KidsGardening’s Youth Garden Grant

The Youth Garden Grant is a long-standing initiative by KidsGardening, established in 1982 to support youth-centered gardening education projects across the United States and its territories. The program's mission is to enhance the quality of life for young people and their communities by encouraging engagement with garden-based learning. The 2026 round of the grant will provide financial and material resources to up to 50 organizations to initiate or expand educational gardening programs that serve youth between the ages of 0 and 18. KidsGardening is a nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping educators and caregivers with the tools and funding necessary to start and sustain impactful youth garden programs. The grant provides $750 in funding, along with hand tools, a shovel provided by AMES, and a selection of seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds. In addition to the main grant, organizations may also be selected for specialty awards such as the Bluestone Perennials School Garden Award or the Crescent Garden Container Gardening Award, offering additional support for school and container gardening respectively. Funding decisions are based on demonstrated community need, lack of access to previous grant funding, and program impact—particularly for programs engaging 50 or more youth. To qualify, applicants must operate in the U.S. or its territories and serve a minimum of 15 youth in their garden program. Eligible applicants include schools, nonprofits, community gardens, and other youth-focused entities. However, recipients of any KidsGardening grant during 2024–2025 are not eligible for this cycle. Applicants must also demonstrate service to under-resourced communities and confirm that the program has received less than $10,000 in garden-related grants in 2025. The application process is conducted through KidsGardening’s Common Application form, accessible online. While the application itself is straightforward, applicants are encouraged to prepare their answers in advance to avoid browser timeouts. The deadline for applications is December 12, 2025, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Applicants will be notified of award status in January 2026 via email, and a public list of winners will be posted on KidsGardening.org. Checks and materials will be distributed in February 2026. Awardees are required to submit a grant-end report by June 15, 2026, including photos, a brief video, a narrative summary, and parental consent forms for any youth appearing in submitted materials. This grant is issued on an annual basis, and the next cycle is expected to follow a similar timeline in 2027. Applicants interested in specialty awards must answer additional questions specific to each track. For any questions not addressed in the application or FAQ section, applicants are advised to contact Program Director Sarah Lane at [email protected].

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