Donate to Botanical Education Trust

SINCE its inception in 2008, the Botanical Education Trust has provided grants every year to deserving projects that advance education and research into indigenous South African flora.

All donations to the Trust are judiciously invested and only income derived from investments is used for grants.

“Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, interest rates have been severely reduced and, in addition, many companies are not paying dividends on shares. Due to this drastic drop in income the Trustees have decided, for the first time ever, that it would be prudent not to make any awards this year,” said Charles Botha, chairman of the Botanical Education Trust.

Botha said no doubt, many people seeking funding for conservation-oriented projects will be extremely disappointed, however there are repercussions for conservation which extend beyond flora, as without indigenous vegetation even natural parks would not be able to conserve all the wildlife they support.

The Botanical Education Trust operates under the auspices of the KZN Coastal Branch of the Botanical Society of SA (BotSoc).

It is fully registered as a Trust and is audited annually.

The objectives of the Trust are to advance education and research in the field of indigenous South African flora and factors influencing it, for example natural environmental factors, alien invader plants, and so on.

ALSO READ: Botanical Education Trust awards projects

It also aims to assist in funding the publication of literature pertaining to indigenous South African flora and factors influencing it, and to conserve and promote indigenous flora in any way the Trustees see fit.

Any person or organisation caring for our flora has an opportunity to make a difference by contributing to the Trust.

All funds received are capitalised so donations, no matter how small, will serve conservation in perpetuity because only the interest on it will be used to fund the objectives of the Trust.

“We appeal to everyone who values our indigenous flora, and the associated eco-systems, to consider a donation, no matter how small,” said Botha.

The Trust has been approved as a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) and has been granted, by SARS, exemption from donations tax and estate duty.

This includes a Section 18A exemption certificate which permits any donor to treat donations to the Trust as a tax deductible expense.

For banking details, contact Botha at charlesbotha@gmail.com or 031 209 3929.

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At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.

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