Capital Campaign Brochure

Capital Campaign Giving Opportunities

Your tax-deductible gift to White Mountain Conservation Burial will help build the essential infrastructure needed to create a welcoming, accessible, and enduring natural burial ground. Through our capital campaign, we are raising funds for projects that will be accessible, functional, and cared for as a living sanctuary for people, plants, and wildlife. To learn more about Oliverian Burial Ground, watch this short video by Jared Horton called In the Keeping of the Land.

Donations to any of the identified capital campaign projects will be acknowledged in our Annual Report, on our website, and on recognition plaques on the structures when possible.

Donate to Oliverian's Raise the Roof Capital Campaign Today

The Pavilion

Target: $50,000

Illustration by Sarah Coyne

At the heart of the pavilion’s purpose is the belief that people need one another in both grief and joy. The pavilion will create a shared space where all can come together to mourn a loss, honor a life, offer comfort, celebrate milestones, and strengthen the bonds that sustain them through every season of life. By welcoming both solemn reflection and joyful celebration, the pavilion will support the full range of human experience and encourage connection among people who might otherwise gather only in times of loss.

The 24’ x 24’ open timber-frame pavilion will be constructed from locally sourced materials, made by local woodworkers. Situated to be visible from the entrance, it will be located conveniently near both the Meadow and Grove burial areas, providing easy access for visitors of all abilities, including those with mobility challenges. Its open design will invite people in, while its central location will help make it a natural gathering point—a place where families and communities can find comfort, share memories, celebrate life, and come together in meaningful ways.

The Footbridge

Target: $45,000

Illustration by Sarah Coyne

The Oliverian Brook, named for a “Mr. Oliver who once fell in,” according to the 1886 Grafton County Gazetteer, bisects the burial ground property, leaving nearly two-thirds of the land inaccessible by foot. A footbridge across the brook is therefore essential to opening this more secluded landscape to those seeking a natural burial in a rustic woodland setting.

The bridge will unlock more than 20 acres of upland forest and allow scenic trails to continue through the wooded property, which is surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest. On the northwest side of the brook, more than six acres will be available for woodland burial, with the possibility of trailside burials woven naturally into the landscape. The bridge will provide access to walking trails, scenic overlooks, and glacial erratics, creating opportunities for visitors to explore, reflect, and connect with the surrounding forest.

Crossing water has long served as a powerful metaphor for the passage from life into death. In this setting, the footbridge can take on meaning beyond its practical purpose, becoming part of the ritual journey itself—a threshold between the familiar and the unknown, and a symbolic passage into a place of remembrance, reflection, and rest.

Benches

Each bench: $850
With engraved nameplate: $1,200

Illustration by Sarah Coyne

Benches placed along the paths, the brook, and beneath the trees will offer quiet places to sit, meditate, and contemplate. They will invite visitors to pause and observe the surrounding landscape, watch for wildlife, and enjoy birdwatching while connecting with the peace and harmony of the burial ground. Bench plaques in memoriam for sponsoring a bench purchase may be donated as well.

The Loo with a View

Target: $6,000

In keeping with Oliverian Burial Ground’s commitment to sustainability, a solar-powered outdoor privy will be located near the entrance from the parking area, making it easy to find and accessible to visitors, including those with mobility challenges. The roomy 10-foot-wide by 15-foot-long structure will house a waterless humanure toilet with urine diversion, providing an odor-free, low-maintenance facility. Solar lighting will create a welcoming and safe environment, giving new meaning to the term “comfort station.”

Illustration by Sarah Coyne

The Storage Shed

Target: $15,000

Pinterest image

Being prepared for a burial on short notice requires having the necessary tools and equipment readily available and in good working order. Located in the woods just beyond the Grove burial area, the storage shed will provide secure, dry housing for shovels, rakes, lawn-care equipment, shrouding boards and trays, tables, tents, chairs, and signage used during funerals.

Reliable storage will save time and energy for the volunteer crew responsible for digging graves, clearing and maintaining the property, setting up for services, and caring for the grounds in accordance with the wishes of those who choose to be buried here.

The Gate and Kiosk

Target: $2,500

Gate image by Jared Horton

At the entrance to Oliverian Burial Ground stands a gate crafted from tamarack trees harvested on the property. The smaller pedestrian gate welcomes visitors from dawn to dusk, while the larger gate may be opened for vehicles when needed for a service. More than a boundary, the gate marks the transition into sacred ground—a contemplative space where visitors can set aside the concerns of daily life.

A kiosk tucked into the entryway provides information to help visitors navigate and understand the property, including maps, rules and regulations, applicable laws, and other important details. Signage throughout the burial ground identifies areas where walking is permitted and highlights plants and trees of particular interest.