Donation Opportunities at Hillside Cemetery & Arboretum

We invite you to support our preservation and restoration efforts. Your gift helps care for this historic landscape and ensures it will be enjoyed for generations to come. Current projects include:

  • Headstone Restoration – Goal: $25,000 (2026). An ongoing effort to restore the oldest monuments and headstones, many belonging to Revolutionary and Civil War patriots, founding families, and early 1800s residents.

  • Veterans’ Headstone Cleaning – Donations starting at $25.00. With over 450 veterans interred at Hillside from the Revolutionary War to recent conflicts; your gift provides cleaning supplies for volunteers and Scouts who donate their time.

  • Cedar Meadow Restoration – Goal: $6,000 (2026). Care for our natural burial section by removing invasive plants and reestablishing native grasses and pollinator habitat. Hillside is a stop on the state designated Pollinator Pathway.

  • New Arboretum Trees – $1,200–$5,000 per tree. Add to the collection! Donations cover the purchase, cost of planting and care for one year. A wish list of species is available.

  • Stone Wall Rebuilding – Goal: $15,000–$25,000 (2026). Restore the historic entrance wall along Ridgefield Road with masonry repair, stump removal, and refreshed landscaping.

  • General Support – Smaller gifts are always welcome and may be designated toward any of these projects.

In Memory Of…Bench Program 

A donation of a bench In Memory or In Honor is a wonderful way to support Hillside Cemetery and to share a special thought of a loved one. Commemorate your loved one’s life or rite of passage with a contribution towards a bench. Contact the office for more information.

Support and Donations

Donations to Hillside Cemetery assist in maintenance, beautification and repairs  that are beyond the normal upkeep of the grounds, build educational programs and support community events such as the Service of Remembrance.

Creating a Bequest (Current Will or Living Will)

A bequest in your will allows you to pass any dollar amount you wish to Hillside Cemetery free of estate tax. You have the flexibility of giving cash, a percentage of your estate, a specific dollar amount, with or without restrictions.

Gifts of Life Insurance

You can name Hillside Cemetery as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy.

Charitable Gifts with IRA Assets

You can name Hillside Cemetery as a beneficiary on an IRA account leaving all or some of the assets to Hillside. No income or estate tax are due when the money is donated. When an IRA is designated to Hillside your estate will receive an estate tax charitable deduction.

Donating Stocks

Donating appreciated stocks to Hillside can provide tax benefits including a charitable deduction (generally for the fair market value of the securities at the time of the contribution) and you are not taxed on the capital gain that would result if you sold the stock.

Please consult with your professional financial planner, accountant or estate attorney to determine how your gift may affect your overall financial plan.