Horticultural Remembrance Program

The Foundation’s Horticultural Remembrance Program offers families an opportunity to memorialize their loved ones while enhancing the natural charm and heritage of Cypress Lawn Memorial Park and Arboretum. By giving a special donation to the Cypress Lawn Heritage Foundation, family members can designate a “memorial planting” in honor of their loved one.

Giving Through the Horticultural Memorial Program “A Living Legacy”

You have chosen Cypress Lawn Cemetery as the resting place for your loved one—a serene, historical arboretum where almost half a million people have been placed since 1892. Your family’s connection to our community is sacrosanct and eternal. A “legacy gift” is a way to tender your grief and offer further commemoration to someone you have lost. Honoring a special person through a charitable donation to Cypress Lawn is an especially meaningful act of tribute, while assuring that worthwhile values continue to influence the world around us. There are many forms that these legacies can take, such as a will bequest, all which would be publically acknowledged by Cypress Lawn as “given in honor” of a loved one. Among the most eloquent and visible of these gestures is our Horticulture Remembrance Program—a true living legacy.

The grounds at Cypress Lawn were carefully designed in 1892 by our Founder, Hamden Holmes Noble, and most of the magnificent trees date back to that time. We faithfully continue his vision to maintain a bucolic landscape for our memorials. We need your generosity to preserve this unique environment. A contribution helps to meet the costs of maintaining our historic arboretum and to plant trees for future generations.

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A New Beginning

For a $1500 gift, a new tree will be planted in honor of your loved one. An “In Memoriam” plaque with the name of the donor and the commemorated is placed in front of the tree for a period of ten years. After the initial ten-year sponsorship period, the donor will have the opportunity to renew the “living” tribute to their loved one.

Nature’s Tribute

For a $750 gift, an established tree already planted within the cemetery/arboretum may be selected. An “In Memoriam” plaque with the name of the donor and the commemorated is placed in front of the tree for a period of ten years. After the initial ten-year sponsorship period, the donor will have the opportunity to renew the “living” tribute to their loved one.

Garden memorial sponsorships and Family memorial sponsorships are also available.

TERMS OF THE ENDOWMENT

Unfortunately, because plants and trees do not live forever, we cannot endow them indefinitely. It is impossible to predict the life span of any living thing. While we are confident that newly planted trees will remain healthy, they do occasionally succumb to diseases and other life-threatening events, such as lightning strikes, unusual weather conditions, etc.


HOW THE MONEY IS USED

Your contribution will be earmarked for conservation and enhancement of Cypress Lawn’s arboretum and horticultural endeavors. Not only will your donation offset the cost of purchasing new trees and plants for the grounds, your contribution helps maintain the beautiful natural environment of Cypress Lawn.


YOUR DONATION IS TAX-DEDUCTIBLE

Your contribution is tax deductible. You will receive a written acknowledgement of your donation from the Cypress Lawn Heritage Foundation. For further details, you may wish to contact your tax preparer.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

To obtain additional information on this and other tax-deductible giving opportunities, contact Terry Hamburg at 650.201.3820 or email thamburg@cypresslawn.com