The Park Department's bench and table donation program is on hold as of March 17, 2025 due to prioritization of other projects for our staff. This page will be updated if and when the donation program reopens. Thank you for your understanding.
Bellingham Parks and Recreation offers community members an opportunity to donate funds for a commemorative bench or picnic table, which can include a personalized plaque. Styles may vary by park.
Park Bench Examples
Standard Bench
$1,500
Specialty Bench
Styles vary by park location – starting at $1,500
Picnic Table Examples
4-bench Table
$4,400
3-bench Table
Wheelchair accessible – $3,900
2-bench Table
Wheelchair accessible – $3,400
Donating a bench or table is simple:
1. Location
We are currently only accepting donations for existing benches and tables. Please review the current list of parks with available donation benches or tables. As new park developments occur, there may be opportunities for new benches or tables, and this list will be updated accordingly.
2. Application
Fill out and submit a donation application. Within 45 days of receiving your application, a staff member will contact you about your requested location. Due to the program demand and available resources, the Parks Department may not be able to accommodate all donation requests. Donations are granted on a first come, first served basis. Please review the Park Donations and Memorials Policy before submitting your application.
3. Payment
Once your bench or table location has been confirmed and approved, a staff member will send you payment instructions. Funds must be received in full prior to ordering your park bench, picnic table and/or plaque. Your donation payment covers the cost of the plaque and the continued maintenance of the bench or table.
4. Plaque
If you would like to add a commemorative plaque to your bench or table, here are some parameters to keep in mind:
- The plaque is 2 inches high x 6 inches wide.
- All capital letters are needed in order for the plaque to accommodate three lines of text. Otherwise, if you’d prefer to use uppercase and lowercase letters, you’ll have two lines to work with.
- The plaque will fit approximately 20-25 characters per line including spaces & punctuation.
- Once you submit your verbiage, a staff member will work up a proof for you to approve and make sure everything fits.
- Parks and Recreation staff must approve the location and text for all plaques.
- Sample plaque:
5. Installation
Our staff will install the plaque on your bench or table within nine months of your approved application.
6. Recognition
After your donation is complete, you will receive a donation certificate with a photo of the bench or picnic table and a map of the location.
Resources
- Donation Application
- Park Donations and Memorials Policy
- Sponsor a Tree
- Monetary & Other Donations
- Volunteer Opportunities
Contacts
Parks and Recreation
(360) 778-7000
parks@cob.org
All Parks Department Contacts
Online Registration and Facility Availability
