If the Gardens’ Annual Fund is its spending account, then the Endowment Fund is its savings account!

Although a relatively young organization, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens has been very successful while being very frugal. As we go forward, it is our goal to secure the Gardens’ future through a strong endowment that will provide a reliable stream of revenue to permanently finance the Gardens’ operating needs and key priorities.

A robust endowment will preserve the beauty and excellence of the Gardens, ensure an extraordinary visitor experience for people of all ages, offer rich and varied educational and cultural programming year-round, and reduce dependency on membership and annual fund revenues to meet ongoing operating expenses.  It will also allow the Gardens to take advantage of unexpected unique mission-related opportunities.

There are also a number of restricted gift opportunities that target very specific funding needs that are aligned with the mission of the organization, 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 may wish to recognize their family name, perpetuate the memory of a loved one, or honor a loved one with a commemorative naming opportunity.  With a minimum gift of $50,000, donors are eligible to establish an unrestricted or restricted permanently named endowed fund.   

Endowment gifts may be designated as unrestricted or restricted to a special area.  Unrestricted support provides ultimate flexibility to meet ongoing needs along with the nimbleness to respond to unexpected opportunities or emergencies.

All gifts to the endowment, either restricted or unrestricted, will make a significant contribution to the long-term fiscal health of the Gardens.

If you would like more detailed information about endowment choices, please contact Director of Development Dorothy Freeman at 207-633-4333, ext. 149, or e-mail her.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is a charitable, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.  Donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.