Cape Fear Botanical Garden is honored to be awarded a generous $500,000 Endowment from Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc. The award was announced on June 23, 2026, during the Garden’s Annual Member Meeting, a gathering to reflect upon accomplishments, share updates, and look ahead to future priorities, 

“Cumberland Community Foundation feels that the Cape Fear Botanical Garden is one of the highest impact nonprofits in our community,” stated Emily Schaefer, a past board member of the Garden and a current board member of Cumberland Community Foundation, in a press release. 

“We believe that the Garden is a vital part of our community’s cultural and educational infrastructure. Children's programming is a vital part of the garden's mission to connect people with plants and the natural world,” continued Schaefer in a press release. “That leads us to today. I am pleased to announce a new $500,000 endowment – The Cumberland Community Foundation Kids in the Garden Fund will help ensure that summer camps and educational experiences for children continue to grow and remain accessible for future generations, fostering curiosity, learning, and a lifelong appreciation for nature. Every year. Forever.”

The newly created Cumberland Community Foundation Kids in the Garden Fund is a major milestone in sustaining the Garden as a vibrant resource for environmental education supporting summer camp and educational programming.

“We are deeply grateful to the Board of Directors of Cumberland Community Foundation for this extraordinary commitment to the future of the Garden,” said CEO of Cape Fear

Botanical Garden Chris Hoffman in a press release. “Since education is one of the Garden’s highest priorities, this endowment strengthens our ability to support educational opportunities for future generations.”