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Help Us Continue to Grow









What a year 2020 has proven to be. From bringing the Spring Plant Sale and education classes online, to reimagining community events like Urban Homestead Tour, Pumpkins on Parade and Garden of Lights, everyone involved in the organization has made extraordinary adjustments to provide our Members and guests with the world-class visitor experience you have come to know and love—whether in-person or online. 

As The Gardens’ non-profit partner, 2020 has also been one of tremendous change for Friends of The Gardens. With your help, we made an initial investment of $25,000 to Gardens for All, developed our own website (friendsgosc.org), hosted more Member Mornings than ever before and created the very popular dinner and music experience called Date Night at The Gardens. 

It has required a enormous amount of work and pivoting to meet COVID-19 guidelines. And despite our best efforts, the pandemic has left its mark on our organization, just like everyone else. Between revenue shortfalls and budget cuts, The Gardens is looking at a $150,000 deficit for the year. 

We know this is a hard time to be asking for money, but if you are in a position to give this holiday season, we ask that you keep Friends of The Gardens in your end-of-year giving plans.  Click here to learn more about your giving options.

Tax Benefits of Giving to The Friends
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act of 2020 created two new tax benefits that could prove beneficial for you and your family. 

For taxpayers who do not itemize their deductions, the CARES Act created an above-the-line deduction of up to $300 for individuals and $600 for married couples filing jointly who donate to qualified charitable organizations by December 31, 2020. The deductible amount is applied to Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) without affecting the ability to take the standard deduction. 

For those that itemize, the CARES Act allows deductions of up to 100% of AGI (normally 60%) for this year only. If you’re planning to include Friends of The Gardens in your year-end giving, consult a tax professional for further details on how this

While 2020 has been a difficult year, there is plenty to be excited about as we look ahead to 2021. Already we are planning more Date Nights, more concerts, new butterflies, yoga, tai chi, the Spring Plant Sale, exciting community events, a full year of education programming and the continued growth of our stunning gardens. Donor support makes this possible and we want to thank you in advance for helping us bring light and life to this community this holiday season. 

Sincerely,
Mary Atchison,
Fundraising Chair Friends of The Gardens

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