How does tree gifting work?
Your tree planting questions answered
Plant trees. Honour loved ones. Change the world.
Every £2 you donate plants one tree.
Your FAQ’s answered
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Yes. Every £2 you donate plants one tree in one of International Tree Foundation projects in East Africa. Your donation covers the full process of growing, planting and caring for trees with our local community partners.
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We have three projects in East Africa which are specially dedicated to plant these trees for you. One in Kenya, one in Tanzania and one in Uganda. We work with local community groups to plant trees:
On farms, where they provide shade for crops and animals
In schools, where they help clear the air and teach young people about the environment
On community land, where they help stop landslides, regulate rainfall and provide a place to gather
In forests, where they provide a home for wildlife and restore degraded landscapes.
Your tree will be planted in one of these places where it is most needed International Tree Foundation projects across East Africa, where forests and livelihoods are under pressure and trees can make a fast, lasting difference. We work with farmers and community groups to plant trees that suit local conditions and needs.
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Trees are planted and cared for by local people. We partner with community organisations who grow trees from seeds in women-led nurseries. These trees are then planted out into their forever home, where they are monitored and cared for to ensure they grow to maturity and thrive for generations.
This approach helps ensure trees survive and continue to benefit people and landscapes.
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Across our projects, we plant a wide mix of diverse trees from fruit trees like mango to native species at risk of going extinct like the African cherry.
We always ensure that the trees we plant are well suited to their environment and benefit the local community.
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Our local team and community partners decide what trees to plant based on their suitability to the local environment. This ensures that landscapes and communities reap the most benefits from trees planted.
If this is important to you, you can email us at hello@internationaltreefoundation.org to see if we can offer you a more bespoke tree planting service at an additional cost.
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We have three projects in East Africa which are specially dedicated to plant these trees for you. One in Kenya, one in Tanzania and one in Uganda. Trees are allocated to the project where they are most needed.
In order to keep costs down for you, we don’t offer the option of choosing your project or location.
If this is important to you, you can email us at hello@internationaltreefoundation.org to see if we can offer you a more bespoke tree planting service at and additional cost.
How does it work?
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Yes. You choose the number of trees you would like to plant. Each £2 plants one tree, so you can give a gift that fits your budget and the occasion.
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Yes. You can write a personal message for your recipient, which will be included in the email they receive. This is truly a thoughtful and personal and personal gift, even though the impact reaches much further.
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Your gift is sent instantly by email. This makes it ideal for last minute presents or when you want to mark a special moment on the day.
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Your recipient will receive an email explaining that trees have been planted in their honour, along with your personal message. They will not receive a physical item, which keeps the focus on impact and avoids unnecessary waste.
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Trees can only be planted in tree planting season, which for Africa is when the rains come. We’ll plant your tree as soon as possible when tree planting season arrives.
In Kenya that’s between October and December and then again between March and May. For Uganda it falls October to January and March to May. And in Tanzania it around November and December and again between February and May.
However, climate change means rains are less predictable so tree planting season isn’t a set date in the calendar. All the more reason to plant trees!
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Planting trees yourself is a wonderful thing if you have the space and time to ensure they thrive. But by planting trees with the International Tree Foundation, you can be sure that your trees will grow where they have the greatest impact and will be cared so they thrive for generations.
Both approaches matter. This is one way to take action that reaches further.
Who is ITF?
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ITF is the world’s oldest tree planting charity. We have over a century’s experience working with communities to plant and protect trees. We are a registered charity and are registered with the fundraising regulator.
We focus on partnership, evidence and long-term stewardship and we are open about what we do and how we do it.
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ITF is a charity, which means we dedicate all our funds and energy to creating the greatest, most lasting impact for people and planet. We don’t take a profit and we ensure everything we do is lean and efficient to drive maximum impact.
We are transparent about how donations are used. Funds support tree nurseries, planting, training, and long-term care, as well as the partnerships that make this work possible. Our focus is on lasting outcomes, not quick wins.
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Yes. International Tree Foundation is a registered charity. Your tree gift is a charitable donation that supports our work with communities to restore forests and improve livelihoods, which means you are able to Gift Aid your donation.
But unlike other charity gifts, you are not just donating to our general pot. Each £2 will actually plant one tree and ensure it thrives.
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A tree is a gift that keeps on giving. Not only are they great for our planet, trees are unique, eco-friendly and super easy gifts that you can share with your friends and loved ones.
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Trees are natures super heroes. Not only are they enchantingly beautiful, they nourish and sustain communities, protect wildlife and promote biodiversity. And planting trees is a simple act that will generate countless benefits for all life on earth.
What happens to my trees?
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From seed to maturity, trees grow at different rates. Trees in warmer climates will grow faster than a tree in the UK. In Kenya, a tree can reach maturity and start producing fruit in just three years.
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Your trees will be monitored and protected for at least three years, until they are fully rooted in their new environment. As your trees grow, they will provide food and shade, improve soil, help stop droughts and floods, clean the air and capture carbon. Over time, they help restore degraded land and strengthen community resilience to climate change.
This is a long-term gift, with benefits that continue to unfold.
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Planting a tree is only the beginning. We work with communities over the long term, training on good planting practices, providing equipment like water tanks in dry areas, fencing to protect from grazing cattle or wandering elephants. We work with local community to care for and protect our trees, like clearing weeds. And we employ drones, GIS and other technologies to monitor projects as a whole.
International Tree Foundation takes a holistic approach to tree planting, recognising that forests thrive best when people do too. By supporting livelihoods, restoring landscapes, and strengthening community resilience at the same time, our work delivers lasting benefits for both people and planet.
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Due to the scale of tree planting required we’re not able to match donations to specific trees or to label trees with plaques. We do however, provide regular updates, videos and pictures of our tree planting projects on our blog and in our monthly newsletter.
If this is important to you, you can email us at hello@internationaltreefoundation.org to see if we can offer you a more bespoke tree planting service at an additional cost.
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Sorry, no you can’t. But rest assured that our amazing community-tree planting partners will not only plant your trees properly but also nurture and protect them so that they can thrive and flourish for years to come.
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Due to the scale of our tree planting projects, we are unable to facilitate visitations. But you can sign up to our monthly newsletter to receive regular updates from our transformational tree planting projects.
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If you would like to know more before giving, our team is happy to help. You can email us at hello@internationaltreefoundation.org and we will respond as quickly as we can.
I want to know more!
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If you would like to know more before giving, our team is happy to help. You can email us at hello@internationaltreefoundation.org and we will respond as quickly as we can.
“A man who plants a tree is doing a very wonderful thing. He is setting in motion an organism which may far outlive him or his children, and year by year that tree is storing up energy and power, working with precision like a factory, but far superior to any factory of man.”