SUPPORT
DONATE
When you donate to Friends of the National Arboretum, you support work that preserves and enhances the U.S. National Arboretum for all to enjoy. FONA enhances public access to the grounds and facilitates meaningful programs that foster a love of plants and the outdoors. We also promote the research and educational mission of the Arboretum.
When you donate to FONA, you also join our community as a FONA member for one year. Members are the heart of our organization, and champion both FONA and the National Arboretum. Donate to join or renew!
Online
Give a one-time or monthly gift.
By Mail
Mail a check to:
Friends of the National Arboretum
3501 New York Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
With Securities, Wire Transfers, and ACH Transfers
Send stock donations, wire transfers, and ACH transfers directly to FONA’s accounts. Email cathy@fona.org for instructions.
Through DAF
Give directly and securely through your donor-advised fund.
FONA MEMBERSHIP
It’s never been easier to become a FONA member. Make a donation of any amount to become a FONA member. Or donate monthly to become a Sustaining Member and support our work all year long!
In addition to supporting our mission and work, donating to FONA means access to member benefits. All FONA members receive:
- Subscription to FONA publications, including our award-winning weekly FONA Field Notes newsletter and our member newsletter with insider updates and member-only invites
- Invitation to member-only events, including live access to our virtual Digging In series, member-only hours at our annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale, and member meetups and appreciation events
- Early access and member discounts for many FONA programs and events
- 20% off educational programs at the Arboretum
- Reciprocal discounts at 360+ gardens and arboreta across the country, through the American Horticultural Society’s Reciprocal Admissions Program (with a donation of $35 or more). See the list of participating sites
- Eligibility to join Congressional Federal Credit Union
Questions about membership? Contact Leandra Nichola at 202-544-8733 x303 or lnichola@fona.org.
Photo by Beth Haubach
DAVID FAIRCHILD SOCIETY
The David Fairchild Society is a community of supporters passionate about the National Arboretum’s gardens, plant research, education, and community engagement efforts. David Fairchild spent his life exploring the world, collecting plants, and sharing them throughout America and the world. He brought us many plants and foods that are staples in American culture, such as ornamental cherry trees and Meyer lemons. Join us as we embark on a bold and innovative future!
Contribute an annual gift to join the David Fairchild Society for a year at one of the following membership levels.
$1,200
The Arboretum has one of the largest and oldest assemblages of cultivars of American holly (Ilex opaca) you’ll find anywhere today. Hollies are spectacularly unique, diverse, and form the bedrock of American garden design.
Just like a holly tree’s berries in winter, members of our Holly Level form the foundation of our Society and allow it to flourish year-round.
$2,500
Crapemyrtle cultivars created by the Arboretum are hardy, adaptable, mildew-resistant, and bring a spectacular array of color to gardens across America during the hottest part of the year. The Arboretum’s 31 crapemyrtle cultivars introduced over the years continue to enhance the beauty of gardens throughout the world.
Members of our Crapemyrtle Level bring vibrancy and energy to our Society.
$5,000
Magnolias designed by the Arboretum bring a dazzling diversity of bloom time, colors, and size to gardens throughout the year. As a prominent feature in the Arboretum’s work to develop new and improved landscape plants, deciduous and magnolia cultivars pique interest in American gardens in spring and summer with shades of pink, white, and purple.
Members of our Magnolia Level support the Arboretum in its quest for superior ornamental plants.
$10,000
The Arboretum’s boxwood collection is one of the most complete collections of temperate-growing boxwood in the world. It provides key genetic materials to Arboretum scientists in order to research disease resistant varieties.
Members of our Boxwood Level are critical to conserving the Arboretum and ensuring the long-term success of its mission.
$25,000
Azaleas designed by the Arboretum create a long-lasting cacophony of color every spring across the country. Dedicated researchers spent decades breeding varieties from around the world to produce varieties that are cold hardy, have larger flower size, and vary bloom time.
Members of our Azalea Level are the pillar of our Society and are dedicated to innovating the Arboretum into the future.
$50,000+
David Fairchild spent his life exploring the world, collecting plants, and sharing them throughout America and the world. He brought us many plants and foods that are staples in American culture, such as ornamental cherry trees and Meyer lemons.
Members of our David Fairchild Level are the bold explorers committed to sharing the National Arboretum with the world.
Questions about the David Fairchild Society? Contact Claire Alrich at 202-918-1868 or calrich@fona.org.
Donor list as of September 1, 2024
David Fairchild $50,000+
Anonymous
Robert and Kate Bartlett
Azalea $25,000
Betty and Alex Boyle
Lynne H. Church
Linda and John Derrick
Lucy S. Rhame
Boxwood $10,000
Anonymous (2)
The Browdie Family
Susan Chapin and Joel Cohen
Colien Hefferan and Hollis Summers
Eric Michael and Craig Kruger
John and Melissa Pflieger
Barbara and James Shea
Margaret Strand
Tuckie and Don Westfall
Ken and Dorothy Woodcock
Magnolia $5,000
Sean Babington
Dianne Bradley
Bonnie and Louis Cohen
Andrew Curry
Elizabeth M. Dugan
Karen and Dan DuVal
Liza and Andrew Labadie
Rafael V. Lopez and Linda I. Marks
Bill Matuszeski and Mary Procter
Tuuli Mooney-Schindler
Peter and Jainel Morris
Craven Rand
Nancy and Robert Shoemaker
E.J. Truax
Beth Wehrle
Crapemyrtle $2,500
Anonymous
Barry L. Abel
Harold Belcher
Constance Carter
Sally Donner and Kenneth Briers
Frank Guzzetta and Paul Manville
Lynne and Joseph Horning
Sherrill Houghton
Marcel C. LaFollette and Jeffrey K. Stine
John and Jean Lange
Anne MacMillan and Tim Bass
Kevin and Marla McIntosh
Anita Menghetti
Jacqueline E. Pechmann
Karen S. Rand
Michael G. Stevens
Holly $1,200
Anonymous
Bentley Andrews
Marion S. Ballard
Sydney and Blake Bath
Suzie and Rich Bissell
Wendy Blair
Deborah E. Bowles and Derik Burgess
Nancy and John Bryson
Zandra and Dennis Chestnut
Vincent Chiappinelli and Suzy Bakshian
Diana Clagett
Eli Cohen
Marjorie Corwin
Martha Van Dale
Gail Charnley Elliott
Leanna and Thomas Fenske
Diana and Peter Ferris
Charles and Linda Findlay
Joseph and Agatha Francis
Barbara W. Gould
Chandler Goule
Bean Granger
C. A. Greene
Robin and Jay Hammer
Lindsay Shea Hardesty
Jennifer and Christopher Hatcher
Sandy Hecker
Betsy and Bob Huffman
James Hughes
William Inglee and Jane Madden
Missy Janes
Sheldon and Audrey Katz
Virginia Kromm and Joe Shultz
Annetta H. Kushner
Jennifer Levin
Melanie Lovern
John C. MacMillan, Jr. and Emily Stopa
Sara Mills Mazie
Sophia McCrocklin and William Isaacson
David and Rose Mollitor
Penny Morrill
Mary Eugenia and Theodore Myer
Shirley and Frank Nicolai
Maureen Orth
Heather Paradise
Pamela Raymont-Simpson and Charles Simpson Jr.
Catherine Robbins
Liz Shriver
Louis and Nancy Slade
Lisa and Chris Smith
Kim and John Snedden
Luise Strauss
Edward Szrom and John Geiger
Allison Taylor and Ryan Mukherjee
Robert and Ann Thompson
Nzinga Tull
Jamie and Jay Vroom
John and Val Wheeler
Linda A. Winslow
Patricia Woolsey and Luke Waren
Helena Zinkham
COMMEMORATIVE BENCHES
Honor loved ones or special occasions by donating a teak bench at the National Arboretum. Each commemorative bench will have a plaque engraved with your message and will remain for 15 years.
Past benches have been placed all over the Arboretum. Many are nestled in quiet nooks along streams, stand sentinel in the meadow with the Capitol Columns, and watch flowers bloom all across the Arboretum.
This memorial not only provides a beautiful spot for respite and relaxation for visitors to the National Arboretum, but also supports the Arboretum’s public gardens and scientific work. Your donation of a commemorative bench is tax deductible.
PLANNED GIVING
Make your legacy part of the future of the U.S. National Arboretum! Making a planned gift is a wonderful way to show your support and appreciation for Friends of the National Arboretum and its mission while accommodating your own personal, financial, estate-planning, and philanthropic goals.
While we encourage you to check with your financial advisor, there are multiple ways to make a legacy gift, including making FONA a beneficiary of a retirement account, life insurance policy, will, or living trust.
FreeWill
To help you get started on your plans and legacy, FONA has partnered with FreeWill, an online tool that guides you through the process of creating a legally valid will or trust. It’s easy to use, accessible online and can be completed in 20 minutes. You can use this resource on its own, or use it to document your wishes before finalizing your plans with an attorney. FreeWill is a free tool for you to use, regardless of whether you include FONA in your will or not.
Heritage Society
When you include FONA as a beneficiary of your will, you become a member of FONA’s Heritage Society, a group of like-minded individuals invested in the future of the Arboretum. Heritage Society members are recognized for their forward-thinking generosity and included in a number of special events throughout the year.
Have you already included a gift in your will or trust? Please fill out this form to let us know! We would love to thank you for your generosity and include you in our Heritage Society. Contact us at info@fona.org with questions.
Supporter list as of December 31, 2023.
With appreciation to those who have made a provision in their estate planning for FONA:
Anonymous (12)
Harold Belcher
Daragh Cassidy
Regina Chua
Lynne H. Church
Ann Fessenden Clymer†
John F. Cooney
Robert C. Daniels, Jr. & Richard R. Beman, Jr.
Frances Duttkin†
Edith N. K. Meyer†
Judith A. Hecht
Mandy Hursen
Dorothy Kidder†
Herman W. Koch & Rosalie Martin Koch†
Frederick G. Meyer†
Susan H. Robeson†
Michael G. Stevens
† Deceased
JOBS & VOLUNTEERING
Volunteers provide crucial support throughout the year to FONA’s events and programs. We have many different opportunities, from gardening in Washington Youth Garden, to helping with our annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale, to supporting other public community events.