Grants and Funding for Farm to School Projects
Many successful farm to school projects are made possible with grants and community-based funding, at least in the start-up stages. The grants on this page may be useful to get you started. These are mostly from national sources and may be highly competitive.
We recommend that you start by seeking local sources of funding and in-kind support for your farm to school projects. Several stellar Washington projects work by creatively using school budgets and partnering with community members and businesses for donations and grant support.
Please note that this list is gathered as a service to help you learn what’s available, and only updated intermittently. It is not exhaustive, and inclusion on this page should in no way be considered an endorsement by the State of Washington or the Department of Agriculture. If you know of other grant programs we should consider, please send them to us at farmtoschool@agr.wa.gov
Recent Grants
General listings of school garden grants or funding:
Budding Botanist
Sponsor: Klorane Botanical Foundation
Award Package: 15 awards valued at $1,200
Who qualifies: Public, private, or charter K-12 schools
Full details, criteria and application
Farm to School Apple Program
Sponsor: Organically Grown Company
Award package: Varies
Number of awards: Varies
Who qualifies: Non-profit organization, (501(c) 3) a public school or school district
Full details, criteria, and application
Project Learning Garden Contest
Sponsor: Captain Planet Foundation
Award Package: Two awards valued at $3,000
Who qualifies: School districts in Washington within 75 miles of the Oregon border
Full details, criteria and application
Gro More Good Hydro for Hunger Program
Sponsor: Scotts Miracle-Gro, No Kid Hungry
Who qualifies: K-12 schools with feeding programs in Washington State
Award Package: Two hydroponic units and start-up kits
Full details, criteria, and application
Green Thumb Challenge Grant
Sponsor: Green Education Foundation and Gardener's Supply Company
Who qualifies: Existing arden programs involving children currently in grades K-12
Award Package: $5,000 to support established school or youth garden projects
Full details, criteria, and application
Clif Bar Small Grants
Sponsor: Clif Bar Family Foundation
Award Package: Up to $7,000
Who qualifies: Tax exempt 501(c)3 organizations
Full details, criteria, and application
Samull Classroom Herb Garden Grant
Sponsor: Herb Society of America
Award Package: Up to $200
Number of awards: 10
Who qualifies: K-12 schools/classrooms serving grades 3-6
Full details, criteria and application
Teaching Gardens Network Grant Program
Sponsor: American Heart Association
Award Package: $2,500
Who qualifies: K-12 schools and educational facilities
Full details, criteria, and application
School Garden Grant Program
Sponsor: Whole Kids Foundation
Award Package: $2,000
Number of Awards: Up to 1,000
Who qualifies: K-12 schools, or non-profit organization working in partnership with schools.
Full details, criteria, and application
Bee Grant Program
Sponsor: Whole Kids Foundation
Award Package: $1,500
Who qualifies: K-12 schools, or non-profit organization working in partnership with schools.
Full details, criteria, and application
Grants for Edible School Gardens
Sponsor: Annie's
Award Package: $2,000
Number of Awards: Up to 1,000
Who qualifies: K-12 schools, school districts or non-profit organization working in partnership with schools.
Full details, criteria, and application
Budding Botanist Grant
Sponsor: Klorane Botanical Foundation
Award Package: $1,250 to $2,250
Who qualifies: Any public school, charter school or private school serving students with at least 40% of their student population qualified for free or reduced price meals
Full details, criteria, and application
Grants for Gardens Project
Sponsor: Seed Money
Award Package: Up to $600
Who qualifies: Any public food garden project
Full details, criteria, and application
Community Innovation Grants
Sponsor: United Fresh Start Foundation
Award package: up to $10,000
Who qualifies: Non-profit organizations, schools, universities, small businesses, and others with innovative projects that align
Full details, criteria, and application
School Garden Grant
Sponsor: Safer® Brand
Award Package: $500
Who qualifies: K-12 schools and students
Full details, criteria, and application
Community Impact Grants
Sponsor: Home Depot Foundation
Award package: up to $5,000
Who qualifies: Schools, government organizations and 501(c)3 non-profits
Full details, criteria, and application
Operation Green Plant
Sponsor: America the Beautiful Fund
Award package: Free seeds
Number of awards: 100 to 1000 seed packets as available, gloves, information
Who qualifies: Schools, community associations
Annual application deadline: None
Full details, criteria, and application
Public School Teachers Request
Sponsor: DonorsChoose.org
Award package:
Who qualifies: Teacher defined projects in schools
Annual application deadline: Rolling
Full details, criteria, and application
Other Grant Opportunities
Gro More Grassroots Grant
Sponsor: Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation
Award Package: $500-$1,000
Number of Awards: 175
Who qualifies: Tax exempt 501(c)3 organizations
Full details, criteria, and application
Carton 2 Garden Grant
Sponsor: Evergreen Packaging and KidsGardening.org
Award Package: $1,000-$5,000
Number of Awards: Up to 1,000
Who qualifies: Pre and K-12 schools
Full details, criteria, and application
Game On Grants
Sponsor: Action for Healthy Kids
Award Package: $500-$3,000
Number of Awards: 1100
Who qualifies: Public K-12 schools or school districts
Full details, criteria, and application
Captain Planet Foundation Grants
Sponsor: Captain Planet Foundation
Award Package: $500-$2,500
Who qualifies: 501c3 Non-profits and school districts
Full details, criteria and application
Youth Garden Grant
Sponsor: Kidsgardening.org
Award Package: $500-$1000
Number of awards: 25
Who qualifies: Non-profits, public or private schools, or programs serving youth ages 3-18
Full details, criteria, and application
Project Green Thumb
Sponsor: Fiskar's
Full details, criteria, and application
GreenWorks Grants
Sponsor: Project Learning Tree
Award Package: Up to $1,000
Who qualifies: K-12 students
Full details, criteria and application
Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools Grants
Sponsor: Washington State through Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Award Package: Maximum of $200,000 per public school district application
Number of Awards: Dependent upon applications
Who qualifies: Washington State public K-12 school districts
Full details, criteria and application
Get Out and Grow
Sponsor: Smucker's
Award Package: $500-$15,000
Number of Awards: 22
Who qualifies: K-12 school food service directors or school administrators
Full details, criteria, and application
Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program
Sponsor: USDA – NIFA
Award package: $10,000 - $300,000
Number of awards: not specified
Who qualifies: private, nonprofit entities meeting specific requirements
Full details, criteria, and application
Nature Works Everywhere Garden Grants
Sponsor: Nature Conservancy
Award Package: $2,000
Number of awards: 55
Who qualifies: Public or charter schools, or a non-profit 501(c)3 organization can apply on the behalf of a school
Full details, criteria, and application
Schoolyard Garden Grant
Sponsor: U of Minnesota Monarch Lab
Award Package: $1000
Who qualifies: K-12 teachers and schools
Full details, criteria, and application