About Us

Random Acts of Flowers improves the emotional health and well-being of individuals in healthcare facilities by delivering recycled flowers, encouragement, and personal moments of kindness.

We all benefit when we’re kind and compassionate. The community becomes stronger and people thrive. That’s why we deliver thousands of beautiful bouquets of recycled flowers to those struggling with injury, illness, and the aging process every week in neighborhoods all over the country.

Our vision as a flower charity is to inspire and nurture a culture of care and compassion. We do that through our core values:

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Fun

Smiles are contagious. We find a little fun in everything we do.

Passion

Passion drives purpose. We know the impact of our mission is determined by the enthusiasm of our people.

Accountability

The meeting of responsibilities, relationships, and results. We honor our commitments and take ownership of our actions.

Excellence

Exceeding expectations is the expectation. We take pride in our high standards and strive for continuous improvement.

Our History

In July 2007, Random Acts of Flowers’ founder, Larsen Jay, was in a near-fatal accident. He credits the outpouring of support he received in the form of daily visitors and dozens of floral arrangements while in the hospital as a key to providing the emotional lift and encouragement that helped him persevere through the multiple surgeries and challenging recovery process he faced.

When Larsen was able to leave his room, he noticed how many of his fellow patients did not have visitors or flowers – the very things that helped him so much in those early and difficult days. The first “Random Act of Flowers” delivery was made moments later as Larsen re-purposed his flowers and delivered them from his wheelchair. The memories of how a simple gesture touched his fellow patients compelled Larsen to form Random Acts of Flowers in 2008.

Impact

Random Acts of Flowers makes real impact in communities around the country. Whether we’re improving people’s health and well-being through flower deliveries or recycling flowers and vases that would have gone to the landfill, our work results in real and lasting change.

The Healing Power of Flowers

Random Acts of Flowers’ mission is to bring moments of kindness in the form of a beautiful floral bouquet. Our recipients’ joy is enough to justify our work, but these deliveries have also been clinically proven to have a positive effect on health and well-being.

A study conducted in early 2016 by the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine confirms the positive impact that deliveries from Random Acts of Flowers have on the emotional wellness of medical patients.

Almost 95% of respondents self-reported that the unexpected delivery from Random Acts of Flowers improved their overall emotional wellness, with 73.5% reporting “extreme improvement.”
81.1% of respondents reported they had not received other gifts of flowers outside of the Random Acts of Flowers delivery.
11.3% of the sample said our volunteers were the only visitors they had during their hospital stay.

The Science Behind Flower Power

Sustainable Solutions

Recycling flowers is the method behind Random Acts of Flowers’ mission. We strive to recycle 100% of the arrangements we receive, from ribbons, wire and foam, to vases and flowers. Clippings and other green waste are composted and used by landscapers, gardeners, and other partners in the community. Our organization is dedicated to keeping floral materials out of the landfills.

At the conclusion of Random Acts of Flowers’ recycling and re-purposing efforts, the most important thing happens: a patient in an area healthcare facility receives a bouquet of flowers and is offered encouragement, support, and a moment of kindness and compassion.

We are recipients of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Conservation Medal and the “Green Achievers” award from Go Green East Tennessee.

Reporting

At Random Acts of Flowers Knoxville, we strive to be financially accountable to our donors, sponsors and partners, and to the communities we serve. We take pride in delivering beautiful floral arrangements that on average would carry a retail value of $70 — at a cost of only $10 per bouquet.

Material Donations

In addition to our financial contributions, Random Acts of Flowers also receives various in-kind donations. Of course, the primary material donations come in the form of the hundreds of thousands of flowers that are re-purposed into thousands of bouquets delivered to hospitals, assisted living, nursing homes, memory care facilities and hospices around the country every year. We are grateful for the contributions from the florists, funeral homes, grocery stores, healthcare facilities, and other companies we work with. As thoughtful stewards of our finances, we also secure in-kind professional services and proactively negotiate discounts for tools and workspace materials.

Financial Donations

Financial donations go directly to our program and the people we serve. Regardless the size, every contribution helps our organization carry out its mission. Even the smallest donation makes an immediate impact, delivering hope and encouragement one bouquet, one person, and one personal moment of kindness at a time.

Accountability and Transparency

Random Acts of Flowers is a federally registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All finances are supervised and reviewed by the board. An IRS 990 filing and audit are completed annually by a CPA firm.

Public charities are required to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by submitting Form 990.This form is used by the IRS to access financial information of organizations to ensure financial compliance. Form 990 includes a synopsis of information including but not limited to: assets, expenditures, receipts, and certain employees’ salaries.

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