SEE: GRANTS BELOW RCGC Habitat for Humanity Landscaping Nature Camp Funding Recycle Tab Tops Benefit: Richmond's Ronald McDonald House

Council Projects

Phone numbers listed are 804 area code unless otherwise noted.

Habitat for Humanity Homes

Clubs wishing to landscape a Habitat house will contact RCGC Habitat Chairman Jean Fender for instruction.

Upon completion of the landscaping project, the club can apply to the Habitat Chairman for partial reimbursement through RCGC Habitat for Humanity fund by submitting a booklet showing:
• Landscape design plan
• Before and after pictures
• Details of plant material installed
• Cost of project

A Homeowner’s Garden journal should be presented to the homeowner showing:
• Landscape design plan
• List of plants and care required
• Basic garden terms

Note: There is a Habitat for Humanity Grant in the Budget of $100 per house for the first three (3) garden clubs who meet the above criteria and apply for the grant. This is separate from the Habitat fund mentioned above.
To find out more contact: [email protected]

Life Membership

Life Memberships in the Richmond Council may be conferred on individuals from either member or non-member clubs. A Life Membership recognizes individual’s who have made outstanding contributions to education programs and horticulture projects. Life Memberships bestows no special privileges or benefits.
To find out more contact: Shirley Berger, Representative • 8215 Brookfield Road, Richmond, VA 23227-1501 • [email protected] • 804 262-8109

Meals On Wheels

Council will give financial assistance to member garden clubs who make flower arrangements for Meals On Wheels recipients.
To find out more contact: [email protected]

Meels On Wheels Procedures form

Nature Camp

Since 1998, funds from Life Memberships in the Richmond Council of Garden Clubs have been designated as contributions to Nature Camp. The Council also sponsors a yearly fundraiser, Fashion with Flowers, to support the camp. To find out more contact: [email protected]

Recycled Tab Tops

To promote recycling the Council collects aluminum pop-tabs from soda, soups, pete foods and other similar products. Periodically, they are taken to the Ronald McDonald House in Richmond as a donation. Contact Barbara Covington at 779-2269.
To find out more contact: [email protected]

School Gardening

The School Gardening Program provides in-class instruction and planting of seeds for classrooms in Richmond and surrounding counties. Funds are awarded to Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, Powhatan and Goochland, and Richmond Extension Agents, and Council will make monetary contributions to the areas as part of our continuing support.
To find out more contact: [email protected]

Awards and Grants

The Council offers the following monetary awards and grants to a garden club for local beautification projects. The applicant must be a member of Council.

Metropolitan Landscape Design Grant

Four (4) grants are offered each year. Each grant is for $250. Any single member club or clubs that work together on landscape design projects for beautification in their local area may apply. The project does not need to be completed at the time of application.

J. Malcolm Pace Awards

Three (3) awards are offered each year for completed civic landscape improvements projects. The awards are available to a single member garden club. First place receives $125, second place $100 and third place $75. The improvement project may be in any one of the following categories:

Public or Semi-Public Buildings: These include improvement to grounds or gardens of hospitals, nursing homes, shelters, schools, churches, libraries, etc.

Recreational Areas: These include outdoor classrooms, play areas, mini-parks, gardens or other public areas seen or used by the public but not necessarily attached to specific buildings or roads.

Highways and Median Strips: These include entrances to cities or towns, boulevards, drainage ditches, curbs, and gutters.

How to Apply:

Applications must be typewritten and submitted in a 9 x 12 theme binder with the name of the grant/award, proposed project and club name(s) on the outside cover.

The name of the grant/award, proposed project, club(s), date of application, applicant’s name, applicant’s address, applicant’s telephone number and e-mail address (if available) must be included on the title page of the application.

Subsequent pages are to include the following:
A. Location of the proposed project. Explanation of the area selected if the project is a part of a larger project.
B. Description of the project’s purpose.
C. Detailed proposed and/or final budget listing plants, materials and other costs. Plant sizes and source/s of funding are to be included.
D. Explanation of how the work will be accomplished (members, volunteers, paid workers, etc.). State percentage of active club members participating in project.
E. Plans for first year’s maintenance (including watering schedule) and maintenance thereafter.
F. A detailed landscape plan (a neat, hand-drawn map is acceptable). Locate existing plants and proposed plants as well as mulched areas, structures, etc., on the plan. Sizes or dimensions are to be indicated.
G. Additional information to be included—where applicable: growing conditions (solar/wind/moisture), location of watering source/s, soil test results, soil amendment plan, public access/handicap access plan and waste disposal provisions.
H. Photographs of the project—Metropolitan Landscape grant—“before” and possibly “during” of the area to be improved; for the J. Malcolm Pace Award, include “before and after” photographs.

Judging

The Awards Chairman shall appoint a panel of three (3) judges from three (3) Richmond Council member clubs.
A. Judges are to be Landscape Design Consultants/Landscape Design Students. Each judge will be knowledgeable in landscape design and horticulture.
B. The Awards Chairman will serve as moderator for the panel, as tabulator of results and as alternate judge (should a conflict of interest arise).
C. No person may serve as a judge if that person’s club has an entry.
D. Judging will be done by point scoring.
E. The decisions of the judging panel are final and will remain confidential until the May Annual Meeting & Luncheon.
F. The Awards Chairman, with the approval of the judging panel, may disqualify any submission that does not conform to the criteria printed in the Richmond Council of Garden Clubs, Inc. yearbook for the current year.
G. The judging panel will meet during the first three (3) weeks of April. Only the Richmond Council Treasurer will be notified of the results before the public announcement at the May Annual Meeting and Luncheon.

Note: Winners of the Metropolitan Landscape Design Grants MUST display a poster of the completed project at the Council Annual Meeting and Luncheon the following year.

Deadline for applying is April 1st each year. Awards will be presented at the May Annual Meeting and Luncheon.
To find out more contact: [email protected]