Membership
American Public Gardens Association (APGA) connects our members with a community of nearly 600 garden institutions and corporate members representing over 11,000 garden professionals.
Why Join the Association?
APGA connects and empowers our members by fostering a professional community, providing networking and comprehensive professional development resources to keep our members informed about industry trends.
The association champions our members by protecting public horticulture’s future through pioneering stewardship programs that safeguard plant collections, respond to threats posed by invasive species, and address the challenges of climate change and natural resource sustainability. Through our members, we create a unified voice to advance the role of public gardens.
By joining the American Public Gardens Association (APGA), your staff will be one of nearly 600 institutions dedicated to making the world a place where public gardens are indispensable. APGA shows our commitment to the industry by championing and advancing public gardens as leaders, advocates, and innovators in the conservation and appreciation of plants.
Connect your staff with over 11,000 garden professionals across the country – online and in person – and join hundreds of your peer gardens on the Go Public Gardens Map.
Protect your garden through the Disaster Readiness Initiative, the Sentinel Plant Network, resources in the Library and Media Center, and more.
Champion your garden through Public Garden magazine, our Annual Awards, advocacy resources, the Plant Collections Network, and more.
APGA also provides public garden funding opportunities through applications to the Urban Agriculture Resilience Program, Tree Gene Conservation Partnership, graduate student fellowships, Garden Scholar awards, and more
- Professional Development for the entire staff and board through in-person and virtual programming
- In-person and virtual networking opportunities to connect with peers, including unlimited access to 20+ discipline-focused Professional Communities
- Signature programs that address crucial needs of members and their plant collections including Plant Collections Network, Tree Gene Conservation Partnership, Plant Heroes, Disaster Readiness Initiative, and Public Garden
- Opportunity to participate in Collective Impact and Benchmarking surveys
- Free job postings on APGA’s Career Center
- Subscription to Public Garden magazine – up to 25 copies per issue
- Subscription to the monthly e-newsletter
- Member pricing for staff to the Annual Conference and Professional Development programs
- Opportunities to present at conferences, symposia, webinars, or other programs
- Unlimited access to the online Member Directory, Resource Library and Media Center
- Free publicity from Go Public Gardens media campaign
- Listing on the Association’s Garden Map
- Affinity Program benefits avaliable as listed on the APGA Website
- Dues Structure:
• Dues are calculated on the Total Annual Operating Budget (AOB) of the institution (excluding special one-time expenses or capital projects)
➢ AOB x .0011 = Annual Dues Amount
• Institutions with an AOB of $175,000 or less = $175 Annual Dues
• Max Dues Amount = $13,000 Annual Dues
Corporate membership with the American Public Gardens Association is a year-round acknowledgment of your company’s commitment to advancing both the public garden profession and the public garden industry. There are three ways to join the American Public Gardens Association as a corporate member:
Annual Membership Dues: $2,000
This membership level supports all company staff members.
❖ Your company listing and link on our website provider directory
❖ Network & share ideas via 20+ Professional Communities
❖ 20% off ads in Public Garden Magazine
❖ Exhibitor discount and priority location for the Annual Conference
❖ One subscription to quarterly Public Garden Magazine
❖ Member pricing for in-person events and virtual Professional Development programs, including the Annual Conference, Symposia, and Regional Learning Series
❖ Subscription to the Association’s e-newsletters
❖ Face-to-face time with members at events
❖ Unlimited access to the online Member Directory
❖ Unique opportunities to sponsor Professional Development programs or events
❖ Special profile highlight – Your company’s logo displayed in one of the Association’s e-newsletters annually
❖ Opportunities to attend and present at professional symposia, webinars, or programs
❖ Email distribution list of all member organizations’ Main Contacts, provided annually upon request
❖ Unlimited free job postings in the Association’s Career Center
❖ Benchmarking Study results summary
Annual Membership Dues: $800
This membership level provides member benefits for three members of your staff.
❖ Your company listing and link on our website provider directory
❖ Network & share ideas via 20+ Professional Communities
❖ 15% off ads in Public Garden Magazine
❖ Exhibitor discount and priority location for the Annual Conference
❖ One subscription to quarterly Public Garden Magazine
❖ Member pricing for in-person events and virtual Professional Development programs, including the Annual Conference, Symposia, and Regional Learning Series
❖ Subscription to the Association’s e-newsletters
❖ Face-to-face time with members at events
❖ Unlimited access to the online Member Directory
❖ Unique opportunities to sponsor Professional Development programs or events
❖ Special profile highlight – Your company’s logo displayed in one of the Association’s e-newsletters annually
❖ Opportunities to attend and present at professional symposia, webinars, or programs
❖ Three complimentary job postings in the Association’s Career Center
❖ Benchmarking Study results summary
Annual Membership Dues: $400
This membership level is for a single individual.
As a Corporate Associate Member, you will have access to nearly 600 public garden organizations and over 11,000 individual members who represent botanical gardens, arboreta, nature centers, display gardens, museums, zoos, and colleges & universities.
❖ Your company listing and link on our website provider directory
❖ Network & share ideas via 20+ Professional Communities
❖ 10% off ads in Public Garden Magazine
❖ Exhibitor discount and priority location for the Annual Conference
❖ One subscription to quarterly Public Garden Magazine
❖ Member pricing for in-person events and virtual Professional Development programs, including the Annual Conference, Symposia, and Regional Learning Series
❖ Subscription to the Association’s e-newsletters
❖ Face-to-face time with members at events
❖ Unlimited access to the online Member Directory
❖ Unique opportunities to sponsor Professional Development programs or events
❖ Benchmarking Study results summary
Connect and network through online Community forums allowing your company to directly engage with APGA members and introduce them to your company’s unique services. APGA features 21 discipline-focused professional communities, including arts and exhibitions, development and membership, and design and planning.
Garden-Friendly Providers is a great way to inform our members that APGA endorses your company and its services to public gardens and is included in your corporate membership.
Conference Registration and Discounts APGA’s Annual Conference is one of the premier annual events for public garden professionals and leaders. Participation provides opportunities for learning, networking, sales, and so much more. Members receive discounts on both conference registrations and exhibit booths.
The Allied Membership Program welcomes non-garden, non-profit organizations to join the Association. APGA encourages nonprofit organizations that champion or work with public gardens to join to enhance the work of their organizations and staff members.
Join APGA and network with over 11,000 professionals in the public garden industry.
- Network with other regional professionals at Regional Learning Series events
- 40+ FREE webinars offered annually as part of membership
- Annual Conference featuring behind the scenes garden tours, 80+ concurrent sessions, and networking with over 800 of your peers
To qualify, organizations must hold an IRS 501 (c)3 non-profit determination or equivalent non-US designation. Organizations defined as public gardens, botanical gardens, arboretums, or parks do not qualify for this membership.
• Professional Development for the entire staff that is included on the company’s roster through in-person and virtual programming.
• In-person and virtual networking opportunities to connect with peers, including unlimited access to 20+ discipline-focused Professional Communities
• Signature programs that address crucial needs of members and their plant collections, including Plant Collections Network, Tree Gene Conservation Partnership, Plant Heroes, Disaster Readiness
• Free job postings on APGA’s Career Center
• Subscription to Public Garden Magazine
• Subscription to the monthly e-newsletters
• Member registration pricing for the Annual Conference and Professional Development programs
• Opportunities to present at conferences, symposia, webinars, or other programs.
• Unlimited access to the online Member Directory, Resource Library and Media Center
Dues Structure:
Tiered Membership Dues Structure: (Based on Annual Operating Budget)
Annual Operating Budget Level – Dues Rate
$499,999 or less – $250
$500,000 to $999,999 – $500
$1 million to $4,999,999 – $1000
$5 million or more – $1,500
Individual membership with the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) allows people currently not affiliated with a member garden to engage in the public garden professional industry.
Annual Membership Dues: $150If your garden is not already a member of APGA and you would like to connect with public horticulture professionals around the country, join the Association as an Individual Member.
- Network with 11,000+ public garden professionals at nearly 600 gardens
- Subscription to Public Garden magazine
- Subscription to the monthly e-newsletter
- Member pricing for the Annual Conference and Professional Development programs
- Opportunities to attend and present at professional symposia, webinars, or programs
- Unlimited access to 20+ discipline-focused Professional Communities
- Unlimited access to the online Member Directory
- Access to thousands of resources in the Library & Media Center
- Access to APGA’s Mentor/Mentee Forum
- Garden Benchmarking Study results in summary form
Annual Membership Dues: $50
Grow your career with a Student Membership. To qualify, you must be currently enrolled as a full- or part-time student in a compulsory or higher education system. This membership is not available to those who are full-time employees in the public garden industry.
- Network with 11,000+ public garden professionals at nearly 600 gardens
- Digital access to Public Garden magazine
- Subscription to the monthly e-newsletter
- Member pricing for the Annual Conference and Professional Development programs
- Opportunities to attend and present at professional symposia, webinars, or programs
- Unlimited access to 20+ discipline-focused Professional Communities
- Unlimited access to the online Member Directory
- Access to thousands of resources in the Library & Media Center
- Access to APGA’s Mentor/Mentee Forum
- Garden Benchmarking Study results in summary form
To join as a Student Member, please send proof of your current course registration to info@publicgardens.org.
Annual Membership Dues: $75
This membership is perfect for the retired individual who wants to stay connected to the field. A Retired Professional membership provides all the benefits of an Individual membership at a reduced rate.
- Network with 11,000+ public garden professionals at nearly 600 gardens
- Subscription to Public Garden magazine
- Subscription to the monthly e-newsletter
- Member pricing for the Annual Conference and Professional Development programs
- Opportunities to attend and present at professional symposia, webinars, or programs
- Unlimited access to 20+ discipline-focused Professional Communities
- Unlimited access to the online Member Directory
- Access to thousands of resources in the Library & Media Center
- Access to APGA’s Mentor/Mentee Forum
- Garden Benchmarking Study results in summary form
Please note: If you work at an organization that is an Institutional Member, you can access all included member benefits once you are added to your organization’s staff roster.
- If you work at a non-member garden, please encourage your garden to join as an Institutional Member.
- If you are selling products or services, you should join as a Corporate Member.
