Asking for your Help

The University of California Cooperative Extension in Fresno County has an active group of nearly 300 Master Gardener Volunteers who support local educational programs in home horticulture by staffing a phone-in helpline, providing public educational classes and presentations, coordinating a Plant a Row for the Hungry program, maintaining a one-acre food production and ornamental demonstration garden, conducting plant clinics, and providing other educational opportunities. Propagation at Garden of the Sun demonstration garden. 

Covid 19 has impacted everyone! Communities are struggling to adjust and survive this pandemic. The Garden of the Sun  Demonstration Garden is closed and we hope to open in the future. New this year was our online plant sale at Fresno demonstration garden. The online sales with curbside pickup allow us to sale a small amount of plants. We donated to local non profits over 1,000 plants. The Fresno Master Gardener program lost the revenue of our Annual Spring Garden Tour and plant sale due to the pandemic. This critical income directly supports our programs and outreach in the communities. We have seen an increase in home gardening by the number of questions that come into our helpline. The Master Gardener Helpline is working remotely. People are discovering the wellness benefits both mental and physical of working in the garden. 

Types of Planned Gifts:
Will and Trusts
Some examples of the types of bequests:
A general bequest is one of the most popular ways to make a charitable gift. The donor simply leaves a specic dollar
amount to the UC Master Gardener Program.
A residuary bequest is given to the UC Master Gardener program after all (or a portion) of an estate owner’s debts, taxes,
expenses and other bequests have been paid.
A percentage bequest is expressed as a percentage of the estate or of the residuary estate.
Donors work with an attorney and/or nancial advisor to determine the bequest amount. Our job is to work with the donor to
explain our areas of need to ensure that the donor’s desires are met and our needs are met. It is helpful to advise the donor to
be as broad as possible in language of his or her bequest. Sample UC system bequest language is available on our website.
Life Insurance
Donors can contribute all or part of a policy to the UC Master Gardener Program when we are named as a beneciary. The
donor retains ownership of the policy and has access to the policy’s cash value. Since the donor retains ownership, no
charitable income tax deduction is allowed upon making the UC Master Gardener Program the beneciary. Once the donor
passes away and the proceeds are paid to the UC Master Gardener Program, the donor’s estate will be allowed a charitable
estate-tax deduction.
Donors need to work with their insurance provider to designate the UC Master Gardener Program as the beneciary. There is
typically a Beneciary section that the owner of the policy completes.
Retirement Plans
Retirement plans are an easy way for a donor to make a planned gift. Retirement plan benets represent a major portion of
the average person’s estate. Through the retirement plan provider, a donor can designate the UC Master Gardener Program as
a full or partial beneciary. The donor can name a specic amount or percentage of the plan’s total. This gift can be
designated when the fund is rst established or changed at a later date. The plan administrator will provide a change of
beneciary form upon request. Giving in this way can help maximize tax savings. Click here to learn more about planned giving. 

 

Gardening Questions? 

Our gardening Helpline is working remotely. Send an email to mgfresno@ucdavis.edu 

Including photos is helpful.  We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Questions about the program?

Denise Cuendett / Master Gardener Coordinator

 dhcuendett@ucanr.edu

Thank you for considering the Fresno Master Gardener program!