Your Gift

If you wish to make a monetary donation, contributions made by check and cash are greatly appreciated; checks can be made out to Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and sent to:

Cheyenne Botanic Gardens
c/o Annie Wood
710 S Lions Park Dr.
Cheyenne, WY
82001

If you have any questions or are interested in donating in any of the following ways, please contact the Foundation Executive Director, Annie Wood, at annie@botanic.org or 307-637-6396.

Giving Oppurtunities

Furry Friends Dog Fountain and Memorial Pavers

Furry Friends Dog Fountain Pavers

In partnership with Black Dog Animal Rescue, the Botanic Gardens has added a furry friends water fountain sponsored by Sue Mecca for our regular four-legged visitors. This partnership is a fundraiser for both supporting the gardens and working to ensure the health and betterment of homeless dogs in Cheyenne. Donations will be split equally between both organizations. Donations of $500 or more will give you a paver to honor your beloved pooch next to the fountain.

Colorful flowers bloom from brown pots, arranged together in a display.

Sponsorship Opportunities

We are currently seeking sponsors for 2026. Your support helps fund public education, seasonal plant displays, interpretation, art installations, and cultural events. It also allows us to offer holiday displays and decorations while keeping our public programs accessible and affordable.

For a full overview of our programming and the impact of your support, please contact Annie.

Concrete pavers are arranged in a spiral labyrinth design.

Lasting Gifts

Engraved Brick on the Labyrinth: $250

Express your message with up to 20 characters per line (2 lines; no dates, please).

Engraved Brick by the Dog Fountain and Shade Garden: $500

Celebrate your furry best friend with up to 20 characters per line (2 lines; no dates, please). Bricks include a decorative paw print.

Wedding Photos in the Bride’s Dressing Room: $500

Display a photo from your special day in our Bride’s Dressing Room, an intimate and private space celebrating weddings past and present.

For more information, please contact Annie.

Pink roses bloom in the corner of an outdoor garden, featuring a metal bench and central water feature.

Charitable Bequest

Once the needs of your family have been considered, we hope you include the Gardens in your estate plans. Your attorney should assist you with the wording so your wishes are met. Even a small amount can have a significant impact over time. Charitable bequests may also be used to support specific gardens and projects. For example, the Paul Smith Children’s Village received substantial funding through a gift from the Paul Smith Trust. Thanks, in part, to this support, this project became a reality.
A tall, circular, bright turquoise archway frames a concrete paver path.

Appreciated Assets

A gift of appreciated securities, such as stocks, mutual funds, bonds, or real estate, is another giving option. Excellent tax advantages exist if you donate appreciated assets you have owned for more than one year. An outright gift of long-term appreciated assets may avoid capital gains taxes and qualify for a charitable income tax deduction equal to the market value of the securities.
A stone sign is engraved with the words, "The Walter P. Reckling Herb Garden." Colorful flowers bloom on all sides.

Endowement Gifts

A gift to the Friends of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens endowment not only helps today but also builds future stability by enabling us to plan projects, because the gift is a permanent one. An endowed gift is permanently invested, and only a portion of the earnings is withdrawn. The principal is never spent. A gift to the Friends of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens endowment not only helps today but also builds future stability by enabling us to plan projects, because the gift is a permanent one.
A woman wearing a white sun hat and purple shirt admires an overflowing basket of flowers as it hangs beside a Cheyenne Botanic Gardens logo flag.

Gifts of Life Insurance

An opportunity to make a significant gift to the Friends of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens. Many of us have life insurance. Some have had policies for years, and the life insurance is no longer needed for personal or financial reasons. In these cases, it may be an opportunity to make a significant gift to the Friends of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens.
Gift Acceptance & Wish List

Gift Acceptance & Wish List

The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens (Gardens) and the Friends of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens (Friends) accept donations of all kinds, including tangible items other than cash, that align with and advance the missions of the organizations. The Friends of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens (Friends) exists to advocate for and support the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens (Gardens) and solicits and accepts gifts that are consistent with this mission.

Our Missions

Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Mission: The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens inspires, beautifies, and enriches the greater High Plains community through gardening, volunteerism, education, and stewardship.

Friends of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Mission: To advocate for and support the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens.

Current Wish List

For the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens

  • Leather work gloves & disposable latex-free gloves (all sizes)
  • Hand pruners
  • Other pruning tools
  • Circle hoes
  • Spade shovels
  • Sturdy metal gardening trowels
  • Wheelbarrows
  • Gardening wagons
  • Watering cans (1–2 gallons)
  • 5-gallon nursery pots
  • Bags of potting soil, peat moss, perlite, vermiculite
  • Dish soap
  • Rubbing alcohol

Note: All items must be in good working condition and reviewed and accepted by the Horticulture Supervisor or Gardens Manager before acceptance.

Plant Gifts

We do not accept common houseplants.

We will consider rare or unusual plants that:

  • Are not readily available from nursery sources
  • Include source information
  • Are free of pests and diseases

We reserve the right to dispose of, trade, give, or sell donated plant material.

For the Paul Smith Children’s Village

  • Sidewalk chalk
  • Squirt guns
  • Rubber bands
  • Acrylic paint
  • Tonka trucks
  • Prisms
  • Puppets
  • Lemonade
  • Disposable hot & cold drinking cups
  • Ziploc bags
  • LED string lights
  • Kites
  • Hand trowels
  • Frisbees
  • Ping-pong balls
  • Tennis balls
  • Bagged sandbox sand
  • Watercolor paper
  • Old Legos
  • Silverware forks
  • Drumsticks
  • Pool noodles
  • Hot cocoa
  • Used skateboards
  • Wooden blocks
  • Old license plates
  • Elmer’s liquid glue
  • Hot Wheels/Matchbox cars
  • White tube socks
  • Diaper Genie refills
  • Blue painter’s tape
  • Ceramic tiles

All items must be reviewed and accepted by the Gardens Manager.

For the CBG Volunteer Program

  • Coffee, creamer, sugar
  • Cases of snacks and bottled water
  • Garden tool belts and aprons with pockets

For the High Plains Arboretum

  • Straight rakes (not leaf rakes)
  • Mulching forks
  • Hand pruners
  • Loppers
  • Tree saws
  • Weed diggers
  • Kneeling pads
  • Tree seedling tubes

All gifts must be reviewed and accepted by the Gardens Manager.

General Donations

Unrestricted gifts are used where they are needed most and may support:

  • General operations (marketing, membership drives)
  • Volunteer tools and equipment
  • Staff professional development
  • Enrichment classes
  • Holiday and cultural displays
  • Enhancements to publicly accessible garden spaces

General donations of any size are always welcome and may be made online, in person, or by mail.

Gifts totaling $500 or more are recognized in our annual report.

Gift Acceptance Policy Overview

The Friends may accept donations subject to review and approval.

Required Conditions

  • Completed paperwork
  • Proof of ownership of the donated gift

Certain gifts require approval by the Gardens Manager and the Friends Executive Director.

Gifts That Will Not Be Accepted

  • Violate the organization’s charter
  • Jeopardize 501(c)(3) status
  • Are too costly to manage relative to value
  • Create unacceptable consequences
  • Fall outside the mission

Final decisions are made by leadership.

Factors Considered When Accepting Gifts

  1. Values — Alignment with mission
  2. Compatibility — Donor intent vs use
  3. Public Relationships — Community impact
  4. Consistency — Past practice alignment
  5. Form of Gift — Usability
  6. Effect on Future Giving — Future impact

Gifts Generally Accepted Without Review

  • Cash
  • Marketable securities
  • Bequests
  • Charitable trusts
  • Life insurance policies

Gifts Subject to Prior Review

Tangible Personal Property

(e.g., art, equipment, plants, vehicles)

  • Mission alignment
  • Marketability
  • Restrictions
  • Carrying costs
  • Clear title/provenance

Real Estate

All real estate gifts require review and approval.

Donor Guidance

Donors are encouraged to consult legal and financial advisors before making significant gifts.

For detailed guidance, request the full Gift Acceptance Policy.