Members Area

About The Garden Club of America

The Garden Club of America is a nonprofit national organization composed of 200 member garden clubs with almost 18,000 club members who devote energy and expertise to projects in their communities and across the United States. Founded in 1913, the GCA is a leader in horticulture, conservation, creative arts, historic preservation, and environmental protection.

PURPOSE

The purpose of The Garden Club of America is to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening, to share the advantages of association by means of educational meetings, conferences, correspondence, and publications, and to restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement.

MISSION

Bringing clubs together to cultivate the bond among people, plants, and the environment.

VISION

Informed volunteers working for a beautiful, healthy planet.

VALUES

  • Collaboration
  • Engagement
  • Respect
  • Excellence
  • Integrity
  • Knowledge

COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVITY

The Garden Club of America is committed to an environment that promotes a culture of diversity and inclusion in alignment with the mission, vision, and values of the organization.

ACTIVITIES

To promote greater understanding of the interdependence of horticulture, environmental protection, and community improvement, The Garden Club of America annually awards over $450,000 in scholarships, including the prestigious Rome Prize and The Garden Club of America/Royal Horticultural Society Interchange Fellowship. The GCA Founders Fund is an annual award to a club for an exceptional community project. At the national level, the GCA annually recognizes prominent citizens for their outstanding contributions and frequently hosts a variety of educational conferences across the country. The Garden History & Design committee of the GCA works with the Smithsonian Institute on contributions to and maintains of the Archives of America Gardens.

For members, the GCA publishes a quarterly Bulletin featuring GCA news and member club updates. Committee-specific Publications provide education for club members in the areas of conservation, horticulture, photography, and floral design.

Since The Garden Club of America's centennial in 2013, many new and exciting projects have taken shape. In 2013 the GCA, in partnership with the Central Park Conservancypresented a national gift to America with the restoration of the East 69th Street entrance to Central Park in New York City. Across the nation, each GCA club participated in the Centennial Tree Project, focusing on significant trees in their communities. With these and other projects, The Garden Club of America is planting the seeds for the next 100 years.

FINANCIALS

Click here to review the GCA's most recent audited financial statements.