Season of Giving
With the season of giving wrapping up, we want to highlight some of the ways Filoli gave back in 2025. By supporting Filoli through donations, memberships, and ticket purchases, you make possible the community programs at the heart of our mission. Read on to learn how your generous support helps Filoli welcome all to experience the joy of beauty, nature, and shared stories.
Youth Programs
Every child in the Bay Area deserves the chance to connect with nature and feel a sense of belonging in the outdoors. Through our Preschool and Teen Partnership Programs, Filoli collaborates with state-funded and nonprofit schools serving communities with the greatest socioeconomic and access needs in San Mateo, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Alameda Counties. Thanks to donor and member support, these partnerships grew dramatically this year, with an over 200% increase in youth participation, from 21 group visits in 2024 to over 70 in 2025.
Our Preschool Partnership Program welcomes each school for three visits throughout the year. Children build a sense of comfort in nature through hands-on exploration: tasting vegetables from the garden, identifying patterns in plants, following the flow of water, and participating in guided hikes. Every visit blends discovery with story time, songs, and sensory play, creating early memories.
The Teen Partnership Program expands that connection, offering guided hikes, harvesting experiences, and time for partner organizations to lead wellness or community-building activities. Select students also participate in paid six-week summer internships in Horticulture and Guest Experience, offering meaningful introductions to careers in public gardens.
The impact of these programs is heartfelt and immediate. A teacher from Dewey Academy shared, “One student said the trip was the best day of her life. Another wrote in his journal that this week was much better than usual and proudly showed me the photos he took.” Contact learning@filoli.org for more information.
Each student and their families receive a Community Family Membership. Filoli currently has over 1,200 Community Family memberships. Memberships at this level receive 10 free admissions per day, allowing participants to enjoy Filoli in every season with their family. These memberships are made possible by our generous donors.
Partner Plots
This year, Filoli’s Partner Plots program continued to flourish. We received a grant for the 2025 season through the American Public Gardens Association/US Botanic Garden’s Urban Agriculture Resilience Program. Rooted in Filoli’s Vegetable Garden, the program brings together local groups to grow culturally meaningful crops, share food traditions, and connect across generations. In 2025, this support allowed the program to grow in exciting new ways.
With the addition of a third community partner, Terra Nova, Filoli expanded the diversity of crops and cultural stories represented in the garden. Partners from La Cocina, Planting Oceania, and Terra Nova selected heritage crops, some of which are difficult to find locally, and guided their planting and care with support from Filoli’s Horticulture staff.
The ripple effects continued beyond the garden beds. Filoli welcomed more partner-made products from La Cocina into the Clock Tower Shop and invited partners to serve as vendors at seasonal events, amplifying their visibility. Partners participating in the program also received Community Family Memberships, allowing them to visit their crops throughout the seasons.
Self-Guided School Programs
Completely new this year, Filoli has introduced self-guided school visits. This opportunity invites students and educators to explore Filoli at their own pace, with themed educational materials. Filoli offers packets designed to support independent exploration, with prompts such as draw, write, and reflect. Whether classes are studying ecosystems, art and architecture, or California history, this is a new way to offer our dynamic outdoor classroom to a broader audience of learners. School group prices are discounted when booked through our group sales department, supporting accessibility and educational equity. So far, we have had incredible interest in the program, and many classes have already visited us. Click here to book a self-guided field trip: Self-Guided School Field Trips | Filoli
Museums for All Participation
Museums for All is a national initiative that Filoli is honored to participate in. It offers free and reduced admission to SNAP EBT cardholders, ensuring that financial barriers don’t stand in the way of experiencing nature, art, and history. In 2024, 10,806 guests visited Filoli through Museums for All. In 2025, that number grew to 19,425. This year, new audiences found a sense of belonging at Filoli. If you would like to visit through Museums for All, reservations can be made by emailing tickets@filoli.org.
Filoli is Because of You
At its heart, Filoli is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that exists as a place where people of all ages and backgrounds can find inspiration, learning, and belonging. Thanks to the generosity of members and donors, Filoli can expand access through programs like Museums for All, serve thousands of children through preschool and teen partnerships, and offer discounted field trips and inclusive experiences that remove barriers to participation. Your support ensures that Filoli can remain a welcoming community resource. Click here to learn more about our supporters’ impact: Impact | Filoli