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Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the money go?
100% of the donations to the Pink Tulip Project gardens go to the Women's Cancer Fund at the Maine Cancer Foundation. For more on the cancer research and projects funded by MCF visit http://www.mainecancer.org

How do I give to the Pink Tulip Project?
"Support the Project" is a general donation page.
"Garden List" shows all the gardens registered for this year's Project.
Home Garden Bulb Purchase lets you buy bulbs for your home garden.

Where should the garden be located?
We recommend public spaces--a local park, school, health care center or green space at a local business. It can be small--around a flagpole, or big--the whole town green! We suggest your garden be in a well-traveled area, so that lots of people will see the tulips when they bloom! For more information see "Getting Started".

How many tulips should we order?
The size of your garden and your fundraising goal determines the number of bulbs you'll need. We suggest 5 tulips per square foot for a formal garden planting. For example, for a 10' by 10' garden [100 square feet] we suggest 500 tulips. We offer three garden sizes that come with a specific quantity of tulips, see below. Custom-sized gardens can also be arranged, email us pinktulips@mainecancer.org

How much do the tulips cost?
The size of the garden and the number of tulips determine your minimum cost.

• Small garden - 100 Bulbs - Minimum Fund raising commitment $200
• Medium garden - 300 Bulbs - Minimum Fund raising commitment $600
• Large garden -500 Bulbs - Minimum Fund raising commitment $1,000
• Acre of Pink -1000 Bulbs - Minimum Fund raising commitment $2,000

A registration fee of $25 is required for fund raising gardens. Minimum fund raising commitments are listed above.

How and when do we get the tulips? When do they bloom?
Your tulip bulbs will be delivered to the address you provide on the registration form. They will arrive early in October and should be planted before Thanksgiving. In Maine, the tulips usually bloom in early May.

Who plants the tulips?
The team or group that sponsors the garden plants the tulips. Get together a group of neighbors, co-workers, students or community group.

How do we raise the money to pay for the bulbs?
The easiest way to get donations to support your garden is with e-mail requests. You can send the link to your garden website to your personal e-mail list. We recommend you personalize your email, and tell the story of your garden. Share why are you helping the Pink Tulip Project. You can also collect individual or corporate donations, or organize several fund raising activities.

What are some fund raising ideas that other gardens have used?
Creative ideas work!

• The Paris Elementary School students made pink tulip pins in art class and sold them to fund their garden.
• The Peaks Island garden team encouraged pledges to get mammograms and collecting donations for the garden.
• Eastern Maine Community College students sold honor cards in the shape of Tulips and sold them for $5 each and put them on the wall at school.
• Some gardens fundraise in the fall, and some gardens get support in May when the gardens bloom.

Share more ideas with us, email pinktulips@mainecancer.org.

How do I generate excitement for our garden?
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Mother's Day in May are two great opportunities to get attention for your garden.

Whether your garden is one bed in front of a school or all the beds along Main Street, be sure to involve as many members of your community as possible. We suggest planning a kick-off date for the plantings and invite potential donors and participants to a get together. And make the blooming a public event - contact the media, invite the public to see the blooms, invite your donors. Be sure to take and use photos of plantings and blooms! If you would like us to share your photos on the Pink Tulip Project website, please email them to pinktulips@mainecancer.org.

What marketing materials and information on the project do we get?
We have postcards and posters about the project. You receive some with your registration, and can request more. Gardens signs are provided to you in April when the tulips begin to come up.

Sample press releases for your community media are sent to each garden in October and in May. You can customize them to tell your garden story to your community. Who is involved? Where are you planting? When you are holding a bloom or planting celebration. Your Pink Tulip Garden Web page is another resource you can customize with photos and your garden story.

Where can I find photos of Pink Tulip Gardens?
Photos of past plantings and bloomings of Pink Tulip gardens are available free on this website.

How do I keep track of the funds raised for the garden?
Your garden page on this Web site will keep ongoing accounting of the donations given to your garden. You have until June 1, 2011 to raise your minimum commitment. Two times a year, you will receive a statement of how much has been raised toward your commitment. You can collect online donations, or use the donation form that can be printed from your garden page.

What happens if I don't raise the required fund raising amount?
As head gardener you are responsible for honoring the financial commitment of your garden. If your fundraising goal is not met by June 1st, your credit card will be charged the remaining amount in the month of June.

The total donations should be received at Maine Cancer Foundation by June 1st or a follow up invoice will be sent.

Can I contribute to the project and not plant a community garden?
Yes! Use the "Support the Project" link on the home page, or here Support the Project.
You can support any existing garden from the "Give to a Garden" link, or here Give to a Garden
You can purchase tulips for your home garden or share with friends, click here for bulb purchases.

Can I honor or memorialize a friend?
We can notify someone that pink tulips have been planted in their honor or memory. There is also an honor roll scrolling on the site that will show the names of the people who are being honored by the project.

Can I send a check instead of an online donation?
Yes, please send your check to Pink Tulip Project, Maine Cancer Foundation, PO Box 553, Portland Maine 04112. Please include the name and location of the garden you want to support.

More questions? Call Pink Tulip Project coordinator at the Maine Cancer Foundation, 207-773-2533 or email pinktulips@mainecancer.org