Building the Foundation for Collaborative Growth
Editor’s Note: This is one of the 2 or 3 pages that we’d (UFW Team) really like you to keep on your site. The purpose is to show that we are more than just a County-specific ‘garden club’. We are a major state-wide organization that’s been around for 50 years and has over 4,000 volunteers!
We lifted this from King County because we thought they did an excellent job. If you have your own wording, go for it. If you want to use this as inspiration, do that too… but please don’t copy word for word… otherwise you’ll get you people thinking you are King County! The Foundation supports Master Gardener volunteers as a they work to increase public outreach, garner support for the program, and cultivate community engagement around their environmental education programs. All xxxx County Master Gardeners are eligible to be members of the Foundation. We invite you to join our efforts in the region to promote sustainable gardening in your own community.
Our Foundation
We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports and promotes the WSU Extension Master Gardener program in xxxx County. Our Foundation uses its funds to meet the needs of the growing Master Gardener program in xxxx County. The Foundation accepts donations to assist Master Gardeners who serve in xxxx County in over xxxx plant clinics and more than a xxxx demonstration gardens. They provide educational materials for clinic volunteers to freely share with the public along with advice; they sponsor workshops, outreach events and programs for local communities. We wish to recognize the dedication and achievements of our many talented volunteers. We welcome you join us in the effort!
The State Foundation
The focus of the State Foundation is threefold:
1. First, to provide financial and logistical support to our annual Advanced Education Conference so that we can continually advance the horticultural education of Master Gardeners in Washington, and help our dedicated volunteers succeed in every county.
2. To nurture state-wide leadership, communication, and collaboration amongst our dozens of local chapters, representing 39 counties, and to promote best practices in both fundraising and foundation management across Washington State and on a national level.
3. To work in concert with WSU Extension to magnify the benefits of Master Gardener programs in all counties and regions of Washington state and across the U.S.
WSU Extension
WSU Extension administers the state-wide Master Gardener program, training volunteers in research-based best practices, and providing educational resources that Master Gardeners use for public outreach and environmental advocacy throughout Washington state. The Master Gardener program promotes community engagement through its plant clinics, demonstration gardens, educational workshops, and youth programs that require continual funding and broad-based public support. Master Gardener foundations in other local chapters of Washington also provide financial support through donations and fundraising campaigns to ensure Master Gardener programs in every county will continue to thrive.
Find a local Master Gardener program chapter in your county.