The New Jersey Committee of the GCA

The New Jersey Committee of the Garden Club of America

In addition to 199 garden clubs, the GCA has four Area Committees (Boston, New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia) that were formed so that the resources and talents of all member clubs could be combined to accomplish major projects that could not be carried out easily by a single club. Each Area Committee has its own Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation.

The New Jersey Committee of The Garden Club of America was established in 1987 using residual funds from a GCA annual meeting hosted by Zone IV clubs.

The Committee's purpose is to award grants to projects that benefit the state of New Jersey. The original grant was awarded to Dr. Orton of Rutgers University to help with his hybridization studies which led to the development of the well-known Rutgers Dogwood.

Since then, the Committee has donated $510,000 to over 87 worthwhile projects within the Garden State. Grant money is raised through garden club members' generous donations to the Growing Fund and each club within Zone IV has received multiple grants. Projects include forest and greenhouse restoration, outdoor classrooms, rain and community gardens, and urban farms.

The New Jersey Committee established a fund for summer intern scholars for students at Rutgers University. The fields of study include Horticulture, Plant Sciences, the Environment and Landscape Design. To date, the internship program has underwritten scholarships for 52 students; it also is supported by donations from Zone IV club members.