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Conserving the Alpine House Collections
Summer 2022
Cost: $15,000

Garden Equipment
FUNDED – Spring 2022
2 Golf Carts @ $6000 each

Phase II – Community
& Event Space
Early Summer 2022
Cost: $31,730.54
Phase II of the Rooftop Trellis Expansion will create a weatherproof community space on the rooftop of the Education Center to be used for both education and events. With your help we successfully completed Phase I, raising $92,500 to build the infrastructure. Phase II adds the weatherproof cloth and drop-down shades. We are in the final phase of raising $31,730.54 to complete this project. We’re at 30% of funding for the final phase.

Helen Fritch Endowment Matching Challenge
Challenge Met
Donations matched 3:1
In honor of our founder, Helen Fritch, Helen’s daughters, Jeanne, Nancy and Leslie created a special matching challenge to support the forever future of the Gardens.
Thank you to Jean and Tom McDonnell, Robin and Thomas Burch, Patricia and Rex Brown, Mary and David Davies, Janet and Kevin Cramer, Jackie Cohen, Nanette and Nick Kuich, Gwen and Rick Scalpello, Nicola Ripley and Danny Johnson, and Shelly and Ken Weisbacher for helping us reach this goal and adding $120,000 to the endowment.
This endowment challenge supports future summer programming, new garden projects and a commitment to continuing to elevate the visitor experience.
Ways to Give
A society grows great when [people] plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. -Greek proverb
Your gift supports all the beauty you witness when you walk through Betty Ford Alpine Gardens AND the conservation and education research that happens each week to further this mission.
Thanks to a generous gift from one of our benefactors, the Gardens hired a conservation scientist in 2020. The focus of this position is to work on the Strategy for North American Alpine Plant Conservation authored by Garden’s Director, Nicola Ripley in partnership with other key stakeholders in the conservation realm.
We ask visitors to consider a $5 donation during their visit and your gift here amplifies what is possible. Your gift brings world-class exhibits to life. You fund the future interest in horticulture and education science by supporting our internship program. You inspire families and young people to create a curiosity in nature that lasts a lifetime.
To create, all that you see it takes about $1.6 million dollars annually. Your gift today, of any size, helps us get closer to that goal and closer to the mission of conserving alpine plants and fragile mountain environments.
Together, we grow.

Underwriting & Sponsorship Projects
Every level you increase, you maximize impact on the Gardens’ future.
Partial Sponsorships Available
There are a few special projects that can be sponsored and named each year. We look for individuals to underwrite these special opportunities for the community.
Sponsorship Projects:
- Southwest Waterwise Garden Addition – $65K – SPONSORED
- Betty’s Market in Children’s Garden (Annual) – $2K
- Family classes supplies
- Audio Visual Upgrade Package – $4,375
- Phase II Education Center Rooftop Trellis Expansion – $31K- PARTIALLY FUNDED
- Addition of UV Protection for Alpine House – $10,200 – PARTIALLY FUNDED
- Garden Protector – ( 5K – 25K )
- 2022 Butterfly Launch – 7500 – SPONSORED
- Conservation field days – SPONSORED
- Staff Professional Development
- Contact Development Director, Melissa Ebone at 970-476-0103 ext 5 or email to explore possibilities – small or big

Planned Giving
Give a Legacy Gift
There are multiple ways you can support the Gardens with your estate planning.
Leaving a gift to Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in your will is the most common way that individuals ensure the work of the Gardens’ continues for the next generation. These gifts often take the form of:
- Cash
- Closely Held Stock
- Real Estate
- Appreciated Securities
- Tangible Personal Property
Your tax advisor can guide you on the best way to take care of your family and the mission of the charities you hold dear. Oftentimes, with strategic planning, you are able to do more with your assets because of the tax implications of different types of giving.
Our Tax ID # is 74-2395097
*If you have made a provision for the Gardens in your estate plans, we would love to know. We want to be able to celebrate with you and understand your goals and intentions to make sure your wishes happen.
Endowment
Bristlecone Pine Matching Challenge
Longevity, Resilience, Beauty
Endowment gifts will secure the future of Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. An endowed contribution is permanently invested, and only a portion of the earnings is withdrawn. The principal is never spent. Endowment gifts ensure the legacy of the Gardens for future generations. Betty Ford Alpine Gardens has an actively managed investment portfolio to ensure that our investments are protected and allowed to grow.
The Gardens draw a 4.5% distribution annually.
Your gift supports all the beauty you witness when you walk through Betty Ford Alpine Gardens AND the conservation and education research that happens each week to further this mission.
Currently – $4,000,000
Endowment Goal – $13,000,000
Biggest Dream: A $13 million Gift to the Endowment would fund the operations of the Gardens in perpetuity.
