Harnessing the Power of Imagination  

In 1991, a handful of mid-coast Maine residents imagined creating a world-class botanical garden for Maine. They envisioned ornamental gardens and protected natural landscapes, shorefront trails, and education and research programs. Thanks to the imagination and dedication of board and staff, and generous support from individuals, foundations and government entities, this dream has come to life at the 248-acre Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. The Gardens have attracted tens of thousands of visitors of all ages year-round— in fact, so many that current facilities need expansion.

IMAGINE…  

…a new Education Center

designed to the highest-possible green building standards, that generates more energy than it uses…

imagine how this building will teach all ages about horticulture, botany, the environment, and environmental sustainability.

Expanding the Planting a Living Legacy Capital Campaign  

Today, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens seeks to raise an additional $7.5 million toward the expanded capital campaign goal of $24.5 million in order to meet these important needs:

1. Building a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum, net-zero-energy Education Center.
2. Completing the Central Gardens’ Master Plan, including the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden.
3.  Increasing the Gardens’ endowment and retiring the remaining line of credit.

1.  The Need: An Education Center Since opening to the public in 2007, the Gardens has experienced a dramatic increase in visitors each year, far exceeding our most optimistic imaginings! While this robust growth has been inspiring, the sheer number of visitors has uncomfortably stretched our facility’s capacities. For example, we’ve had to transform the library and classroom space in the Visitor Center into employee cubicles and the volunteer headquarters because we’ve added staff and increased our volunteer efforts to support the needs and interests of the growing number of visitors. We now need classroom, office, restroom, and other visitor amenities.

New educational programming is in development but has no space in which to thrive. We plan to offer our members and visitors specialized certificate programs for adult continuing education, a topnotch botanical library (for which we have 2,000 volumes in storage), support for elementary-school science field trips, a Maine gardeners’ information and resource center, and educational partnerships with colleges and universities and horticultural and environmental organizations. All that’s lacking is a place where these exciting initiatives can happen.

The new Education Center, a LEED Platinum and net-zero-energy building, will meet these critical needs and offer numerous benefits for the Gardens:

-  Space for workshops, classes, and certificate programs.
-  Classrooms for children’s, school, and teacher programs.
-  Lecture and event space for 175+ people.
-  Work space for volunteers, staff, and interns.
-  Interpretive signage, exhibits, and special tours to teach visitors about the Education Center’s sustainable features and net-zero-energy technology.
-  Facilities where visiting experts can teach special programs.
-  A distinctive, vibrant conference space to attract more meetings, conferences and other events to the mid-coast, year round.

2.  The Need: Completing the Gardens’ Master Plan

July 2010 marks the opening of the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden, a two-acre wonderland designed to enable and inspire children to learn about plants, gardening, and nature in creative, hands-on ways.

The new Children’s Garden is a major investment in the future of the Gardens and will attract thousands of new families and members. In addition to offering educational opportunities, this garden will be a place for kids to play, explore, dig, climb, plant, and fully use their imaginations.

With the Children’s Garden open and other remaining landscape projects accomplished, the Gardens’ ambitious Phase I Master Plan will be fully completed. Expansion of the campaign will fund structural and planting improvements in the Haney Hillside Garden, improve outdoor lighting and roadways, install needed communication-infrastructure upgrades, and provide equipment and shuttles to enable special-needs visitors to tour all garden areas.

3.  The Need: Securing the Future

Building a substantial endowment and retiring the Gardens’ line of credit are the two key priorities of the Planting a Living Legacy Capital Campaign that will assure the financial health and sustainability of the Gardens into the future.

As the financial bedrock of the Gardens, the endowment will provide a strong foundation for the Gardens to continue to grow and thrive for the enjoyment and education of future generations. The endowment will help provide critical funds to:

-  Underwrite a rich, varied curriculum of educational offerings.
-  Maintain and enhance gardens, trails, and facilities.
-  Create opportunities for outreach programs.
-  Support a strong internship and volunteer program.
-  Help attract and retain the best professional talent.
-  Ensure flexibility to take advantage of new opportunities.
-  Buffer against the effects of fluctuations in the economy.

Meeting the Needs  

NOW IMAGINE…

…the power of your support.

This is the time when you can make an enormous difference in helping the Gardens meet current and future needs to ensure the Gardens’ continued success.

Campaign goal: $24.5 million

Remaining amount to be raised: $7.5 million

We ask you to support the Planting a Living Legacy Capital Campaign in order to:

-  Build a LEED Platinum, net‑zero‑energy Education Center.
-  Complete the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden and make other improvements to our gardens and grounds.
-  Build the Endowment Fund to $4.5+ million.

How to Contribute

Contributions can be made in cash or stock, or with a pledge. Please contact a member of the campaign committee or Director of Development Dorothy Freeman via e-mail or at 207-633-4333, ext. 149, for information on making a gift or pledge.

Naming Opportunities

Donors may wish to recognize their family name, perpetuate the memory of a loved one, or honor a friend or family member with a commemorative naming opportunity. A list of naming opportunities, from stone benches to endowment funds, gardens and buildings, is available from the Development Office.

Endowment

Gifts can also be made to the Gardens’ Endowment Fund and may be allocated in two ways:  Unrestricted gifts are used to offset operating expenses and provide the Gardens with the greatest flexibility to respond quickly to strategic opportunities or unexpected emergencies that inevitably arise.  Restricted endowment gifts are allocated to a designated funding priority, such as Garden Enhancement and Plant Procurement, Education Programs, Internship Programs, or specific staff positions including our Plant and Garden Curator and the Director of Education.  Donors also have the option of establishing a named Endowment Fund for a given purpose.

For More Information

Please contact our Development Office at 207-633-4333 e-mail us for information on making a gift to our capital campaign and for a full list of naming opportunities.

 Thank you for your support of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.