The State Botanical Garden of Georgia creates and nurtures learning, inspiration and engagement through horticulture, conservation and science-based programs. Celebrating the best in southern horticulture and natural heritage, the garden’s 323 acres are a one-of-a-kind resource to the state and the entire Southeast.
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Giving Priorities
Gateway to the Garden
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia welcomed nearly 470,000 visitors in FY25, a 23% increase over the year before. As attendance continues to grow, the Gateway to the Garden campaign is underway to update and expand the entranceway, which is essential to accommodate all who wish to benefit from the garden, its facilities and programs. Plans are to reimagine this acreage with a new, beautifully landscaped entrance, a driveway that will serve as a gateway to the garden and provide additional parking for the thousands of annual visitors.
Horticulture Fund
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia at the University of Georgia is one of the state’s most treasured resources. The garden is situated on 323 acres amidst the rolling hills of the Georgia Piedmont and adjacent to the Middle Oconee River. Found within are eight cultivated gardens and over five miles of forested walking trails. Supporting the horticulture department allows for new plants to be added to the garden’s collections and ensures the trails remain in good condition for the garden’s many trail users.
Learning by Leading
The State Botanical Garden’s experiential learning program, Learning by Leading, provides students a combination of leadership skills and real-world experiences to address the earth’s most critical environmental issues. Your support will enable students to work with a staff mentor on projects related to their interests, including science, conservation, environmental education and horticulture.
Meet Me at the Garden
The Meet Me at the Garden program is designed for individuals with dementia and their care partners to experience the therapeutic benefits of the garden. Administered in partnership with UGA’s Cognitive Aging Research and Education Center, participants are able to socialize, learn about environmental topics and explore the outdoors on a sensory walk. Supporting Meet Me at the Garden will enable the garden to welcome more participants and expand its therapeutic horticulture work.
Children’s Programming
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is committed to providing a family-friendly setting where children and parents can enjoy and learn from its extensive plant collections, natural areas, trails and more. Opened in 2019, the Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden is the ideal place for children to play and learn in an environment that inspires their sense of adventure, wonder and love for nature. Your support will help inspire a love and stewardship of nature in more children at every stage of development.
Plant Conservation
Through the garden’s conservation program, faculty and staff address the challenge of native plant and habitat loss in Georgia by developing native plant materials, propagating and restoring imperiled plant species and actively promoting pollinator plants. Within the Mimsie Lanier Center for Native Plant Studies, the garden’s trained teams work alongside expert partners to make an impact on the region’s biodiversity.
Georgia Native Seed Network
The Georgia Native Seed Network is a collaborative partnership that produces locally adapted seeds and other plant materials for emergency preparedness, food security and to mitigate the effects of natural disasters. Conservation experts at the State Botanical Garden are collecting seeds from the different ecoregions of Georgia, which are then propagated and farmed for critical restoration projects. Supporting the Georgia Native Seed Network will enable the State Botanical Garden to expand this program, protecting biodiversity throughout the Southeast.
Planned Gifts
Leave a legacy at the State Botanical Garden through a planned gift in your will or estate plans. A planned gift may enable you to make a larger gift than you thought possible. There are favorable financial and tax benefits as well.
Matching Gifts
Many corporations match charitable gifts made by employees, board members, retired employees and spouses. Matching gifts enable you to double or even triple your gift to the State Botanical Garden. Search our online database to see if your employer or your spouse’s employer has a matching gift program, or contact your company’s community relations, human resources or personnel office to obtain the appropriate form. Forward the information to us, and we’ll do the rest.
Memorial and Tribute Gifts
Honor. Celebrate. Remember. Memorials, tributes and other Named Gift opportunities are available throughout the State Botanical Garden and will be remembered with a plaque recognizing the honoree and donor. Gifts range from benches and trees to statues and garden sections. The State Botanical Garden can help you commemorate the important moments and people in your life with unique dedication opportunities throughout our landscape. For more information, please contact Kathy Adams.
