The Global Botanic Garden Fund aims to drive plant conservation, especially in smaller gardens by disbursing small grants every year. The Fund is open to BGCI Member Institutions only and preference is given to small botanic gardens in developing countries and biodiversity hotspots.

The aim of the Global Botanic Garden Fund is to support projects that work to achieve the targets of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. In 2020, BGCI also supported efforts to increase sustainable activities within gardens, efforts to encourage sustainable behaviour by visitors, and support gardens impacted by covid-19.

The 2020 Global Botanic Garden Fund

In 2020, BGCI received 151 applications from more than 50 countries and 60 institutions. In 2020, BGCI’s Global Botanic Garden Fund will distribute 40 grants worth more than $82,000. 

Funding for the Global Botanic Garden Fund was made possible in 2020 by contributions from The Botanist Foundation, the Gibson Charitable Trust, crowd-sourced funding through the BigGive Christmas Challenge, and the BGCI/PlantSnap Covid-19 appeal.

In addition, BGCI administers named grant funding through support from the BGCI/ArbNet Partnership Programme, the BGCI/Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Grants, and the BGCI/GGI-Gardens Awards Program. In 2020, BGCI launched the Anthony Hitchcock Species Recovery Fund in honour of the late Anthony Hitchcock, who committed his life to the conservation of endangered plants in southern Africa.

The BGCI/GGI-Award Program will award up to 15 awards of up to $4,500 each. The review process for these grants is underway.

2020 Grant Recipients

Call for Support

BGCI was extremely impressed by the applications submitted to the Global Botanic Garden Fund. It is a testament to the quality of applications and the clear need for continued and additional support to the botanic garden community. Reviewers of this year’s Global Botanic Garden Fund identified an additional 66 projects that were worth funding.

BGCI will continue to look for additional funding for the Global Botanic Garden Fund, but it is clear that there is a demand for these grants and a need to support them in order to achieve global goals in plant conservation. BGCI thanks those already supporting the Global Botanic Garden Fund and are pleased to share the impact of their contributions.