KidsGardening: Youth Garden Grant

The KidsGardening Youth Garden Grant supports organizations in the U.S. or U.S. Territories that aim to enhance youth gardening programs. With a focus on underserved communities, the grant provides resources to develop or improve garden projects for youth aged 0-18. This initiative not only promotes educational opportunities but also fosters community engagement through gardening. Recipients receive a variety of supplies, including seeds and gardening tools, to help cultivate sustainable gardening practices.

Since 1982, we have been supporting a community of educators and caregivers to bring the life-changing benefits of gardening to kids through our grant programs, contests, curriculum, and educational activities.
KidsGardening’s Flagship Garden Grant Program
As the leaves change colors from green to red, orange, and yellow, youth garden programs are preparing their gardens for the coming winter. Some in the south are planting another round of annuals, whereas, in the north, programs are planting cold hardy plants, seeding cover crops, or covering their growing spaces with mulch.
Fall is also our favorite time of year at KidsGardening because it marks the launch of our annual Youth Garden Grant award program! Since 1982, the grant has supported school and youth educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life for youth and their communities.
The gardening supply package includes ten wildflower seed packs, fifteen vegetable seed packs, ten pairs of youth gloves, one pruner, one looper, one Big Bag Bed, two packages of peat seedling trays, one plant support kit, one hose nozzle, one mushroom growing kit, two Tubtrugs, and two curriculum books.
In addition, five programs will receive a Container Garden Specialty Award from our friends at Crescent Garden, and five programs will receive a Vertical Garden Specialty Award from our friends at Garden Tower Project.
Applicants interested in either of the specialty award packages will have the opportunity to share why their program would like the specialty award package, how it would alleviate the challenges the garden program faces, what benefits they anticipate, and how the youth would use the materials.  Please read Award Packages for complete informations.
Funding Priorities
The selection of winners is prioritized based on demonstrated need and program impact. KidsGardening considers a variety of factors when determining needs, including:

• Socioeconomic & Sociodemographic Factors:

Does the program exist within or engage a community that has systematically been denied resources, whether physical assets and money or representative leadership and community services?
Program Funding and Support
Does a program have access to consistent, substantial monetary support or prior grant funding? Are pre-existing resources (financial or otherwise) limited? Programs experiencing the latter are considered higher need.
Impact
Will grant funding dramatically expand learning opportunities for program participants? Does the intended impact reflect the actual needs of the community?

Eligibility

Any organization in the United States or US Territories planning a new or improving an existing garden program that serves at least 15 youth between the ages of 0 and 18 is eligible to apply.

Ineligibility

Previous Youth Garden Grant winners are not eligible.