The Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens Inc. received a $1 million gift from the Bucyrus Foundation to grow its endowment.
The Bucyrus Foundation gift, recently announced by FBBG president and chief executive officer Ellen Hayward, continues its long-term support of the organization’s K-12 nature education initiatives.
The independent, self-funded FBBG was founded in 1984 to help sustain and preserve the county-owned botanical gardens located on the grounds of Whitnall Park in Hales Corners. The botanical gardens draw roughly 170,000 visitors annually.
The $1 million gift is dedicated specifically to grow FBBG’s endowment.
The Bucyrus Foundation, which was established in the 1970s by the Bucyrus Company (later Bucyrus International, Inc.) and was transferred to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation in 2002, has supported various causes over the years, including social services, medical research and health care, education, arts and culture, and workforce development.
Last year, it announced it would invest $10 million over the next decade to support economic development, schools, nonprofits and revitalization efforts in South Milwaukee.
