF Social Finance Partners with Organic Bouquet
Eco-friendly Flowers Help Fund Innovative Projects and Support Organic Agriculture
San Francisco (September 19, 2007) – RSF Social Finance has partnered once again with Organic Bouquet Inc., the world's first online organic florist. In 2003, RSF provided Organic Bouquet with a working capital loan as a way of investing in the company's critical early stage development.
Organic Bouquet will donate to RSF 10% of each purchase—from organic flowers and fruits to Veriflora-certified plants—made through this link: www.OrganicBouquet.com/RSFSocialFinance. Organic Bouquet also has added the "RSF Deluxe Lily Bouquet," voted by Smart Money as the #1 Mother's Day bouquet, to its Charitable Bouquet collection.
All proceeds go towards supporting innovative projects in areas such as community development, social justice, and environmental sustainability. RSF's Social Innovation Fund has awarded small grants to initiatives such as: Homeward Bound of Marin for developing a trauma treatment center for homeless children and their families; Rugmark Foundation for their campaign to raise awareness to end child labor in South Asia's handmade carpet industry; World of Good Development Organization for developing the Fair Trade Pricing Calculator; and the San Diego Environmental Foundation for creating a mobile classroom to teach elementary school students about alternative energy.
"We are excited about this opportunity to partner once again with Organic Bouquet," says Mark A. Finser, president and CEO of RSF Social Finance. "We are working towards a world where the movement of money benefits people and the environment. Our investors and borrowers make it possible for us to support companies like Organic Bouquet. Now, Organic Bouquet is going to help our innovative grantees through its Charitable Bouquet program and we are thankful for that."
"RSF Social Finance understood and supported our vision in the early development phase of our company," says Gerald Prolman, founder and CEO of Organic Bouquet. "They took a chance with our company at a time when most investors and lenders are risk averse. Unlike traditional lenders, RSF recognized OrganicBouquet.com's potential for positive social and environmental change. Today, OrganicBouquet.com has grown to be the market leader in eco-flowers and is leading the $19 billion U.S. floral trade toward more sustainable practices."
About RSF Social Finance
RSF Social Finance, www.rsfsocialfinance.org , partners with investors, donors, and borrowers to create positive social change and environmental sustainability. RSF provides socially responsible investing, lending, and philanthropic services to catalyze the growth of initiatives and social enterprises in sectors such as education, arts and culture, fair trade, sustainable food systems, organic agriculture, green building, and renewable energy. RSF has over $100 million in combined assets. It has made over $100 million in loans and close to $60 million in grants.
About Organic Bouquet
Organic Bouquet, www.OrganicBouquet.com, has pioneered the organic flower market, working with growers around the world who are committed to the highest social and environmental standards. Flowers are grown and harvested using practices that aim to improve the quality of farm working conditions, minimize damage to ecosystems, conserve biodiversity, and enhance environmental quality for future generations.