How Do We Use Your Gifts?

Every gift received by Bok Tower Gardens is used to steward the Gardens entrusted to us by Edward W. Bok. From funding educational programs to maintaining our historic landscape gardens, philanthropy is a vital part of our annual budget.

Unless otherwise directed by the donor, estate gifts to Bok Tower Gardens benefit the Bok Tower Gardens General Endowment Fund—a portion of which supports the Gardens’ annual operating needs. A professional investment advisor manages the Endowment Fund in consultation with the Bok Tower Gardens Board of Directors. The investment and spending policies for the Endowed Fund ensure that the Fund will continue to support the Gardens in perpetuity.

Your legacy can live on through a designated gift to the General Endowment Fund or a specific project or program that is meaningful to you.

Some of our current needs include funding for:

• Land acquisition, restoration, and management
• Educational programming, including field trips and other experiential learning opportunities
• Training and continuing education for Gardens’ staff, helping to cultivate the leaders of tomorrow while serving the Gardens of today
• Preservation of historic assets and facilities such as the Singing Tower, Reflection Pond, and the Exedra, now nearly 100 years old and in need of maintenance
• Interpretation, exhibits, and tours designed to enhance the visitor experience
• Technology to support the Gardens’ operations and simplify visitor interaction
• and much more.

Funds Endowed to:

• Support our Carillonneur position and the Carillon Fellowship program
• Support the Director of Horticulture and the horticultural artistry of Bok Tower Gardens
• Support education and programming
• Continue the efforts of the Rare Plant Conservation program and the preservation of the biodiversity found on the Lake Wales Ridge
• Maintain and preserve the Singing Tower, a National Historic Landmark, as an icon for future generations
• Restore and manage the preserve lands surrounding the Gardens and protect our viewshed
• Maintain and preserve the historic landscape designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
• Restore and preserve Pinewood Estate and its collections
• Maintain, catalog, preserve, and share the Bok Tower Gardens Archives

What is your dream for Bok Tower Gardens? Contact the Department of Philanthropy & Membership to imagine the possibilities and plan your legacy at Philanthropy@BokTowerGardens.org or (863) 734-1213.