Discretionary Grants

The George E. Archer Foundation supports diverse youth gardening education programs through its discretionary grants, aimed at nonprofit organizations in five counties in Indiana. With a focus on sustainable and organic methods, the foundation funds programs that engage students from kindergarten through 12th grade or support educator training in youth gardening practices. Grants are tailored to support projects that foster knowledge in areas such as nutrition, environmental sustainability, vocational training, leadership, emotional development, and community service through gardening. Organizations may apply for funding at any time, but they must begin the process by submitting a one-page letter of inquiry summarizing the proposed project. Only after approval of the inquiry may applicants proceed with submitting a full application. The maximum grant award is $5,000, and each program must serve at least five children. Only organizations located in Brown, Greene, Lawrence, Monroe, or Owen counties in Indiana are eligible. Funded programs must integrate organic or sustainable gardening methods and show a commitment to gardening as a vehicle for learning and development. Applicants are advised to draft their responses in a separate document before using the online system to submit their applications. Completed applications must include all required answers and supporting materials. The foundation emphasizes the importance of complete and thoughtful responses; repetitive answers and skipped questions may negatively affect consideration. Award decisions are typically communicated within 30 days of submission. If selected for funding, organizations are required to track their program outcomes and submit a final report within 90 days of the project’s completion. This report must detail program impact and provide measurable results. Failure to submit the report will result in disqualification from future grant opportunities from the foundation. Year-end impact reports are similarly required for long-term evaluation of funded projects. The foundation prioritizes projects that are innovative, responsive to community needs, and emphasize student development in both academic and personal growth areas. While the foundation supports a wide range of program types, staff salaries are not an eligible use of funds. All grants are awarded exclusively to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that meet the outlined geographic and programmatic criteria.

Ensure project serves at least five youth and follows sustainable practices; incomplete applications or failure to report disqualifies future requests.