Springtime is the perfect time for planting a new garden. If you’ve been dreaming of bringing a garden to your school, check out these funding opportunities to get started.

National Funding Opportunities

Garden Grant Program
Sponsored by Whole Kids Foundation
Through the Whole Kids Foundation’s School Garden Grant Program, schools and organizations turn outdoor spaces into powerful hands-on learning gardens that connect kids with food, spark their curiosity, and support classroom curriculum. Grants support new or existing edible educational gardens.
Deadline: March 31, 2021

School Garden Grants
Sponsored by Safer Brand
Safer Brand offers School Garden Grants to schools that want to create and start a school garden. Interested schools should explain their reasoning for a school garden and how they would use the grant.
Deadline: December 1, annually

State Funding Opportunities

Outdoor Classroom Garden Minigrants
Sponsored by Tennessee Farm Bureau and the Tennessee Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC)
AITC assists teachers in presenting agriculture curriculum to Tennessee students by helping to provide a crop garden that demonstrates the connection between agriculture, food, fiber, conservation, wildlife, and the urban environment. Gardens located on or adjacent to school sites that contain production agriculture crops are the focus of the Outdoor Classroom Garden Minigrants.
Deadline: Ongoing

Prairie Garden Grants
Sponsored by Missouri Prairie Foundation
The Missouri Prairie Foundation strives to educate the public about the native grasslands of Missouri. The foundation offers grants to help fund the establishment of a prairie garden or planting in Missouri. Gardens must be available to the public and must incorporate native prairie species.
Deadline: March 15, 2021

Conservation District Education Minigrants
Sponsored by The Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation (DNRC)
The Montana DNRC awards minigrants to assist with educational projects for youth and adults that focus on conservation and natural resources. Examples of projects that may be funded include aquatic micro- and macro- flora and fauna, community gardens, conservation day observations, outdoor classrooms/field trips, riparian and rangeland ecology, restoration, soils, water, weeds, wildlife, and workshops for youth and adults.
Deadline: April 7, 2021

The Flannel Shirt Fund
Sponsored by Maine Initiatives
The Maine Initiatives makes grants supporting programs that advance social, economic, and environmental justice in Maine. The Flannel Shirt Fund connects schools, farms, and children to gardens. Grants are intended to support the following activities:
• Developing gardens and greenhouses at schools.
• Developing cafeteria programs that buy local produce and products and engaging students in growing and preparing some of their food.
• Field trips to local farms.
• Presentations and workshops on farming, foraging, and sustainable agriculture.
• The purchase of gardening books and lesson plans.
• Older students applying their knowledge of gardening by teaching younger students.
Deadlines: June 1, October 1, and February 1, annually

School Garden Grant Program
Sponsored by California Fertilizer Foundation (CFF)
CFF provides cash grants to California public and private elementary, middle, and high schools to support the continuation or implementation of a school garden, either as an in-school or after-school program. The foundation’s goal is to increase the understanding and awareness of agriculture and enhance classroom curriculum for youth through first-hand school garden experiences.
Deadline: October 31, 2021

Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant
Sponsored by Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
IDNR offers Illinois educators grant funds to develop wildlife habitat areas as learning tools for students. Applicants should use native Illinois plants in their wildlife habitat area. A variety of outdoor classroom settings are eligible. Past recipients have developed butterfly gardens, prairie plots, rain gardens, outdoor classrooms, pollinator gardens, and more.
Deadline: November 30, 2021

Lunaria Grants
Sponsored by Idaho Botanical Garden
The Idaho Botanical Garden Lunaria Grant program encourages and supports educational horticulture programs. The grant strives to cultivate a lifelong interest in gardening and horticulture. The proposed projects primary purpose must be education; preference is given to projects that encourage collaboration and have an impact on the community.
Deadline: First Friday in February, annually

Outdoor Classroom Garden Minigrants
Sponsored by Arkansas Farm Bureau
The Arkansas Farm Bureau offers Garden Minigrants to Arkansas schools and organizations to show that agriculture is an integral part of everyday life. Gardens are designed to demonstrate the connection between agriculture, food, fiber, conservation, wildlife, and the urban environment.
Deadline: February 15, annually