Friends of Boone County Arboretum established the yearly "Growing Forward" campaign in 2016 to highlight specific needs of the organization or the Arboretum itself, and to provide a way for the surrounding community to help address them.
The campaigns for 2022 and 2023 were focused on strengthening our horticulture operations, and allowed us to:
- Renew our ArbNet Accreditation at Level IV - the highest possible level.
- Become a plant trial site for Proven Winners and for Oregon-based Iseli Nursery; our goal is to showcase vibrant flowering annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs that deliver excellent garden performance in local gardens.
- Employ part-time horticulturists to care for our plant collections and teach public programs.
- Rejuvenate the plants in our Daylily Display Garden and redesign the layout with new cultivars.
- Install more than 620 plants into our collections, with 221 planted in the Butterfly Garden this fall, following the completion of the 3-year pathway reconstruction project in that area.
Beyond those long-term horticultural accomplishments, in 2023 we have seen increases in participation at our in-person events and programs such as Spring Tea, Dogwood Dash, and Fall Plant Sale. The Arboretum on Wheels extended its reach to over 16,000 participants through engagements with additional schools and public events over the past year, fostering connections with a wider audience across the whole metro including 20 Cincinnati Public Schools.
Your generosity is being returned to our community tenfold with horticultural displays for all to enjoy and an engaging environmental education program to inspire the next generation of plant stewards.
Growing Forward 2024: Cultivating Capacity
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This year’s Growing Forward Campaign will build the capacity of the Friends organization and the Arboretum itself as we reach toward the following goals we hope to accomplish in the near future:
- Increase funding for horticultural and development staffing
- Establishment of new garden spaces
- Expand horticultural events and programming
- Redesign and refresh the Children’s Garden
- Increase capacity for scientific research
Your continued generosity will determine how many of these projects we can accomplish. All gifts of any size will be appreciated by not only the board, volunteers and staff, but by the entire community as we start utilizing these funds as early as this spring. Since Friends of Boone County Arboretum is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization, contributions to the Growing Forward campaign may be tax-deductible depending on your personal financial situation; consult your tax preparer for guidance.
You can make a pledge or gift here on our website, or by mailing a check to us.
Thank You For Your Generous Support!
We know you have charitable choices to make with so many wonderful nonprofits in our region. We hope that you will consider a generous donation to the Arboretum as we continue to "Grow Forward!" into 2024. Whatever and however you chose to give, be assured your tax-deductible gift will be greatly appreciated and carefully used.
The staff and volunteers of Boone County Arboretum, along with Board Members and volunteers of Friends of BCA, all join together to thank you for your continued generous partnership and support, and we extend to you our best wishes for 2024.
Previous Campaign Years
You can see descriptions of previous "Growing Forward" campaign projects here.