The Esplanade Association was recently awarded a $1-million “challenge grant” in memory of Frances W. Hatch Jr. by a longtime Boston resident who has asked to remain anonymous.
The four-year “challenge grant” was made to support the horticultural priorities and special projects within the Charles River Esplanade, and each annual gift of $150,000 of comes with a matching gift challenge designed to steward major donors into increasingly involved roles in the organization.
”This exceptionally generous gift will help ensure that the Charles River Esplanade flourishes for years to come,” said Tani Marinovich, executive director of the Esplanade Association. “It’s our hope that this challenge grant will inspire and encourage others in the community to support the Esplanade Association and all we are doing to improve the park user experience.”
Marinovich added, “This ‘challenge grant’ is also a great vote of confidence in the Esplanade Association’s vision for the park’s future and its commitment to the horticultural health and beauty of the park.”
For each annual gift, $100,000 will be earmarked for donor-advised projects to prioritize the Esplanade Association’s work and address some of the park’s most critical and significant environmental, recreational and aesthetic concerns.
In the first year of funding, the priority projects will be the Lotta Fountain restoration; the Fiedler Field restoration; the Park Pathway Safety Initiative; the Stonedust Pathway pilot program; the Esplanade Café restoration and design process; and intensive horticultural care.