Make a Gift

The Arboretum needs your support. All funding for maintenance, public events, and growth of the Arboretum comes from private gifts, and we depend heavily on the help of volunteers to get it all done.

Through philanthropy, the Arboretum has become a beloved destination for families and citizens and an academic home for faculty and students, and it offers opportunities for learning about the natural world for people of all ages. Just as a seedling requires light and water to grow, the Arboretum needs the continued support of its friends. A gift to the Arboretum is a gift to our community and to the future.

There are many ways to contribute to the Arboretum’s development. If you have enjoyed learning about the Arboretum and would like to be involved in its growth, please consider the options described here.

Make a donation through the Giving to Penn State page

Make a donation using your smart phone by texting PSUArboretum to 41444.

You may commemorate a loved one or express your support of the Arboretum by sponsoring a tree, structures such as benches and seat walls, or an element in the H. O. Smith Botanic Gardens, including Childhood’s Gate Children’s Garden features.

Donors can locate commemorative benches and trees on our Arboretum Explorer Tool under the “Features” tab.

Honor a loved one with the dedication of a teak bench in The Arboretum at Penn State. The cost of a commemorative bench is $5,000 and can be paid over a period of five years. A personalized plaque will be created for your dedication. All commemorative plaques consists of one or two commemorative headings and honoree text.

The Arboretum’s staff and director of development will work with you to select your bench location and plaque language.

Dedicate a tree to a friend, family member, or anniversary date in The Arboretum at Penn State. Commemorative trees are available throughout the H. O. Smith Botanic Gardens as well as in the ever-expanding groves just outside the garden walls. A personalized plaque for the tree you select will be created for your dedication. The cost of a commemorative tree ($5,000) can be paid over a period of five years.

Care and maintenance will be provided by the Arboretum staff, and the tree will be replaced if it dies prematurely.

Arboretum staff are available to review tree options, provide an overview of the commemorative tree policy, and help donors select a commemorative option that best suits them.

Contact Patrick Williams if you are interested in learning more about specific opportunities.

Help sponsor the growth of the Arboretum. Gifts are especially needed to underwrite construction of the Fountain Garden. Other major projects are planned for the future, and sponsorships are still available for some existing features. A part of each gift will be used to endow the long-term maintenance and operation of the Arboretum features.

Suggested giving levels are included with each element. Contact Patrick Williams if you are interested in learning more about any of these gift opportunities.