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Funding Resources

This page provides links to: grants for youth or community gardening, grants for youth programs, and helpful hints and instructions for writing a grant.

Remember, these are some benefits you can claim for your gardening program, depending on how it is structured: health and nutrition, food security, community involvement/building community, environmental education/teaching stewardship, building social skills and promoting psychological health, promoting academic achievement, service-learning/community service. . .

Specific for School/Youth/Community Gardening

  • Acquiring Resources: Fundraising by the National Wildlife Federation gives advice on writing grants and possible sources of money for schoolyard habitats and gardens.

  • National Gardening Association provides yearly grants consisting of gardening supplies for youth gardens.

  • NGA also has a way for you to search for other funding opportunities, either nation wide or specific for your region.

  • PETALS grant money for community, educational, and conservation gardens is offered through a collaboration between National Garden Clubs and Shell Oil. They will award to up $1000 per grant.

  • America the Beautiful provides seeds for educational and community gardens at cost of shipping only. Seeds are $12 for 100 packs. They also sell reduced-price publications on gardening tips and nutrition in gardening.

  • The Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Fund gives monetary grants (2002 awards ranged from$100 to $400) to organizations who work toward and promote the creation of natural landscapes with native plants and who teach environmental stewardship.

  • The USDA is offering grants for community gardens focused on providing food security in low-income areas.

Recommendations from National 4-H

  • National 4-H Council has a grants program that you can read about here.

  • The National 4-H web site has a list of awards and grants they have identified as relevant to the goals of 4-H.

Grants Specifically for Youth/Education Programs

  • The Captain Planet Foundation is committed to supporting hands-on environmental projects for young people. The foundation provides grants from $250 to $2,500 to school and community groups.

  • The Colgate Youth for America offers cash grants up to $1000 for outstanding projects to groups such as 4-H, Boy and Girl Scouts, etc. (It seems as if the project needs to be already completed and the money would fund your next project)

  • Stoneyfield Farm gives 10% of their annual profit each year to fund projects that help protect and restore the environment. They do not indicate the size of their grants, but do say that they also donate products to organizations for special events.

  • The Hasbro Children's Foundation supports the development and/or expansion of programs for children. Programs must be meet all of the following criteria: they must provide direct services to children under age 13, serve children and families who are economically disadvantaged, be innovative and provide a model from which others can learn, and be implemented by organizations with the experience and capability to ensure that each dollar provides the greatest benefit to the greatest number of children.

  • The Handspring Foundation gives grants to programs working with high-risk youth, dealing with children's health, or benefiting youth living in homeless shelters.

  • Newman's Own Charitable Foundation offers grants to nonprofits, schools, hospitals, and other 501(c)(3) public benefit organizations. Eligible grant categories include: the arts, children and youth, health, education, the elderly, environment, the handicapped, literacy, substance abuse education, programs for the needy including housing and food. Grants are given yearly with an application deadline of Sept. 1 each year.

Large Corporations Giving Locally

  • McDonalds funds programs aimed at the health and education of children. There are local chapters located in several locations across Virginia. To find the one closest to you, click on 'Search for a Chapter of RMHC at the top right.

  • Lowes Home Improvement stores fund community and grass roots programs that enhance the natural environment and community improvement initiatives such as park improvement/preservation. You can request donations through the management of your local store or through Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation.

  • Wal-Mart offers funding to schools and nonprofit organizations for environmental efforts and education.

  • Home Depot helps fund the development of safe, accessible playgrounds and also supports programs that 'provide children with a safe place to engage in learning activities and acquire meaningful life skills' (sound like a garden?)

  • The JC Penny Afterschool Program helps support afterschool programs for kids K-12. They specifically say they support 4-H, Boys and Girls Clubs, and YMCA. Grants are given year-round.

  • K-Mart has a program called Leaders in Learning that sounds like it supports diverse educational programs, but there is little detail on the web site.

Web sites with long lists of links to foundations offering youth grants

Grant Writing Tips, Suggestions, and Examples