When a Home Becomes a Gift
The Alice Drive Bequest
A Landmark Gift for the Gardens
In early 2024, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens (MGBG) received a generous gift in the form of a bequest — a family home on Alice Drive in Fort Bragg. The property was gifted to MCBG through the estate of a husband and wife* who were members of the Gardens earlier in the 2000s and who had purchased a memorial bench there in the past. Consistent with the donors’ intent, MCBG sold the home in the spring of 2024 for more than $800,000 — the largest single gift ever received by the Gardens to date.
In naming Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in their estate, this couple became the latest members of the Flowerland Society (Flowerland Society refers to the Gardens’ original sign and tagline, “47-acre Flowerland to the Sea”). Flowerland Society members are donors, friends, and lovers of the Gardens who have chosen to leave us a share of their estate upon their passing. Gifts can be large, like the Alice Drive house, or smaller portions of a donor’s estate plan.
The Gardens' annual operating budget is just about $2.2 million – and that’s just to cover staffing and cultivate our spectacular gardens. Every year, we have major planned and unplanned maintenance projects – building construction, electrical systems, wells, bridges, and other repairs above and beyond the basic operating budget. Last year alone, we needed another $100,000 for building and ground repairs and maintenance. We anticipate longer-term capital infrastructure needs in the next several years to exceed $1 million. It is expensive to continually maintain our Gardens perched on the edge of the Pacific!
You, too, can help the Gardens grow with a planned gift from your estate. Eleven other individuals, couples, and families have named MCBG to receive all or part of their estates. By naming the Gardens as a beneficiary in your will or trust, you become an enduring partner, ensuring that the beauty and joy of the Gardens will live on to enthrall generations to come.
* The family’s name is not published here out of respect for their privacy
Roots of Generosity
If you are considering how a planned gift could be part of your estate or financial plans, we would be delighted to start a conversation. Explore the options available and discover how your legacy can help the Gardens thrive for generations to come. By including the Gardens in your plans, you are invited to join the Flowerland Legacy Society—a community dedicated to protecting the natural beauty of the Mendocino Coast and ensuring the Gardens continue to inspire.
Feel free to contact us to explore the options available and discover how your legacy can help the Gardens thrive for generations to come.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about ways to support the Gardens, call us at 707-964-4352 ext 113 or email administration@gardenbythesea.org.