Contribute in ways that match your available time and budget
We are a collection of 501(c)(3) organizations incorporated at the State and County level whose primary purpose is to provide support of and advocacy for WSU Extension Master Gardener Programs in Pierce County.
We are a non-profit 501(c)3 organization registered in Washington. And like many non-profits, we could use your financial assistance. If you believe in what we are doing, please help us make a greater impact across Pierce County with a cash donation.
Foundation executives have to make difficult decisions about which programs get funded and how much they receive. Your donation allows us to do more. The Master Gardener Program infrastructure is largely supported by Washington State University Extension, so your donation doesn’t go to Master Gardener salaries. Virtually all of it goes to programs.
In each year, there are changing needs and new requests for funding but on average, here is how your money is allocated in Pierce County:
- 35% Demonstration Gardens. We run many programs out of our demonstration gardens in Puyallup and Gig Harbor including: Youth Gardening, food for food banks, answer clinics, and numerous free educational courses.
- 20% Plant Sale Preparation. Hosting the plant sale has its own expenses, but these are the costs associated with transplanting and growing plants from seed. The ‘inventory’ of the plant sale.
- 15% Community Gardens. Both the Sharon Ballard Community Garden Grant program and everyday expenses associated growing within our numerous community gardens
- 10% Answer Clinics. We answer your questions, free, in our Answer Clinics. To do that, we have expenses associated with acquiring reference material as well as printing costs associated with the information we provide to the question asking public.
- 10% Everything Else. Miscellaneous expenses associated with our Speakers Bureau program, volunteer recognition programs and just the day to day expenses of running a 300+ volunteer organization, including running this website!
Become a Master Gardener
WSU Extension Pierce County Master Gardeners are university trained community educators, dedicated to providing unbiased horticultural knowledge and resources. As a Master Gardener you will receive an abundance of gardening knowledge to support your own learning and interests. Becoming a Master Gardener is academically rigorous and maintaining your certification from year to year also requires dedication and time.
Join the Foundation
If you are already a Pierce County Master Gardener and want to do more, consider joining the foundation. As a foundation member, you can attend board meetings and in doing so will get better understanding of the overall scope and financial health of the Master Gardener Foundation of Pierce County. You can also run for office. We are always looking for energetic volunteers who want to increase their impact on and bring new ideas into the organization.
The Foundation Membership is made of Pierce County Master Gardener Volunteers. It is a choice if you would like to be a voting member. Every year Master Gardeners reapply for their certification and in that application you are asked if you would like to be a Foundation Member. If you are unsure of your status, please contact our data team at mgdata@wsu.edu.
WSU Faculty Chair Endowment
The WSU Extension Master Gardener Program is raising money to establish the first ever faculty chair fully dedicated to the WSU Extension Master Gardener Program.
A faculty chair will:
- conduct meaningful research and develop robust curricula that will build upon our program and find solutions to address difficult challenges like climate change.
- teach Master Gardeners cutting-edge horticulture and environmental stewardship.
- create tools to enhance educational outreach such as publications and fact sheets.
- represent the program locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally
- partner and collaborate with like-minded organizations to leverage program strengths.