It is a Challenge Grant Award made to the Garden by the Kresge Foundation of Michigan in the amount of $850,000. Actual receipt of the award is contingent upon the Garden raising approximately $3.8 million to complete the $16 million Tending the Garden Campaign.
Cash gifts and pledges of any amount to the Tending the Garden Campaign received September 2007 – December 2008 will count towards the Kresge Challenge. Annual Fund gifts or memberships are unrelated to the Tending the Garden Campaign and will not count towards the goal.
No!! In fact, the purpose of the Kresge Challenge is to broaden our base of donors at all levels. Gifts of any size are both needed and appreciated.
Here are the highlights:
- $6 million in for current projects
- $3 million for Garden exhibits
- $1 million for education programs
- $1 million for research
- $1 million in institutional support to implement the plan (exhibit managers, project consultants, and budget for Campaign communications and donor relations)
- $10 million to endow mission-essential programs
The “Growing a Legacy” Campaign was organized 10 years ago. It ended successfully in January 2001.
In September 2005 the Board approved going forward with this campaign. The endowment totaled $550,440. As of January 2007, the endowment fund has grown to $2,120,944.
The earlier campaign funded a building phase, and it more than doubled the volume of enclosed spaces at the Garden. It anticipated the need for capital to support maintenance and renewal of the Garden’s infrastructure and to fund new initiatives in the future. The Tending the Garden Campaign is really the next step in a comprehensive strengthening plan to bring the exhibits, education and research programs to a new level of excellence, and to ensure funding for future initiatives.
The Campaign will fund some immediate projects (roughly $6 million) – all top priorities to advance beauty and excellence in exhibits, improve the visitor experience, to expand the reach of our educational messages, and to expand the productivity of our plant research team.
Additionally, the Campaign will add at least $10 million to the Garden’s permanent funds, a sum that will return about $500K per year to support the Garden’s current operations, continue Exhibit enhancements and expand activity in Education and Research.
The Garden is at a point in its evolution where it can anticipate continued operations well into the future – at least at current levels of activity. This is a Campaign to ensure that future, to provide enough financial resources to protect against unforeseen events and to respond to opportunities we cannot imagine. Income from the endowment will help the Garden seize those opportunities, develop and fund future initiatives.
Yes. While the Tending the Garden Campaign is not about new buildings and new trails, we will construct a major and artful sequence of galleries and displays inside the Garden entrance. The landscape architectural firm of Spurlock Poirier is designing the new Entrance Gallery. Steve Martino is creating the design for the new Cactus and Succulent Galleries. We will also create a new Agave/Yucca Forest installation, renovate the Center for Desert Living Trail, and install a new system of signs and markers to guide our visitors.
The Cactus and Succulent Galleries are scheduled to be complete in April 2008. The new entrance/exit sequence are scheduled for completion in November 2008. The Agave/Yucca Forest will be ready in February 2009 and the Center for Desert Living Trail is slated for a February 2010 completion date.
Yes, at least in the areas targeted for Campaign support – Education and Research.
This is largely a Campaign to secure additions to the Garden’s endowment. Such gifts come primarily from individuals and family foundations.
Yes. The “Growing a Legacy” Campaign raised over $17 million.
That depends, of course, on how quickly we secure commitments. Our Campaign leaders are working to secure most, if not all, of the goal in 2 years or so, which could be by year-end 2008.
We have a menu of naming opportunities for commitments of $100,000 and more. Opportunities include Garden galleries, some trails, student scholarships, curriculum materials, senior staff positions, visiting research fellowships, and garden renewal funds.
The Garden’s Board has developed and adopted a conservative policy on establishing and managing endowed funds. By unanimous agreement, the Board agreed to protect the existence of these funds and the value of each donor’s original investment.
Beverly Duzik is our Director of Development and Campaign Director. Please email bduzik@dbg.org, or call 480-481-8111.
Yes, simply fill out this form and your donation will be processed online.
