Best Community and School Garden Grants in Alabama

Schools and 501(c)(3) nonprofits running on-campus school garden or classroom cooking programs in Alabama communities with a Sprouts Farmers Market can apply for grants up to US $5,000. Focused on horticulture, gardening, and school health, Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation supports program operations, supplies, and educator stipends, ideally within 10 miles of a store.

The Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship, established in 1989, offers financial support to students pursuing degrees in horticulture across 16 southeastern states. Administered by the Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund, this scholarship honors the legacy of Sidney B. Meadows, a dedicated advocate for education in the horticultural industry. Applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria related to academic standing and residency, with preference given to those intending to work in the field after graduation.

Nonprofit organizations operating organic community or school gardens that feed low-income communities in Alabama can receive support through Nature's Path Organic’s Gardens for Good program. This U.S. and Canada initiative awards US $3,000 to urban organic agriculture projects supplying food to soup kitchens, food banks, school feeding programs, shelters, and similar efforts.

About Regions

Regions Financial Corporation is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation's largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas.

Regions Foundation

Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact the communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.

Matching Gifts Program

Full-time associates and recent retirees (up to 5 years after retirement) of Regions and its affiliated companies can request a Regions Matching Gift to eligible organizations. The recipient organization must be a 501(c) or 170(c) organization located in the Regions footprint (except for accredited educational institutions, which may be located anywhere in the United States) and has a primary mission that clearly fits one of these categories:

• Economic and community development: Supporting economic prosperity through affordable housing, job creation, small-business development, homebuyer education and retention, neighborhood revitalization and stabilization, food security/hunger relief.
• Education and workforce readiness: Supporting career prosperity through student competency and skill building, college and career readiness, educational access and success, credential building and employment and educator training and resources.
• Financial wellness: Supporting financial prosperity through K-12 and college financial education, adult and workforce financial empowerment.
• Arts and culture: Organizations that promote visual or performing arts, historic or science museums, zoos, botanical gardens, libraries, parks or public radio and television.
• Service members and Veterans: Organizations that have a primary mission of supporting U.S. military service members and veterans.
• Individuals with disabilities: Organizations that have a primary mission of supporting individuals with disabilities.

Regions Matching Gifts for Full-Time Associates

Regions supports organizations important to our associates through the Regions Matching Gifts Program. This program, which is open for use for all full-time Regions associates, affiliate associates and recent retirees, allows you to make an even greater difference to your favorite charities by doubling your tax-deductible contributions to these organizations. 

About Regions

Regions Financial Corporation is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation's largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas.

Regions Foundation

Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact the communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.

Matching Gifts Program

Full-time associates and recent retirees (up to 5 years after retirement) of Regions and its affiliated companies can request a Regions Matching Gift to eligible organizations. The recipient organization must be a 501(c) or 170(c) organization located in the Regions footprint (except for accredited educational institutions, which may be located anywhere in the United States) and has a primary mission that clearly fits one of these categories:

• Economic and community development: Supporting economic prosperity through affordable housing, job creation, small-business development, homebuyer education and retention, neighborhood revitalization and stabilization, food security/hunger relief.
• Education and workforce readiness: Supporting career prosperity through student competency and skill building, college and career readiness, educational access and success, credential building and employment and educator training and resources.
• Financial wellness: Supporting financial prosperity through K-12 and college financial education, adult and workforce financial empowerment.
• Arts and culture: Organizations that promote visual or performing arts, historic or science museums, zoos, botanical gardens, libraries, parks or public radio and television.
• Service members and Veterans: Organizations that have a primary mission of supporting U.S. military service members and veterans.
• Individuals with disabilities: Organizations that have a primary mission of supporting individuals with disabilities.

Regions Matching Gifts for Recent Retirees

Retirees of Regions and its affiliated companies are eligible for the Matching Gift Program for up to 5 years after retirement (the gift date must be within the first 5 years of retirement). Regions will match donations of $25 or more, up to a total of $1,000 per year per retiree.

The Regions Community Affairs team will contact the organization on your behalf to verify the gift and review eligibility.

The Robinson Foundation Grant, established in 2016, aims to alleviate hardships faced by individuals and communities, demonstrating God's love through charitable contributions. As a family-operated foundation, it focuses on creating meaningful, long-term impacts in various areas including animal welfare, education, and disaster relief. Organizations eligible for funding must be 501(c)(3) public charities. The foundation prioritizes fiscally responsible projects with the potential for tangible results, while not supporting capital projects.

The Hunger to Health Collaboratory (H2HC) 2025 Prizes for Innovation aim to enhance health equity for youth through innovative funding in three categories: Food and Nutrition Policy, Nutrition Education & School Food, and Indigenous Food Justice. Supported by Newman’s Own Foundation, these prizes include $100K grants for policy work and $25K grants for education and justice initiatives. Winners will participate in the H2HC Fall Summit in Boston, fostering collaborative solutions to food challenges.

501(c)(3) organizations and government entities working on horticulture, gardening, and public green spaces in the U.S., including Alabama, can apply for funding to create or preserve landscapes, public gardens, school gardens, arboreta, and nature centers. Garden Club of Houston also supports related educational publications, events, scholarships, and library collections.

Rise Gardens provides Alabama horticulture and gardening programs with hydroponic classroom systems that support STEM and nutrition education. K–12 schools, homeschooling families, and education organizations may be eligible to create year-round indoor gardens that build hard skills, entrepreneurship, and community through hands-on, NGSS-aligned science and garden-based learning projects.

Students in horticulture or floriculture programs planning careers in commercial cut flower production can receive US $1,000 scholarships for education from the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, including those in Alabama. Funding supports tuition and related study costs, plus a one-year ASCFG membership for emerging cut flower professionals.

Universities, colleges, and federal research institutions in Alabama conducting floriculture and horticulture research can access funding through American Floral Endowment’s Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation Research Fund. Grants support research and educational projects in floriculture and related fields like plant pathology, plant physiology, molecular biology, and entomology, which may benefit community and school garden initiatives.

Alabama 3rd grade classrooms interested in horticulture and school gardening can receive free oversized cabbage plants and compete for US $1,000 in in-kind support through the Bonnie Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Grant Program. Teachers, parents, and administrators may enroll eligible classes, making this a fit for school garden and youth gardening initiatives.

Nonprofits, schools, universities, religious, and other tax-exempt organizations in Alabama can seek funding to turn vacant lots into community gardens. Focused on horticulture and gardening, KidsGardening invites under-resourced groups serving at least fifteen participants to apply for its Lots of Compassion program, awarding US $20,000 to 10 grantees across the U.S. and territories.

Nonprofit floral industry organizations in Alabama offering retail floral education or training can apply for the Meinders Retail Florist Education Grant Fund to reduce or waive registration fees for floral industry events. Administered annually by the American Floral Endowment Education Committee, this support may benefit community or school garden programs with a strong floriculture and retail focus.

Alabama horticulture and gardening nonprofits with local community projects can access funding through Kubota for initiatives like community gardens, parks, and public spaces. 501(c)(3) organizations across the U.S. may apply for up to US $50,000 in combined cash and equipment to bring community-led revitalization and beautification projects to life.

Academic, governmental, industry, and 501(c)(3) organizations conducting horticulture and plant science research in Alabama can seek funding to support one-year projects benefiting specialty cut flower growers. The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers Research Foundation offers competitive grants totaling US $30,000, encouraging collaboration with growers and projects that can be presented at ASCFG meetings.

Organizations in Alabama and across the U.S. planning new or improved youth garden programs serving at least 15 children can receive US $500 plus gardening supplies through the Youth Garden Grant. With a mission to expand horticulture and gardening education, KidsGardening provides support that prioritizes under-resourced communities and projects with strong learning impact.

The American Floral Endowment (AFE) offers educational grants aimed at enhancing the floriculture industry through innovative programs. With over $3 million funded since its inception, AFE supports initiatives targeting young people and addressing industry challenges. Grants range from $500 to $10,000 annually, encouraging multi-year projects that benefit broad geographical areas. Eligible applicants include community organizations focused on floriculture education within the U.S. AFE prioritizes programs with national scope and significant educational impact.

About Us

Some say natural is the new normal – but at Sprouts, there’s nothing new about natural foods! Back in 2002, we opened our first store in an effort to make natural foods accessible to everyone. Up until then, grocers offering fresh, organic choices were either too expensive to shop or too hard to find. We wanted to be different! No more weaving through a maze of narrow aisles without anyone offering to help. No more ingredient lists featuring 40 unpronounceable chemicals. And most of all, no more spending an entire paycheck for food from the honest effort of a farmer – not a factory.

To us, being different is good!

People thought we were crazy when we wouldn’t sell the country’s top-selling sodas, snacks and candy. But we believed that eating clean and living healthy was more than just a trend. At Sprouts, it’s our passion. And we knew that by focusing on farm-fresh produce and other healthy, affordable items, we could create a grocery experience where you didn’t have to be wealthy to eat healthy!

So think of Sprouts as all of the very best parts of a real farmers market under one roof, open every day of the week. With our commitment to value in every department, and knowledgeable and friendly team members, we’re confident that once you shop Sprouts you’ll think different is good too.

Today we have grown to more than 380 stores with approximately 31,000 team members. It’s these individuals who are the key to our success. They’re the ones who put good at the heart of everything we do at Sprouts … every day, in every community, with every guest.

Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation: Event Sponsorship

Thank you for considering Sprouts to support your organization. We value the opportunity to partner with local nonprofit organizations in the communities where our stores operate and are happy to lend a hand when we can.

Request Guidelines

Every day, Sprouts receives numerous donation and sponsorship requests. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we regret we cannot approve every request.

Students pursuing horticulture, floriculture, nursery management, or landscape design programs who reside in the Genesee-Finger Lakes region can receive the GardenScape Professional Association/Ted Burnett Memorial Scholarship for higher education expenses. While not limited to Alabama, horticulture and gardening students connected to community or school garden work may be eligible for this US $1,000 award.

Erie County, Ohio students pursuing post-secondary horticulture, environmental science, agricultural business, or related studies can apply for the August Corso Scholarship Fund from Erie County Community Foundation. Awards support attendance at accredited nonprofit colleges, universities, or nonprofit vocational/apprenticeship programs in the U.S., and may be renewable for up to four years, with financial need considered.

Alabama students pursuing horticulture or gardening studies can access scholarship support through the Community Foundation of Washington County Maryland. The Hagerstown Garden Club Scholarship assists Washington County, MD residents who are graduating high school seniors or current college students majoring in horticultural fields, which may benefit those involved in community or school garden education programs.

Nonprofit organizations, schools, universities, government entities, and other tax-exempt groups in Alabama can receive US $750 from KidsGardening to install or improve intergenerational community or school gardens. Eligible U.S. and territory programs must engage at least 15 youth and seniors, serve under-resourced communities, and prioritize shared gardening experiences across generations.

Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area

Our Mission

The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area seeks to ensure that our community thrives today, tomorrow, and forever by building our Community’s Endowment to support high impact charitable projects, helping donors achieve their charitable goals, and leading and partnering in community-level initiatives.

Scholarships

CFHZ awards over $1 million in scholarships each year for students to attend schools of higher education throughout the nation. Our scholarships are possible thanks to the generosity of donors who invest in our community’s future by furthering the education of others.

All Holland/Zeeland area individuals interested in post-secondary education are encouraged to apply for CFHZ scholarships.

The Foundation proudly administers over 100 scholarships, each with unique eligibility criteria that must be met before a candidate can be considered.

Peter and Huberdina Weller Scholarship

• Graduating senior, graduating early college student, or current college student from a high school within the greater Community Foundation service area
• Enrolling/enrolled at an accredited post-secondary school within the United States
• Financial need (must submit the page of the FAFSA Submission Summary showing the Student Aid Index amount)
• GPA of 3.0 or greater
• Intention to pursue educational opportunities and a career in horticulture or the biological sciences with an emphasis on botany
• All other qualifications being equal, tie-breaking consideration will be given to students of color
• Previous recipients of the award are encouraged to reapply.

The West Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association Scholarship, established in 2001, supports students from Ottawa, Oceana, Newaygo, Muskegon, or Allegan County pursuing careers in horticulture or the green industry. Administered by the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, awards consider financial need and academic achievement. Applicants, including high school seniors and college students, must submit transcripts and additional required documents. This scholarship aims to foster education and partnerships within West Michigan's green industry.

Stanislaus Community Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students in order to help them achieve their educational and career goals. We believe that by investing in our students, we are investing in a brighter future for Stanislaus. 

Bob Boggeri Farms Fund

Open to students planning to pursue a degree in Ag or Horticulture. Must be a FFA member and demonstrate financial need. Preference given to students from Hughson.

Award Amount:

• $1,000