FAQ

The Fund for Evanston Trees

If you love Evanston’s big elms or how they benefit our community, donate to the Fund for Evanston Trees and help trees and their Evanston neighborhoods. Citizens’ Greener Evanston has established the Fund for Evanston Trees administered by the Evanston Community Foundation.

The Fund was established, and its primary purpose is to demonstrate community support for city elm trees on parkways, in parks and on other public lands. The Fund will help the City treat public elm trees to prevent the devastating Dutch Elm Disease. If treatment of public elms is fully funded or other events change the need for elm funding, the Fund will support the care and maintenance of trees and green spaces throughout Evanston (public or private). Environmental justice for underserved neighborhoods and alignment with the City’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan (“CARP”) will guide Fund spending decisions.
To Donate,
Send your check, payable to Evanston Community Foundation with “Fund for Evanston Trees” in the memo line to:
Evanston Community Foundation,
1560 Sherman Avenue, Suite 535
Evanston, IL 60201
Or Go to https://evanstonforever.org/giving/give-now/ and enter “Fund for Evanston Trees” in the ‘other’ box. There is a 2.2% processing fee for credit card donations.
How much to donate? All donations no matter the size demonstrate our community cares about trees and are enormously appreciated. But as a guide, it costs $382 to treat an average-sized city elm. Treatment is required every three years. Many Evanstonians cannot afford that. Consider donating enough to cover treatment for 1-2 elms. We hope to build community and equity with our Fund for Evanston Trees.
Thanks for caring about Evanston’s big elms. Stay well.

More information about the fund
Primary Purpose: To treat Evanston elms on city lands (mainly parkways, parks and Ladd Arboretum).
What if city elm treatment is fully funded? The Fund may support more broadly focused efforts for the care and maintenance of trees and green spaces throughout Evanston (public or private). Environmental justice for underserved neighborhoods and alignment with the City’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan (“CARP”), and successor plans, will guide decisions on spending from the Fund.
Is my gift tax-deductible? Both Citizens’ Greener Evanston and the Evanston Community Foundation are nonprofits tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Can I treat a particular elm (for example on my parkway)? No. Particular trees cannot be designated by donors for treatment. Good news, though, the city has authorized treatment for all city elms (on parkways and in parks). It is up to residents to decide whether to treat private elms (in alleys and yards).
Fees. All amounts received by Citizens’ Greener Evanston go to help Evanston trees and green spaces. CGE and Natural Habitat Evanston, its program managing the Fund, charge no fees. There is a 2.2% processing fee for credit card donations; no processing fee for check donations. The Evanston Community Foundation also charges a 1% annual fee to administer the Fund.
What is Citizens’ Greener Evanston? Founded in 2011, Citizens’ Greener Evanston (CGE) is an Evanston nonprofit working to make Evanston a more environmentally just, sustainable, and resilient community. Its programs include Climate Action, Edible Evanston, Energy, Environmental Justice, Transportation, Waste and Water. Its Natural Habitat Evanston program manages the Fund, along with other efforts to create an Evanston culture that cares about natural habitat for people and wildlife. greenerevanston.org
What is the Evanston Community Foundation? Founded in 1986, Evanston Community Foundation (ECF) helps Evanston thrive now and forever as a vibrant, equitable and inclusive community, where every community member can thrive. Through grants, training, and making connections, ECF enables Evanston nonprofits and community organizations to deliver their missions more effectively. ECF leverages the generosity of donors, so their charitable giving can have the greatest impact on our community. ECF is invested in Evanston now, forever and for everyone. evanstonforever.org

More information about Evanston City Elms
How many City (public) Elms does Evanston have? 2,371 that are 10” or larger in diameter, of which about 1,300 are larger than 30” in diameter. In 2004, Evanston had about 3,600 mid-to-large public elms. City elms are mainly on parkways and in parks and Ladd Arboretum.
How many Elms are in resident’s yards? The number of private elms is unknown.
What does it cost to treat an elm tree: $382 for an average sized elm. Healthy elms are treated every three years to prevent infection.
What is the cost if the elms are not treated? Elms tend to contract the disease and to die quickly if not treated. The disease generally is not reversible once contracted. It costs @$2,000 to take down an average big elm and $370 to plant a new tree. An elm that is diseased or dead must be removed to avoid injuring people or property.
What is Dutch Elm Disease (DED)? DED is a fungal disease that is spread by the elm bark beetle and kills elm trees. When the tree is infected, it tries to block the fungus and also blocks water and nutrients, starving itself.
Should residents pay to treat their parkway elms? Wealthier residents would be able to pay for elm treatment, and not poorer residents. This would result in the loss of some of Evanston’s largest trees in poorer neighborhoods. The damage that will be done will persist, since small replacement trees (if they survive) could take many decades to restore the economic, health and climate benefits that these old elms provide. Further, the City EPlan Assessment of Needs (2016-2021) reported:
  • Poorer Evanston residents have higher rates of asthma: 21% of residents with incomes under $49,999 reported asthma compared to 18% of residents with incomes over $100,000.
  • 22% of Black or African American Evanston residents reported asthma compared to 18% of white residents.

Trees, especially big trees, are so important to help clean our air and offset these disparities. A big tree removes 60 to 70 times more pollution than a small tree.

Why should we care about elms?
Trees are important for people. They produce oxygen and release moisture, relieve heat and the result is they are calming. Trees are correlated with lower domestic violence, lower adolescent aggression, less driver rage, slower driving, quicker patient recoveries, and lower child asthma rates. And not just a little: 52% fewer crimes (property and violent) in apartment complexes with more greenery. New York City credits trees with saving 8 lives per year because of particulate capture.
Big trees are much more effective than the same number of smaller trees. A big tree removes 60 to 70 times more pollution than a small tree. 5A big shade tree can lower surrounding temperature by 10 - 15oF (“heat island effect”) and reduce noise by 6 - 10 decibels. They shade houses in summer and block winter winds reducing energy heat bills by 3%. Consider what it would cost in social services and infrastructure to calm tempers, cool us and save energy without trees. People might not miss them till they are gone.

The Evanston Climate Action Plan encourages preserving Evanston trees, expanding the city urban canopy and increasing green infrastructure to mitigate carbon emissions and enhance the city’s resilience to stormwater flooding.
Trees capture air pollution particulates. In a City Health Assessment, 19% of Evanston residents reported that they had been diagnosed with asthma, compared to 12% in the state and 14% in the nation. Trees help protect our residents, especially children who are particularly susceptible to pollutants and chemicals. A US Forest Service study found that owing to this particulate capture, trees saved on average one life per year in 10 cities studied, with 8 lives annually saved in New York City.
Trees reduce block winds and spread shade. A big shade tree can lower the surrounding temperature by 10 - 15oF, reducing the “heat island effect”, and saving an average of 3% on energy costs. Trees serve this function not only for homeowners, but also for their neighbors. Australia, a country that has felt the early impact of heightened warming, is considering rezoning areas to allow for more trees on lots to protect against devastating heat waves.
Trees filter and help absorb stormwater and release moisture into our air. This stormwater management is particularly critical as climate disruptions threaten increasingly heavy rainfall events. The US Forest Service reports a mature tree intercepts 2,500 gallons rainfall per year. Trees also of course capture carbon and release oxygen.
Trees are calming. They reduce stress, promote healing, encourage community and improve safety. Studies have demonstrated neighborhoods with trees have lower domestic violence, less ‘road rage’, slower traffic, higher home values, enhanced shopping sales, healthier residents with lower blood pressure, enhanced worker productivity, and greater reported sense of safety; adolescents exhibit less aggressive behavior.
Sources on Trees
Value of Trees
https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/benefits-trees
Big Trees and pollution/carbon
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1635842,00.html
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/15/trees-grow-more-older-carbon
https://environment-review.yale.edu/carbon-capture-tree-size-matters-0
https://www.wbur.org/earthwhile/2020/01/23/boston-urban-forest-street-trees