Sponsored tree-planting day
- Outdoor: weather matters
Volunteers plant natives on a set day and supporters sponsor trees.
Typically raises
$2,000
$500–10,000 per eventest.
About $67 per organiser hour
Is it right for us?
- Money
- $2,000–10,000
- Work
- Weeks, part-time
- Helpers
- 16–40 people
- Lead time
- 2–4 months
- Red tape
- A fair bit
Uncommon: sponsoring trees is a newer, eye-catching idea
- People
- 10-50 volunteers
- Organiser time
- 20-40 (estimate)
- Lead time
- 2-4 months (planting season is roughly May to September)
- Up-front cost
- $0–$1,000. Plants, tools, food; often funded by grants.
- Risk
- Low.
How it works
The money, as an example sum
Sell at $10 a tree, keep $10, so 250 trees = $2,500, or about $2,000 after about $500 of costs. That’s about the typical result.
Using the figures on this page. Your prices and costs will differ.
Where the money figure comes from
Estimate. Benchmarks: Trees That Count prices a native tree donation at $10; Native Forest Restoration Trust dedicates a tree for $25.
Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.
Step by step
- Secure a site and plants.
- Set a per-tree sponsorship price.
- Open a page.
- Recruit planters and a corporate team.
- Plant on the day.
- Send sponsors photos and GPS location.
Getting the word out
Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it. There are two asks, and the first one goes out first.
- Ask for help
- Participants to collect sponsors from family, friends and workmates.
- Ask people to buy
- Sponsors to pledge, then pay up after the event.
- When to start
- Ask for helpers first, as soon as the date is set. Start the public ask about 6–8 weeks out, and book newsletter and paper notices before that: small newsletters close early.
Where to put it
- School, club and church newslettersYour own newsletter is free and read by the families most likely to say yes. Check when it closes.
- Local Facebook pages and community groupsPost in your town’s community page and local groups (check their rules), and share from your group’s own page.
- Facebook events and what’s-on listingsMake a Facebook event people can say they’re going to, and list it on your council’s or town’s what’s-on page.
- Community newsletters and magazinesResidents’ newsletters, village magazines and other churches’ bulletins often run community notices free. Small ones close early.
- Other groups sharing itAsk the school, kindy, church, sports club or marae down the road to share it in their newsletter or page. Offer to share theirs back.
The full guide to getting the word out: every channel from flyers to the evening news, with lead times and costs.
What you’ll need
- Place
- NeededA public space (park, street, beach)
- Landowner’s permission
- NeededYes, in writing
- Council permit
- CheckCheck with your council
- Food rules
- Not neededNo food sold
- Alcohol
- Not neededNo alcohol sold
- Gambling rules
- Not neededNot gambling
- Health and safety
- NeededA written health and safety plan (councils often ask for one)
- First aid
- NeededA first aider and kit on site (recommended)
- Insurance
- NeededPublic liability cover (councils often require it)
Needs written landowner (or council parks or DOC) permission. The organiser should brief volunteers on tool and slope hazards; land managers usually ask for a site safety plan.
Make more from it
Online sponsorship page per participant
often $50-300 per participant (estimate)
each participant brings in their own network
Council or regional council planting grant
often covers plants (estimate)
regional councils fund native planting directly
Volunteer barbecue sponsored by a local business
cuts costs and adds a sponsor (estimate)
keeps volunteers and gives a business visible credit
Stack it: on its own, about $2,000. With the add-on above, roughly
$2,200est.
What you can get donated
Plants from nurseries or Trees That Count projects, tools, land access, food.
Tips
- Photos of 'your' tree make sponsors come back.
Watch out for
- Planting without a plan for releasing and weeding.
Sponsored tree-planting day: checklist
0 of 18 done
Before
On the day
After
Needs written landowner (or council parks or DOC) permission. The organiser should brief volunteers on tool and slope hazards; land managers usually ask for a site safety plan.
Also pairs with: Sponsor-a-tree pages, Corporate volunteering day, Barbecue
* General fundraising information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Money figures are examples and estimates, not promises. Check current official requirements before you commit. About this guide