Extension Master Gardener Volunteers Donate $50,000 to Establish Endowment, First of Its Kind in Nor
Extension Master Gardener Volunteers Donate $50,000 to Establish Endowment, First of Its Kind in North Carolina
The Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteer Association in New Hanover County becomes the first in the state to fully fund a permanent, county-level endowment.
WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteer Association (EMGVA) of New Hanover County has provided a $50,000 founding gift for the endowment fund for the New Hanover County Consumer Horticulture and Extension Master Gardener℠ programs, becoming the first Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteer Association in North Carolina to fully fund a county-level endowment of this kind.
The endowment is held and administered by the North Carolina Agricultural Foundation (NCAF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The EMGVA's $50,000 contribution serves as the founding gift to establish the fund, creating a permanent source of financial support for the programs.
"This gift reflects a level of foresight and trust that's rare for a volunteer organization," said Gabriella de Souza, Consumer Horticulture Agent and Extension Master Gardener℠ Program Coordinator for N.C. Cooperative Extension, New Hanover County Center. "Because of the EMGVA's generosity, our consumer horticulture programs — and the Extension Master Gardener volunteers who help carry them out — now have a lasting source of support that will benefit New Hanover County gardeners and residents for generations." The gift represents decades of fundraising discipline by the EMGVA, whose signature event, the annual Extension Master Gardener plant sale, has consistently generated revenue exceeding the association's annual operating needs.
The NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ program in New Hanover County is currently the largest in North Carolina, with over 200 active volunteers and more to be trained in 2027.
Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers extend the reach of the consumer horticulture program, bringing research-based sustainable gardening education directly to New Hanover County residents. They staff an on-site plant clinic that serves more than 4,000 community members annually, diagnosing plant problems, providing research-based advice for home landscapes, and facilitating shipment of soil and plant samples for laboratory analysis at no cost to residents or green industry professionals. By equipping homeowners and green industry professionals with free, science-based guidance, the program supports New Hanover County's natural resources, quality of life, and local green industry economy.
Funds may be used for a variety of program priorities, including supplies and materials for consumer horticulture workshops and public events, educational resources and signage for the New Hanover County Arboretum, honoraria for guest speakers and educators, personnel expenditures related to consumer horticulture and Extension Master Gardener℠ program coordination. Use of distributed funds will remain under the direction of the New Hanover County Extension Director to ensure support remains local and aligned with the endowment's terms.
New Hanover County officials and EMGVA leadership plan to celebrate the milestone with the full volunteer membership this fall.
Support the Fund
Members of the public who wish to contribute to the New Hanover County Extension Master Gardener Endowment may do so through the NC Agricultural Foundation at go.ncsu.edu/nhcemgendowment.
About N.C. Cooperative Extension, New Hanover County Center
N.C. Cooperative Extension, New Hanover County Center brings the research and resources of NC State University and N.C. A&T State University to residents of New Hanover County through educational programming in consumer horticulture, agriculture, youth development, and family and consumer sciences. The Extension Master Gardener program trains and coordinates volunteers who extend research-based horticultural knowledge to the community.
About the NC State Extension Master Gardener Program
The mission of the NC State Extension Master Gardener program is to empower North Carolinians to cultivate healthy plants, landscapes, ecosystems, and communities through volunteer service that delivers research-based information, educational programming, and community outreach.
About the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association of New Hanover County
The EMGVA of New Hanover County is a volunteer-led nonprofit association that supports the county's Extension Master Gardener and consumer horticulture programs, in addition to providing grants and scholarships to local organizations, students, and community programs through its annual plant sale and other fundraising efforts.
Media Contact
Gabriella de Souza, M.S.
Consumer Horticulture Agent & Extension Master Gardener℠ Program Coordinator
N.C. Cooperative Extension, New Hanover County Center
910-798-7674 | gadesouz@ncsu.edu
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