As supporters of Sacred Groves, we want to extend the opportunity to become a founding supporter of the Kneeland Cemetery.
This is your chance to be part of history.
Not only will the site provide a resource for generations of Humboldt County residents to come, but it will be California’s first-ever conservation burial ground and a huge step forward in challenging conventional burial practices.
We are now actively recruiting donors who can help us raise the $450,000 we need to open our doors in the coming months. This is for our one-time startup costs, covering essential items like road improvements, tree planting, fencing, landscaping, a beautiful sanctuary structure, and legal fees.
Raising this sum puts us in a position to begin accepting burials, the revenue from which will allow our nonprofit cemetery to become self-sustaining.
So far, the Board of Directors has made donations in the amount of $145,000, along with community members who have contributed generous foundational gifts. Special thanks to Kate McClain, Dick Hansis, and the Almquist Family for their generous foundational gifts.
There are several ways of giving as noted on our website, including one time or recurring donations, Venmo, RMD tax-free donations, gifts of stocks/bonds, and planned giving in your estate plans. If you would like a board member to meet with you to discuss giving, please contact us at [email protected] or at 707-797-7017 and we would be happy to do that.
Sacred Groves is a 501(c)(3), so your gifts are tax-deductible. (Tax ID: 61-1944474).
To honor your commitment to conservation and the natural cycle of life, we are offering the following circles of recognition (donors may, of course, also choose to remain anonymous):
| Contribution | Recognition & Connection |
|---|---|
| $100,000+ | Legacy Naming: Permanent naming rights for a major site feature (e.g., the Sanctuary Pavilion or a specific Meadow). Includes a dinner with the Executive Director and members of the Board of Directors, inclusion in the “Digital Forest” donor wall on our website, and all of the benefits of the tiers below. |
| $50,000 to $99,999 | Bench Dedication: A dedicated bench named in your honor, or in honor of a loved one. Inclusion in a GPS location-tagged “Stewardship Map” showing the location of the bench. Inclusion in the “Digital Forest” donor wall on our website and all of the benefits of the tiers below. |
| $10,000 to $49,999 | The Stewardship Wall: Your name (or a loved one’s) is displayed on a “Stewardship Wall” located at the sanctuary. Includes an invitation to special on-site events, inclusion in the “Digital Forest” donor wall on our website, and all of the benefits of the tiers below. |
| $5,000 to $9,999 | The Founders’ Circle: Enrollment in our inner circle of supporters, featuring an annual guided ecological tour of the grounds and inclusion in the “Digital Forest” donor wall on our website, and all of the benefits of the tier below. |
| $1 – $4,999 | Community Roots. Receipt of a “digital postcard” in recognition of the donation, featuring a recent photo of the Kneeland Site, inclusion in the “Digital Forest” donor wall on our website, and access to a quarterly Q&A Zoom Meeting with the Sexton or Executive Director, Michael Furniss. |