We (an independent K-12) do plaques and benches for a $5,000 gift. Of that, probably $1500 goes in to the actual planting of the tree / plaque / dedication, and the rest into a fund for future maintenance. The donors work with our building and grounds team to determine the appropriate location and they can select from a few different kinds of trees.
We have had multiple instances where a named tree has been damaged in a storm and cut down. We usually inform the donor and replace as soon as we can within reason (ie - we're not going to plant in November). We do have one memorial tree that blew down in a storm but we are not intending to replace because we are looking to do some improvements to the area. In that case, we informed the donor and moved the plaque to elsewhere on the campus.
I try to encourage benches over trees - it's a lot easier to maintain a bench over a tree and if the bench is damaged, it's a lot easier to move the plaque to a new bench. That said, our benches do tend to wander off - we've installed a system where they are lightly staked to the ground, which isn't enough to deter the most determined, but will get those parents who want to move it for one reason or another.
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Christina McNamee
St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School
cmcnamee@sssas.org------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 03-18-2025 01:41 PM
From: Ann Carman
Subject: Policy regarding planting trees and naming
Can someone share their policy on alumni wanting to plant a tree on the campus in honor of someone? Is it a gift-in-kind, who pays for the plaque, and what happens if the tree needs to come down?
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Ann Carman
Hartwick College
gifts@hartwick.edu
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