School Garden Grant Application Process

The School Garden Grant Program is a collaboration between Whole Kids Foundation, Whole Foods Market and FoodCorps. Thanks to the generosity of Whole Foods Market customers, Whole Kids Foundation is able to provide grants of $2,000 to support school garden projects in the US, UK and Canada.

To be eligible for a garden grant, applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or nonprofit K-12 school that is developing or currently maintaining a school garden project that will help children engage with fresh fruits and vegetables. Garden projects may be at any stage of development; planning, construction or operation. For cases in which an applicant facilitates garden projects in more than one school, multiple garden grants may be requested under a single application. In occasional cases, additional funds may be awarded for special projects. In selecting grant recipients, priority will be given to both limited-resource communities and to projects that demonstrate strong buy-in from stakeholders. There is a limit of one garden grant per school.

To be considered, applications must be received by 5pm CST, December 31, 2011. Applications must be complete in order to be considered and cannot be changed once submitted. Initial grantees will be announced in February 2012. Grant funds will only be disbursed after a grant agreement has been signed and returned by grantee. Once final funding decisions are made grants will be awarded by Whole Kids Foundation. Funds will be disbursed to recipients as a one-time, one-year award. Completion of an end-of-grant survey will be required for all recipients.

For questions related to the application process please review the FAQs and application, then contact info@gardengrants.com if you need assistance.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Applicants must:

Be a nonprofit school or school district (public, private or charter, elementary, middle or secondary) or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working in partnership with one or more schools.
Have the capacity to manage grant funds responsibly and the skills and experience necessary to undertake a project involving school gardens.
Demonstrate that the garden project has strong participation from stakeholders, including the school principal, volunteers and a community partner.
Demonstrate that thoughtful consideration is being given to the technical challenges of school garden construction and maintenance: soil testing, water availability, tool storage and municipal regulations.
Articulate a compelling plan for integrating the garden into the life of the school and community, including plans to put the garden's produce to good use.

How to apply

Complete the online application by 5pm CST, December 31, 2011. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

If you are a multi-school district or a nonprofit organization that works with multiple schools, you may request multiple grants on a single application. Note that you must complete the "Add Another School" section for each additional grant you wish to request. These grants may only receive partial funding.

Notification

Grant outcome notifications will begin in February 2012. Applicants can check the status of their grant application anytime by logging into their account.

Reporting and Compliance

Grantee holds full legal and financial responsibility for its garden project.
Grant funds are subject to audit; receipts must be kept by grantee for three years.
Grantee must complete basic accountings and reports, to be furnished by email.

To apply you'll need

Tax ID number for the applicant
PDF of the applicant's IRS Tax Exempt Letter (for uploading)
Goals for the garden project
Letter of authorization and support from the school principal on school letterhead
Participating garden coordinator and volunteers
School enrollment total, with free and reduced lunch percentages
Community partner supporting the garden project
Photo of the garden site
Information on local, city, state policies related to school gardens
Plan for the garden harvest
Understanding of curriculum integration – specify subjects
Communication plan
Budget and timeline
Plan to engage students in the garden
Plan for sustaining the garden over multiple years

Apply online at the Garden Grant Application website.