Garden Futures Grants

Geographic Scope: United States

Purpose: Awards grants to small public gardens and nonprofit organizations that make a significant impact in their communities through garden-based programming or contribute to the study and preservation of garden history.

Focus Areas

• Garden-based programming with focus on diverse populations
• Study and preservation of garden history
• Innovative and diverse gardening practices

Award Information

Typical Range: $2,500 - $10,000 (noted as typically ranging from $5,000-$10,000 in 2025)
2025 Results: $145,000 awarded to twenty-seven organizations across the country

Eligibility Requirements

• Organization Type: Small public gardens and nonprofit organizations
• Tax Status: Must be 501(c)(3) OR apply through a fiscal sponsor exempt under Section 501(c)(3)
• Budget Priority: Organizations with annual operating budget of $1 million or less will be prioritized
• Ineligibility: Organizations that have received a grant from the Garden Conservancy within the past three years are ineligible

Grant Purpose

• General operating support with no strings attached
• Can support particular programs if specified by applicant

Program Components

As part of the Garden Futures Grants program:

• Page Dickey Grant for American Gardens: Endowed grant of $10,000, awarded annually to a distinguished small public garden

Administration

• Grant decisions made with assistance of Grant Program Advisory Committee
• Full list of grant recipients by year available on website

Application Process

Current Status: The 2025 application cycle is closed. The organization will offer this grant opportunity again in 2026, but timeline not yet available as they undergo system updates.

2025 Deadline (Past): Friday, August 29, 2025 at 5PM EST

Organization Information Section

1. Contact person details:
   • First name*
   • Last name*
   • Email*
   • Phone number*
   • Title*
2. Organization details:
   • Name of organization*
   • Mailing address (street, city, country, zip/postal code)
   • Website URL*
3. Tax status confirmation:
   • Is organization 501(c)(3) OR applying through fiscal sponsor?*
   • Are you applying through a fiscal sponsor?*
4. Grant request:
   • Amount requested (in USD)*

Organization Description Section

1. Mission statement* (max 2,000 characters)
2. Brief organizational history* (max 2,000 characters)
3. Top 2-3 strategic goals for next five years* (max 1,500 characters)
4. Last fiscal year operating budget* (max 1,000 characters)

Garden Futures Grants Section

1. Which category applies:*
   • Making significant impact in diverse communities through garden-based programming
   • Contributing to study and preservation of garden history
   • Both equally
2. Describe the community/communities served* (max 1,500 characters)
3. Positive impact on communities, using data if available* (max 1,500 characters)
   • Include how impact is measured
4. Funding needs* (max 5,000 characters)
   • If particular program needs funding, share relevant details
5. Sustainable gardening practices (max 1,000 characters)
   • Describe efforts to implement or encourage sustainable gardening
6. Interest in program partnerships
   • Would you like to be contacted about potential partnerships? (Yes/No)
   • Note: This will not influence grant decisions

Supplementary Documents Section

Upload the following (PDF, Microsoft Word, or Excel; max 2MB each):

1. List of organization's officers and governing board members*
2. Most recent annual report*
3. Most recent Form 990*
4. Most recent audited financial statement
5. If applying through fiscal sponsor: proof of sponsor agreement
6. Evidence of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status OR evidence that fiscal sponsor is tax-exempt*

Photos Section

Upload 3-5 high-resolution images reflecting organization's mission:

1. Photo 1*
2. Photo 2*
3. Photo 3*
4. Photo 4 (optional)
5. Photo 5 (optional)

• Add credit line in file name if needed

Submission Features

• Can save progress at any time by clicking "Save Progress" at bottom of each section
• Must sign in to save progress
• Two confirmation boxes must be checked before submission
• All fields marked with asterisk (*) are required