Fund for Evanston Trees

If you love Evanston’s trees and how they benefit our community, please consider donating to to this fund. Established by CGE, the Fund is administered by the Evanston Community Foundation.

The Fund supports growing Evanston’s tree canopy, and the care and maintenance of its trees and green spaces (whether public or private). Spending from the Fund is guided by needs in underserved neighborhoods and the priorities of the City’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan (“CARP”).

How to contribute: Send your check, payable to Evanston Community Foundation, with “Fund for Evanston Trees” in the memo line, to: Evanston Community Foundation, 1560 Sherman Ave. Suite 535, Evanston, IL 60201. You can contribute online here. Enter “Fund for Evanston Trees” in the ‘other’ box. There is a 2.2% processing fee for credit card donations. All gifts are tax-deductable.

FAQs

  • How much should I donate? All donations matter and are enormously appreciated. As a guide, it costs about $90 for a 5-6’ native tree sapling, and $382 to treat an average-sized city elm.
  • Can I purchase a particular tree or treat a particular elm (for example, on my parkway)? No. Particular trees cannot be designated by donors for purchase or treatment. The good news, though, is that in 2020 the city treated all city elms (on parkways and in parks). It is up to residents to decide whether to treat private elms (in alleys and yards).
  • Are any fees involved? CGE and Natural Habitat Evanston (its program managing the Fund), charge no fees, and all amounts they receive go to help Evanston trees and green spaces. There is a 2.2% processing fee for credit card donations, but no processing fee for check donations. The Evanston Community Foundation also charges a 1% annual fee to administer the Fund.

Learn more about Evanston’s elm trees.