Supporting Master Gardeners
The Master Gardener Foundation of King County (MGFKC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds for the KCMG Program in King County. The money raised supports a variety of programs for residents all over the county.
2024 Fall Appeal: Building Community
Our Master Gardeners Building Community Fall Appeal celebrates our 2024 achievements, prepares for 2025 and asks for your help. In these times, the ability to bring people together is more important than ever, and gardening has the power to do this through beauty, community and sustenance.
Here are two ways that the WSU Extension King County Master Gardener Program helped build your community in 2024:
- Extension Master Gardeners held ‘pop-up’ clinics at festivals and street fairs in 2024 as the Program continues to ramp up community outreach and prioritize meeting gardeners in the places where they live and gather.
- In July, the King County Library System (KCLS) Cascade Region entered into a partnership with the Master Gardener Foundation of King County (MGFKC). This partnership enables Extension Master Gardeners to make educational presentations to the public at Cascade Region libraries while receiving an honorarium as a donation to the Foundation for each presentation.
In addition, we have expanded ways for you to support your community Extension Master Gardeners (see under Giving Levels below):
- What Your Gift Supports
- How to Gift Securities
- How to Sponsor a Program
- Employer Matches
Giving Thanks
As they continue to build community, we recognize and award our King County WSU Extension Master Gardeners.
Donations
Please consider a financial donation to support this program we all love and enjoy. It takes all of us to build our community and support this valuable work. Thank you for helping!
DONATE ONLINE TODAY in one easy click. You can use your PayPal account or pay with a credit card.
Spring Appeal: Become a 2024 Master Gardener Sponsor
Would you please consider sponsoring something you love and enjoy?
Sponsors enable the Foundation to pay for:
DEMONSTRATION GARDENS
Master Gardeners demonstrate sustainable gardening practices to home gardeners.
Help us pay for: plants, seeds, compost soil, maintenance, irrigation, construction, signage, supplies and tools (2024 budget – $25,147)
PLANT CLINICS
Master Gardeners answer home gardener questions with research-based horticulture information.
Help us pay for: reference materials, brochure and handout printing, supplies, tables and canopies, storage, diagnostic supplies, event fees and volunteer recognition (2024 budget – $18,665)
EDUCATION
Master Gardeners teach a wide range of gardening classes and workshops to home gardeners.
Help us pay for: speaker fees, honorariums and scholarships (2024 budget – $4,900)
OUTREACH
Master Gardeners are expanding plant clinics and educational classes to home gardeners in underserved communities.
Help us pay for: translation of clinic materials into languages to improve outreach to non-English speaking gardeners (2024 budget – $5,000)
TECHNOLOGY
Master Gardeners use a range of tools to develop and deliver education to home gardeners.
Help us pay to: support our growing social media presence; Zoom, Constant Contact licenses and new equipment for the Diagnostic Lab (2024 budget – $4,400)
Giving Levels
Based on our estimated 2023 program costs, donors who wish to be named 2024 Program or Foundation sponsors may designate their gift and receive recognition at the following levels:
GOLD $1,000+
SILVER $500-999
BRONZE $100-499
Other
Sponsors can select the program they wish to sponsor and the amount. Sponsors will be recognized on the MGFKC and WSU Extension Master Gardener Program websites, and clinics, gardens and educational classes. They also have the choice to remain anonymous. Funds raised above a specific budget will be used for program needs at the Board of Director’s discretion.
Please contact Joe Jennings, Vice President/Development Chair vice-president@mgfkc.org to discuss your sponsorship interests and opportunities.
DONATE ONLINE TODAY in one easy click. You can use your PayPal account or pay with a credit card.
Thank you for supporting WSU Extension King County Master Gardeners!
Donations through DAFs are welcome. We are registered with most financial institutions under:
Master Gardener Foundation of King County
EIN: 91-1276424
If you have any questions, please contact vice-president@mgfkc.org.
Employer Matching Funds
Many King county corporations offer charitable giving programs that match or even double employee, employee partner, and retiree donations to nonprofit organizations. Search the King County Employer Match list to find out if your employer matches donations.
Workplace Giving Programs
Many workplaces offer employees the option of designating a portion of their paycheck to nonprofit organizations. Contact your employer for further information.
If you have any questions, please contact vice-president@mgfkc.org.
Employer Matching Funds
Master Gardener Foundation of King County
Our Tax ID#: 91-1276424
c/o Washington State University Extension/King County
560 Naches Avenue, SW, Suite 130
Renton, WA 98057-2219.
Donating appreciated stocks, bonds or mutual funds is quick, surprisingly simple and may provide you with significant tax benefits.
There are three easy steps to giving:
Step 1: Send us an email at treasurer@mgfkc.org to give us your name, address and gift information.
Step 2: We will send you broker stock transfer information. Please watch your email for a response from treasurer@mgfkc.org.
Step 3: MGFKC will sell the stock and send you a tax receipt using the contact information you provide. Your gift of securities to MGFKC is valued at an average of the low and high trading prices on the date of the gift.
You receive the potential deduction for the amount of the charitable donation, and you don’t pay capital gains tax on the sale.
If you have any questions, please contact vice-president@mgfkc.org.
Donors who are age 70 1/2 or older can contribute up to $100,000 from their IRA directly to a charity and avoid paying income taxes on the distribution. Known as a qualified charitable distribution, it is limited to IRAs. Discuss with your financial advisor the benefits of also donating retirement assets as part of your estate plan.
If you have any questions, please contact vice-president@mgfkc.org.
Make your check payable to MGFKC and please mail to our new address:
Master Gardener Foundation King County
c/o Washington State University Extension/King County
560 Naches Avenue, SW, Suite 130
Renton, WA 98057-2219
Based on our estimated 2023 program costs, Donors who wish to be named Program or Foundation sponsors may designate their gift and receive recognition at the following levels:
In recognition of your support, we will highlight your sponsorship to the Master Gardener community. Sponsors will be listed, at the Sponsor’s direction, on the MGFKC website, onsite at Gardens and Clinics, and in Program information, invitations, presentations, and events. Sponsors will be accommodated on a first come first serve bases. Please contact Joe Jennings, Vice President/Development Chair vice-president@mgfkc.org to discuss your sponsorship interests and opportunities.
All gifts are deeply appreciated. But donors often ask, at different levels of support – what is my gift enabling. The following chart is based on our 2023 actual costs and estimates through the end of the year. It shows how gifts of $100, $250, $500 or $1,000 enable the foundation to pay for in different Master Gardener programs.
For example, a $500 gift can help purchase one of the following:
- 25% of the Educational Seminar program
- 33% of the Plant Sales expenses
- 10% of the annual Technology budget
- 25% of the annual average cost of a Demonstration Garden
The examples are there to give you a sense of how important we view every gift and what they potentially enable for King County Master Gardeners.
Fred Meyer Community Awards
When you link your Fred Meyer shopping card with the Master Gardeners Foundation of King County, a percentage of all your purchases will be donated at no cost to you.
Here’s how to participate: Go to Fred Meyer Community Rewards. You will receive instructions on how to sign on to your shopping card and to search for ‘Master Gardener Foundation of King County’ to link to your card. That’s it. From that point forward, a percentage of your purchases will be credited to our program.