Search Through Plant Grants in the U.S.

Application-Ready Support - Just Transition Fund

The Just Transition Fund is on a mission to create economic opportunity for the frontline communities and workers hardest hit by the transition away from coal. Application-Ready grants and technical assistance will support organizations to develop and submit applications for federal funding.

Available Support

Through grants and technical assistance offered on a rolling basis, we help communities identify, prepare, and apply for federal funding opportunities.

Grants

We provide direct grants proportional to the size of the potential federal funding amount, up to $100,000, to support a range of costs associated with developing applications, including:

• Engaging experts for research, analysis, and/or grant writing
• Organizing or deepening inclusive community partnerships
• Conducting stakeholder engagement and support community planning
• Qualifying as private matching funds

What we’re looking for in community-led efforts

We’re looking for organizations working to create equitable local economies through community economic development strategies, workforce programs, and broadband infrastructure projects. Grants and technical assistance will help develop and submit competitive federal applications for community-led projects that:

• Connect rural and urban markets to strengthen local economies.
  • We will support organizations applying to federal funds to advance key sectors, invest in local leaders, build regional networks for collaboration, and creatively engage the private sector.
• Stimulate entrepreneurship.
  • We will support organizations applying to federal funds to promote collaboration among entrepreneurs, capital providers, and researchers. We will also support efforts to incubate and scale innovators and entrepreneurial training programs.
• Train workers for new economy careers.
  • We will support organizations applying to federal funds for innovative workforce development programs that train coal-affected workers and community members for well-paying, 21st century jobs, including programs that offer wrap-around support, engage local businesses, address worker skill mismatch, and create remote work opportunities.
• Close the digital divide.
  • We will support organizations applying to federal funds to expand access to affordable, high speed internet and connect households to this necessary infrastructure.

Our Story

We believe entrepreneurs are uniquely placed to transform the world, today and in the future, by using their skills, networks, and resources to tackle huge, seemingly insurmountable problems. However, they often lack the time, tools, or knowledge to direct their charitable giving where it will do the most good.

Founders Pledge exists to bridge this gap. We advise on, facilitate, and maximize the impact of our members’ giving.

In our vision of the future, the value created by technology benefits those who need it most.

Funding Areas

We are particularly interested in work being done in four areas:

• Global health and development:
  • Especially programs that can, in expectation, save a life for under $4,000, avert a DALY for under $70, or double income for one person at a cost of less than $30.
  • Note that this includes interventions that affect economic growth.
  • We don’t necessarily require that grantees be able to point to an RCT in order to demonstrate cost effectiveness.
• Global catastrophic risk:
  • Especially programs that can affect the likelihood of war between great powers, reduce risks from advanced artificial intelligence, or mitigate the possibility that biomedical advances could be used to cause harm.
• Climate:
  • Especially programs that can make a compelling case for advancing an important solution neglected by the large existing climate philanthropy and action effort.
• Animal welfare
  • Mainly corporate campaigns, especially in geographies where other animal welfare charities aren’t working — as well as on novel bets on cellular agriculture and plant based meats, including those that are trying to increase public R&D funding.

How We Can Help

There are three ways we may be able to help:

• We typically make small grants of between $50,000 and $300,000 from our various Funds, though in special cases we would consider larger sums.
• We can recommend much larger one-time grants of up to $5m to large donors.
• We can recommend programs to members on an ongoing basis. Such recommended programs tend to draw in variously-sized donations from Founders Pledge members several times per year.

Fruit Trees For Your Community

The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) is an award-winning international nonprofit charity dedicated to planting fruitful trees and plants to alleviate world hunger, combat global warming, strengthen communities, and improve the surrounding air, soil, and water.

FTPF programs strategically donate orchards where the harvest will best serve communities for generations, at places such as community gardens, public schools, city/state parks, low-income neighborhoods, Native American reservations, international hunger relief sites, and animal sanctuaries.

What FTPF Provides

Our orchard donations are available for recipients who pledge to care for their trees and utilize them for a charitable purpose. If selected for an orchard donation, FTPF provides high-quality fruit trees and shrubs, equipment, on-site orchard design expertise and oversight, horticultural workshops, and aftercare training and manuals. We subsidize deer fencing and drip irrigation as needed, and incorporate these installations into the event day.

FTPF also helps coordinate all aspects of the planting, and offers an inspirational, educational experience for volunteers interested in learning more about trees. Free arboricultural workshops are available throughout the day of the planting and, for schools, a fun, age-appropriate curriculum, with our educators, emphasizing the importance of trees for the environment and fruit in the diet is available. 

Monarch Watch is a nonprofit educational outreach program based at the University of Kansas that focuses on the monarch butterfly, its habitat, and its spectacular fall migration.

Free Milkweeds for Restoration Projects

Free milkweeds are available for habitat restoration projects in the Eastern and Western breeding range of the monarch butterfly. Monarch Watch and our partner nurseries have distributed over 730,000 free milkweeds for monarch butterfly habitat restoration since the program began in 2015. Thank you to our funding sources and everyone who has worked so hard to plant and care for these milkweeds!

This program focuses on distributing free milkweed plugs for large-scale habitat restoration projects throughout the breeding range of the eastern monarch butterfly population (east of the Rocky Mountains) and the western population in California. The focus is on the main migration routes.

Schools and Educational Non-Profits who demonstrate the following will be given priority for free milkweeds:

• Educational goals of garden clearly described
• A clear, long-term maintenance plan for the garden space
• Adequate space (at least 100 square feet) and light ( at least 6 hours per day)
• Spring/Summer/Fall nectar sources existing or to be added in addition to milkweed
• Administrative support
• – Provide a letter of support from your school or organization that landscape crews will not pull the plants or re-purpose the space in the foreseeable future.
• Commit to a follow-up survey in the Fall for photo submissions and garden evaluations.

Our Grants

RAF provides grants to organizations whose work promotes our vision of a world where the inherent value of people, plants, animals and the planet are honored and stewarded in a way that regenerates both human and natural communities.

Our Grantmaking Process

Much of RAF’s grantmaking is conducted with participatory grantmaking processes, including our farm bill advocacy support and Restorying Regenerative Agriculture. RAF has one annual distribution of its general grantmaking, conducted by invitation only, in the summer.

RAF was created as an intermediary funder for multiple reasons:

• To provide pooled funds and other tools to support collaborative funding into regenerative agriculture from across multiple sectors. Regenerative agriculture may not be the central focus of foundations that prioritize grantmaking in climate, public health, racial equity, and rural economic development, but regenerative agriculture is an important vehicle for advancing all of the goals.

• To encourage funders to see their work as part of an ambitious, transformational vision for agricultural systems. Agriculture is inherently a risk-averse sector dependent on annual cycles, and consequently change tends to be slow and incremental. Yet for many reasons, our ecosystems and our communities need systemic solutions, and fast. RAF seeks to create connections and partnerships between these short-term and long-term efforts, assuring that we collectively learn from the project work and celebrate each small step while continuing to envision long-term transformation.

• To serve funders as a repository of information and guidance about opportunities to advance regenerative agriculture. RAF staff, board, and partners maintain relationships with nonprofit organizations and networks across the country and are happy to talk with funders about grantmaking.

Regenerative Agriculture Foundation Funds:

• domestic organizations located within the United States and Tribal Nations
• organizations advancing RAF’s vision of a world where the inherent value of people, plants, animals and the planet are honored and stewarded in a way that regenerates both human and natural communities
• bold, on-the-ground efforts frequently outside the prevailing agricultural practices that are underappreciated as climate solutions
• a racial & climate justice emphasis on BIPOC-led and/or BIPOC-serving organizations

What is Ecosystem Thinking?

Humans are an integral part of the ecosystem, and living in consistent connection with the natural world is good and healthy. Everything is connected. The decisions we make have upstream and downstream effects.

A healthy bull elk is part of a much larger story. His existence reflects an intricate food web supported by everything from soil and water to songbirds and predators.

This is Ecosystem Thinking.

What are Ecosystem Grants?

We believe extraordinary impacts can be made not only by large organizations but also by grassroots efforts led by passionate individuals.

SITKA Ecosystem Grants fund proposed projects that improve the state and function of an ecosystem, allow for the growth of the hunting experience through access and education, and create opportunities for collaborative conservation.

Our Funding Priorities

• Nurturing Natural Systems
  • Habitat Restoration,
  • Biodiversity,
  • Conservation,
  • Working Landscapes
• Encouraging the Hunting Experience
  • Mentorship,
  • Access,
  • Education,
  • Well-Being
• Shared Stewardship
  • Prioritizing Whole Ecosystems Through Collaboration

Examples of Funded Projects

• Supporting efforts to remove fencing that prohibits or threatens ungulate migrations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and efforts to install wildlife friendly fencing in key migratory areas.
• Supporting research efforts to better understand mallard duck overwinter habitat use and population dynamics in the Mississippi River Flyway.
• Supporting a scholarship fund for a Montana backcountry hunting course tailored to youth and first time hunters.
• Supporting a local trail crew who, on their personal time, maintain and restore public trails.
• Supporting efforts to restore the Mississippi River Delta by planting native trees to help capture downstream transported sediment, strengthen existing freshwater ecosystems and reduce the rate at which critical habitat and land is lost due to sea level rise, increase frequency and severity of storms, saltwater encroachment and a reduction of land building downstream sediment transport.
• Supporting efforts by leading scientific groups and universities to research CWD with hopes of curbing its spread, and lobbying efforts to pass legislation that can increase CWD education, advocacy and awareness.

Funding Amount and Duration

SITKA Ecosystem Grants vary in amount depending on significance of the project, though most range between US $3,000 and $20,000. However, we do not have a cap on individual grant funding requests. Each grant request is reviewed on a case by case basis. SEG funds often serve as complimentary support, which is why we encourage applicants to seek additional, concurrent funding, and disclose supporting funds and partners within the SEG application.

Typically, SITKA Ecosystem Grants support projects for one year. However, in certain circumstances, we support grants on a multi-year basis.

The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust supports education and research in ornamental horticulture through grants to botanical gardens, arboreta, universities, and other charitable organizations strongly-aligned with its funding interests

Funding Interests

The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust supports education and research in ornamental horticulture, primarily in North America, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Australia, and New Zealand. The Trust seeks to fund projects that will further ornamental horticulture through organizations pursuing the following activities:

Research: The advancement of research in ornamental horticulture and the publication of the results of such research. Examples include:

• trial/evaluation gardens for horticultural potential of selected plants in a region
• discerning appropriate cultural techniques and best horticultural practices for a specific group of plants
• laboratory freezer for DNA samples

Public Gardens: Assisting in the creation, development, preservation, and maintenance of gardens accessible to the public for educational purposes. Examples include:

• new or revised home demonstration gardens or beds
• resurfacing garden trails for all-weather accessibility or ADA compliance
• damage remediation following a natural disaster

Ornamental Plants: Promotion of the environmentally responsible introduction, cultivation, and distribution of plants which have ornamental horticultural value. Examples include:

• testing potential new ornamentals for invasiveness
• promotion and demonstration of the use of local native ornamentals in local or home landscaping
• collections management software for ornamentals

Publications: Assisting in the publication of books or other works relating to ornamental horticulture. Examples include:

• guide to appropriate ornamentals for local and regional landscaping
• guide to best practices for controlling diseases and pests in ornamentals
• online publication of horticultural inventory for public access

Education: Informal and/or formal educational activities that further ornamental horticulture. Examples include:

• classes and workshops on developing and maintaining home gardens
• garden signage that notes cultural requirements, water- or fire-wise properties, or aesthetic attributes of plants
• horticultural internships
• construction or remodeling of educational facilities

Size, Duration, and Types of Grants

The maximum grant awarded by the Trust is $25,000, however, grants normally do not exceed $20,000. Grants may be approved for full or partial funding of the requested amount.

The grant period during which funds should be used is the calendar year. For example, for grants awarded in November 2025, the grant period will be January 1 to December 31, 2026. It is expected that funds will be spent during this year.

The Trust awards grants for project support only. Requests for general operating support are no longer accepted. The Trust does not fund endowments or capital campaigns, nor make grants to individuals.

The AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Program supports grants in six AFRI priority areas to advance knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture.The AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Program supports grants in six AFRI priority areas to advance knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture. The six priority areas are:

• Plant Health and Production and Plant Products;
• Animal Health and Production and Animal Products;
• Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health;
• Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment; 
• Agriculture Systems and Technology; and 
• Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities.

Research-only, extension-only, and integrated research, education and/or extension projects are solicited in this Request for Applications (RFA). See Foundational and Applied Science RFA for specific detail.

NAILBA Charitable Foundation Grant

The NAILBA Charitable Foundation is more dedicated than ever to providing grant funding to small, well-run charities that may not otherwise have access to additional funding. Since 2002, NAILBA Charitable Foundation grants have helped worthwhile philanthropic organizations plant seeds of change in their communities. We welcome grant applications from NAILBA members, partners, and corporate sponsors, and appreciate your efforts to improve conditions for those less fortunate.

Youth as Solutions

Youth as Solutions (YaS) is creating a generation of citizens who are passionate about making a positive impact in their schools and communities, addressing community health, educational equity, and environmental justice issues. Leadership teams of young people in grades 6-12, along with an adult mentor, apply to be part of one of the Youth as Solutions cohorts, where they will participate in a self-paced, active learning experience, identifying and taking action on an issue in their community. Students gain leadership skills while adult mentors receive quality service-learning instruction and resources. Youth-adult teams connect with peers in cohorts working on similar subtopics such as teen driving safety, health promotion in Latino communities, and so much more!

Focus Areas

• Education equity - is the belief that everyone deserves a quality education, regardless of their race, gender, identity, socioeconomic status, or any other trait.
  • Teams in the Education in Action cohort engage K-12 youth and educators (in school and afterschool programs) to increase educational equity in their school or community. Through the Investigation phase of service-learning, students discover needs and define the actions that will make significant change. From education, awareness, policy review and change, environmental and cultural supports and more, they have a voice in their educational experience and generating change in their schools and communities.
• Community health - empowers youth to save lives through youth-led campaigns that make measurable differences in their schools, communities, and beyond.
  • The Project Ignition Cohort is founded on a service-learning strategy that embeds the topic of teen-driver safety more deeply within a school/afterschool program and makes connections to academic goals. Car crashes remain a leading cause of death for adolescents. Project Ignition students address this fact by working in teams, investigating the issues facing their community, plan & prepare to take action, and engage community partners. They bring people together — and they’re saving lives!
• Environmental justice - challenges young people to address climate needs on a local level, impacting our planet now and for future generations.
  • Fulfilling our mission to create sustainability, youth teams in the Environmental Justice cohort work on improving critical climate needs. Whether planting a community garden, mapping safe bike routes, or securing solar panels to light a community sign, there are many local entry points for impassioned young people to create lasting change through service-learning. Connect to learning goals such as STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) or personal development goals such as leadership or civic engagement, these experiences provide a powerful learning opportunity.

• Civics And Democracy - Civics and democracy empowers young people to forge pathways to active citizenship, fostering leadership and driving positive change in their communities. Some Leadership Teams are engaged in serivce-learning experiences that promote unity and peacemaking to commemorate the events of September 11, 2001. Other Leadership Teams are expanding voting rights to those in Minnesota affected by recent legislative changes, serving as election judges in polling places, and acting as interpreters on election day. No matter the initiative, each endeavor reflects a commitment to civic engagement and the fundamental principles of democracy.

About Us

The mission of Mzuri Wildlife Foundation is to promote wildlife conservation and outdoor sports education worldwide.

Mzuri Wildlife Foundation exists to do the most good possible for wildlife throughout the world. The name Mzuri is Swahili, pronounced “mm-`zuree,” for “good.”  We fund grassroots organizations working at the community level to protect wildlife and their habitats. We invest in programs connecting people, especially youth and women, to the natural world through hunting, fishing and other outdoor sports and outdoor education programs. Our goal is to cultivate future generations who will enjoy, appreciate and safeguard the natural environment. 

Mzuri Wildlife Foundation (Mzuri) enables individuals to protect the wildlife they value and the sporting heritage they enjoy. We mobilize the financial and volunteer resources of our supporters to achieve more than any one person. 

Grantmaking Priorities

Wildlife Conservation

Since our founding in 1969, half of the world’s wildlife has disappeared. Partnering with grassroots organizations around the world, we are working to reverse this trend.

We seek out and support high-performing programs where our grant funds can make a pivotal difference to the project’s success. We invest in programs that protect wildlife populations through on-the-ground habitat enhancement and anti-poaching activities, wildlife research, community outreach, and other natural resource preservation efforts. The wildlife protections we support benefit all species of native plants and animals in the region. Healthy habitats support both flora and fauna that, once lost, are lost forever.

Outdoor Sports & Education Programs

We invest in organizations that cultivate and inspire future generations of individuals who will treasure the outdoors and protect these natural resources. Engaging more youth, women and others in outdoor experiences connects them to the natural world and fosters an understating of the importance of wildlife conservation.

The programs we support:

• introduce and engage youth in outdoor sports and conservation activities,
• encourage more women to participate in shooting, fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports,
• offer hands-on learning opportunities that promote environmental stewardship, and
• build an understanding of the value of wildlife resources within individuals and communities.

Our roots run deep.

The Ash Grove Charitable Foundation makes grants annually to support the work of public charities with tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code in the geographical markets that we serve.

As one of the largest cement companies in the United States and one of the oldest still in operation, Ash Grove plays an important part in the foundation and infrastructure of our country. And with plants from coast to coast, being a good neighbor in the communities in which we live and serve is a priority and part of our DNA.

Ash Grove territory is a lot of ground to cover. We believe in active participation to improve the existing and future quality of life in the communities we serve. This participation includes financial support to charitable activities. We aren’t just focused on building highways and buildings – we are also helping to build better communities.

Ash Grove is one of the largest cement companies in the United States and one of the oldest still in operation. Ash Grove plays a part in the foundation and infrastructure of our country. With plants from coast to coast, being a good neighbor in the communities we live and serve is a priority and part of our DNA.

The Ash Grove Charitable Foundation mission is to support communities today without compromising future needs, where nature is respected, minds challenged, opportunities created, and neighbors gather in the community. We stand together to build better communities. Communities that thrive today and for future generations.

Funding Priorities

The Foundation awards grants to charitable, educational, and scientific organizations, which are public charities.

The Foundation gives primary consideration to capital building and renovation projects for the following funding priorities:

• Nature – Protect or Preserve.
• Education – STEM
• Economic – Trade Skills
• Civic – Gather in Community
• Human Services – Shelter

Funding

The Foundation’s goal is to provide significant support to public charities for capital building and renovation projects. Grants for these projects generally are limited to $25,000. Consideration is also given to program grant requests. Grants for these projects are generally limited to $5,000.

America the Beautiful Challenge

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), through anticipated cooperative agreements from the Department of the Interior (DOI), Department of Defense (DoD), and the Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is pleased to announce the launch of the America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC) 2022 Request for Proposals (RFP). The ATBC vision is to streamline grant funding opportunities for new voluntary conservation and restoration projects around the United States. This Request for Proposals is a first step toward consolidating funding from multiple federal agencies and the private sector to enable applicants to conceive and develop large-scale, locally led projects that address shared funder priorities spanning public and private lands.

In year three of the ATBC, approximately $119 million will be awarded in nationwide funding to conserve, connect, and restore the lands, waters, and wildlife upon which we all depend. The ATBC seeks to fund projects across the following themes:

• Conserving and restoring rivers, coasts, wetlands and watersheds 
• Conserving and restoring forests, grasslands and other important ecosystems that serve as carbon sinks 
• Connecting and reconnecting wildlife corridors, large landscapes, watersheds and seascapes 
• Improving ecosystem and community resilience to flooding, drought and other climate-related threats
• Expanding access to the outdoors, particularly in underserved communities

Collectively, these themes allow applicants to develop landscape-level ATBC proposals that address conservation and public access needs that showcase cumulative benefits to fish and wildlife, carbon sequestration and storage benefits, engage with and benefit underserved communities, support community access to nature, and help safeguard ecosystems through conservation, resilience-focused and nature-based solutions. 

Program Priorities

ATBC will prioritize proposals that implement voluntary large-scale, on-the-ground conservation activities or otherwise lead to on-the-ground implementation through capacity building, community engagement, planning and project design. The overarching goal is to advance existing landscape conservation plans and/or propose to knit together a diverse stakeholder partnership that develops and/or implements new conservation plans. As part of this, projects should address priority species and/or habitat conservation actions identified in existing plans or other species recovery or conservation plans. Projects that are informed by Indigenous Traditional Knowledge (ITK) and promote Tribal co-stewardship are also encouraged. 

Competitive proposals will increase interagency and intergovernmental collaboration and address more than one of the program priorities below. 

Benefit At-Risk Fish, Wildlife and Plant Species

Conserve and restore habitat to improve ecosystem function and biological diversity, as identified by conservation plans, ITK, or emerging information for priority fish, wildlife and/or plant resources, such as threatened and endangered species, species of greatest conservation need (including game species). 

Expand Habitat Connectivity

Conserve and restore priority habitat and stopover areas along key migratory routes; conserve, restore or improve fish passage; conserve or restore lands and/or waters that are critical to habitat connectivity; or expand and enhance wildlife corridors that contribute to larger-scale conservation efforts (e.g., removing and right-sizing culverts, removing encroaching trees from grassland and sagebrush ecosystems, rehabilitating areas damaged by fire, treating exotic/invasive vegetation to improve habitat values, or voluntary conservation easements to strengthen habitat connectivity).

Provide a Range of Ecosystem Services

Demonstrate and quantify a range of ecosystem services restored (e.g., improving stream flow for aquatic resources, watershed health, carbon sequestration, restoration of Tribal subsistence resources).

Strengthen Ecosystem and Community Resilience

Conserve and restore natural systems that help ecosystems and/or communities respond to, mediate and recover from disturbances such as floods, wildfire, drought (e.g., enhancing a wetland to improve coastal resilience, invasive species prevention or removal to reduce wildfire risk, restoring fire resilient stand structure and species composition in fire prone forests, water conservation to address drought, expansion of wetlands to protect from flooding, grassland restoration to promote natural prairie ecosystems).

Expand Public and Community Access to Nature

Create, improve or expand opportunities for public access and recreation, in particular for underserved communities that lack access to the outdoors, in a manner consistent with the ecological needs of fish and wildlife habitat. Projects should be conducive to high-quality recreational experiences, such as biking, birding, boating, fishing, hiking, outdoor education, cultural activities, hunting and wildlife viewing. Projects should be predominantly nature-based in application. Hard infrastructure, such as parking lots and visitor center amenities, are not eligible under this funding opportunity.

Engage Local Communities

Applicants are encouraged to develop projects that incorporate outreach to communities, particularly underserved communities in accordance with the Administration’s Justice40 initiative, foster community engagement, and pursue collaboration with farmers, ranchers, Tribal Nations, states or other land managers to produce measurable conservation benefits. When possible, projects should be developed through community input and co-design processes, and incorporating ITK when possible. Additionally, projects should engage community-level partners (e.g., municipalities, NGOs, community organizations), as appropriate, to help design, implement, and maintain projects to secure maximum benefits for communities, maintenance, and sustainability post-grant award. 

Support Tribally Led Conservation and Restoration Priorities

Consistent with the Administration’s commitment to honoring Tribal sovereignty and advancing equity for Indigenous people, applicants are encouraged to prioritize projects that uplift Tribal and Indigenous-led efforts. These efforts may include but are not limited to Tribal co-stewardship of federal or other lands, restoration of Tribal homelands, access to and/or restoration of sacred sites, and elevation of ITK.  

Contribute to Local or Tribal Economies

Implement conservation projects that, as a co-benefit, directly contribute to local economies and underserved communities. For example, projects could help expand tourism or recreational economies, promote regenerative agriculture, or contribute to working lands and/or community or Tribal forestry. Applicants are encouraged to estimate the economic benefits that are expected because of the project (e.g., number of jobs sustained or created). 

Contribute to Workforce Development

Develop the next generation of conservation professionals, including through support for national service, youth and conservation corps engaged in conservation and climate-related work. Projects that develop the restoration workforce, in particular with AmeriCorps and 21st Century Conservation Service Corps programs, are encouraged.

Our Vision

Sustainability involves economic viability, environmental sensitivity, and social responsiveness, with emphasis on working with and preserving nature. Innovation involves creativity and new ideas that make this world a better place to live.

The foundation seeks to foster environmental restoration, preservation and education with emphasis on seed moneys that lead to establishing demonstration projects that link rural and urban settings. Projects could orient toward use of resources in sustainable ways, integration of food production, technology, economics, and community development in harmonious ways with the natural world, preservation of wildlife habitat as well as the diversity of wild and domestic plants and animals, and conservation of wilderness and open space. Of interest might be projects designed to restore and maintain biological diversity of flora and fauna or establishment of seed banks, sustainable land use, or appropriate technology for alternative energy resources. Efforts to find space in tight urban areas, bring the countryside to the city in the form of gardens, landscaping, and space are encouraged. Likewise, efforts to provide space and alternative living to urban people in a rural area are welcome.

A particular concern is with sustaining agriculture through organic, biodynamic, permacultural and other processes, training young people to be farmers, and linking farms to communities through community supported agriculture. Another area of need would be support for small alternative presses and periodicals that focus on issues and problems and their resolution and desire to impact broadly on society with their creativity and new ideas.

The foundation sponsors Laguna Wilderness Press that publishes books featuring the work of concerned artists, photographers, and environmentalists. Its books move in two directions: (1) to depict nature and pristine wilderness areas through photography and essay; (2) to focus on changing landscape and the impact of urban growth, technology, and development on natural beauty and resources.

With its interest in LWP and its home base in southern California, the foundation desires to direct attention to environmental groups and concerns in Laguna Beach, especially preservation and restoration of areas under conservation in the open space known as the Laguna Greenbelt or Wilderness and including the Laguna Bluebelt; projects that expand open space in the inner greenbelt, promote community gardening, including in its schools, restore wherever possible the canyon creeks to their natural setting, and help to establish the legacy of a unique place and its traditions of village diverse planning and vision, plein air painting, and historic homes and sites.

Project Types

Projects could orient toward use of resources in sustainable ways, preservation of wildlife habitats, conservation of wilderness, integration of food production, technology, economics, and community development in harmonious ways with the natural world. Also, another area of interest is support for small alternative presses and periodicals that show creativity and new ideas, and focus on issues and problems.

Plant America Community Project Grants

Plant America Community Project Grants help enhance and beautify our public areas and community gardens. Project grants to NGC member clubs help educate adults and children about the joys of gardening and create a pride throughout the community. Grants may be used for physical landscaping or environmental projects, or for horticultural or educational opportunities for the community.

Grants have been awarded to NGC member clubs since 2017. More than 250 grants have been awarded, totaling more than $225,000. 

Through Plant America Grants, up to $2,000.00 is made available to be used for direct expenses of projects. Projects submitted for receiving a grant may be a joint venture with another organization/s.

The scope of these projects in communities may include:

• Beautification and/or restoration
• Community gardens
• School gardens/classrooms
• Landscaping for Habitat for Humanity Homes
• Landscaping of Blue Star or Gold Star Memorial Markers
• Implementation of environmental practices
• A horticulture or environmental educational event for the public

Vision

An elevated place for species in the global conservation debate and a thriving global community of well-resourced species conservationists.

Mission

Elevate the importance of species in the conservation debate by:

• Providing timely support for grass-roots initiatives which make a real difference to species survival.
• Supporting those whose passion, dedication and knowledge is the key to saving species.
• Assisting the  conservation of species  in their natural habitats.
• Heightening awareness of species conservation.
• Stimulating renewed interest among young people in natural sciences.
• Attracting further contributions to species conservation from across the globe.

Grants

During 2023 the Fund will be trialing a process whereby the Fund awards grants for the conservation of threatened soil species. This is in addition to the usual grants awarded.

The Fund has been established to provide targeted grants to individual species conservation initiatives, recognize leaders in the field and elevate the importance of species in the broader conservation debate. Its focus is global and eligibility for grants will extend to all plant, animal and fungi species conservation efforts, without discrimination on the basis of region or selected species.

The Fund was established to support species conservation work, and so if your project is not about an endangered species it is probably not worth your while submitting an application.

The Fund will use the IUCN Redlist as the primary guide to the conservation status of a given species, although documented variations for sub-species, distinct populations and sub-populations will be taken into account. For those species not assessed through the IUCN Redlist we welcome other methods of assessment and the submission of quantative data to confirm a species status.

Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes

Mission

Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities.

Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Grant Program

The Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education grant program (SFE) advances Wild Ones’ mission to spread awareness of the benefits of using native plants by providing funding for native plants and native seeds for projects that engage youth (preschool to high school) directly in planning, planting and caring for native plant gardens. 

Annual Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge

Hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists and funded by the Seeding The Future Foundation, the Challenge is intended to support innovations that have the potential for significant impact at scale and over time, and benefit at least one or more of the following intersecting domains: nutritious food for a healthy diet; sustainably produced; and accessible, appealing, affordable, and trusted by consumers.

About the Challenge

Providing a growing global population with access to affordable, safe, and nutritious food for a healthy diet while maintaining the health of our planet will require transformational changes in the food system. Advances and discoveries in science and technology and creative new approaches and collaborations across cultures and multiple disciplines, will lead to forward-thinking innovations with the potential for significant food system changes.

The goal of the Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge is to inspire and support innovative, diverse, and multidisciplinary teams to create game-changing innovations that will help transform the food system.

Mission

Seeding The Future's Mission is to seed and support impactful initiatives and organizations that create and accelerate the pace of innovations that help transform food systems to become more nutritious, regenerative, and equitable for everyone in alignment with our overall vision.

Vision

Seeding The Future's vision is a global food system that always provides equitable access to safe, nutritious, trusted, affordable and appealing food for everyone and improves the health of people and our planet by being sustainable, resilient, and regenerative. Our moonshot goal is to positively impact the lives of one billion people.

Seed Grants

The Challenge will provide three levels of awards to incentivize transformative food system innovations at different stages of their development. Applications can only be submitted at one award level. 

Seed Grants ($25,000 each) will be awarded to organizations that are planting and nurturing high-potential, innovative ideas and have developed a prototype and/or initial proof of concept demonstrating feasibility. Innovation must benefit at least one, ideally two domains of the Innovation Focus Area without negatively impacting the others.

What We Do

Gardening improves kids’ lives, their communities, and the planet.

Since 1982, we have been supporting a community of educators and caregivers to bring the life-changing benefits of gardening to kids through our grant programs, contests, curriculum, and educational activities.

KidsGardening’s Flagship Garden Grant Program

As the leaves change colors from green to red, orange, and yellow, youth garden programs are preparing their gardens for the coming winter. Some in the south are planting another round of annuals, whereas, in the north, programs are planting cold hardy plants, seeding cover crops, or covering their growing spaces with mulch.

Fall is also our favorite time of year at KidsGardening because it marks the launch of our annual Youth Garden Grant award program! Since 1982, the grant has supported school and youth educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life for youth and their communities.

The gardening supply package includes ten wildflower seed packs, fifteen vegetable seed packs, ten pairs of youth gloves, one pruner, one looper, one Big Bag Bed, two packages of peat seedling trays, one plant support kit, one hose nozzle, one mushroom growing kit, two Tubtrugs, and two curriculum books.

In addition, five programs will receive a Container Garden Specialty Award from our friends at Crescent Garden, and five programs will receive a Vertical Garden Specialty Award from our friends at Garden Tower Project.

Applicants interested in either of the specialty award packages will have the opportunity to share why their program would like the specialty award package, how it would alleviate the challenges the garden program faces, what benefits they anticipate, and how the youth would use the materials.  Please read Award Packages for complete informations.

Funding Priorities

The selection of winners is prioritized based on demonstrated need and program impact. KidsGardening considers a variety of factors when determining needs, including:

Socioeconomic & Sociodemographic Factors:

• Does the program exist within or engage a community that has systematically been denied resources, whether physical assets and money or representative leadership and community services?

Program Funding and Support

• Does a program have access to consistent, substantial monetary support or prior grant funding? Are pre-existing resources (financial or otherwise) limited? Programs experiencing the latter are considered higher need.

Impact

• Will grant funding dramatically expand learning opportunities for program participants? Does the intended impact reflect the actual needs of the community?

Origin and Mission

Temper of The Times Foundation ~advertising for the environment~ was created in 1997 to promote the use of standard marketing concepts for increasing awareness about wildland conservation and restoration initiatives. Recognizing that organizations working to protect the environment, in general, have limited access to paid media, the Foundation provides funds to underwrite advertising designed to promote the conservation and restoration of native wildlife, plants, and ecosystems in the United States. The Foundation also supports earned media campaigns and other efforts to communicate about conservation and restoration initiatives and actions.

About Keep America Beautiful

A leading national nonprofit, Keep America Beautiful inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. We envision a country in which every community is a clean, green, and beautiful place to live.

Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful provides the expertise, programs and resources to help people End Littering, Improve Recycling, Beautify America’s public spaces, and Restore & Support resilient communities.

The organization is driven by the work and passion of millions of individual volunteers, nearly 700 community-based Keep America Beautiful affiliates, and the support of municipalities, elected officials, and corporate partners.

Our collective action champions environmentally healthy, socially-connected, and economically-sound communities. Keep America Beautiful continues to bring people together to transform public spaces into beautiful places.

Great American Cleanup Grants

The Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup is the nation’s largest community improvement program to clean and beautify communities across the United States each spring. This year, Keep America Beautiful and its affiliates are taking the “Great” American Cleanup to the next level – making it the “Greatest”! 

With a renewed focus to ‘do more’ to meet community needs, Keep America Beautiful affiliates will use this funding to: remove litter and debris from roadsides, highways, shorelines, and waterways; plant trees, flowers, and gardens; beautify community spaces through art; lead community recycling efforts; and clean and restore nature trails, recreation areas, and playgrounds. 

This program shift will support the larger Greatest American Cleanup campaign to clean up 25 billion pieces of litter and beautify 25,000 communities across America for her 250th birthday on July 4, 2026.  

In 2025, Keep America Beautiful is excited to offer its affiliates cash grants to ‘keep things growing’, boost efforts to support the Greatest American Cleanup, and bring communities together to do beautiful things. 

Mission Statement

The Harris Foundation envisions making the world a better place for the well-being and safety of plants, animals and human beings.

Areas of Support

The William H. and Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation funds organizations that qualify for 501(c)(3) status in five areas:

• The Arts. Youth as participants and/or as audiences.
• Conservation. Forests, rivers, lakes, wetlands, deserts.
• Educational Camps. Primarily youth, except for unique camps.
• Preventative Health. Humans only, and any ages.
• Wildlife and Large Animals. All wildlife. Raptors, Birds. Horses, etc.

The Harris Foundation does fund operating budgets.

With major support from Toyota Motor North America, the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) is excited to announce $200,000 in grant funding to support shovel-ready pollinator habitat enhancement projects on America’s public lands.

Habitat enhancement projects should directly support the creation, restoration, remediation, improvement, and/or protection of habitats for important pollinator species such as butterflies, bees, bats, and more. The project should impact pollinators on at least 150 acres of public land. Additionally, projects should incorporate community outreach and engagement activities designed to educate and empower the public to help enhance pollinator habitats.

Funding Priorities

Habitat Enhancement Projects

Projects must implement on-the-ground activities designed to increase the quality, quantity, and connectivity of pollinator habitats. Applicants must define a step-by-step plan including site preparation, size of the project area, and description of target pollinator(s). Due to the time needed for large-scale habitat restoration projects, NEEF will consider proposals that are already underway or that propose a distinct piece of an existing restoration project. Conservation and habitat restoration activities should be varied and science-based. If preparing a proposal that includes collecting seeds or cultivating native seedlings, applicants should describe the intended use of the seed or seedlings, and it should only represent one piece of the project. For new projects, they must be shovel-ready, meaning ready to implement the proposed project within 3 months of the award date.

Community Engagement

All project proposals must provide opportunities for public engagement through education- or volunteer-focused events. Projects should aim to collaborate with a diverse group of community partners to achieve engagement and educational outcomes. Grantees will be required to report on the number of events implemented and the number of participants engaged during the grant period. Priority will be given to proposals that serve underrepresented audiences in the outdoors with an emphasis on serving communities marked disadvantaged by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.

Project Metrics

To better gauge progress on individual grants and to ensure greater consistency of project data provided by multiple grantees, NEEF has provided a list of recommended project metrics. All applicants must commit to collecting and reporting on key project metrics listed below. 

Acres Enhanced: 

• Number of Acres 
• Number of Acres of Monarch Habitat
• Number of Individual Project Work Sites

Biodiversity Enhanced: 

• Number of Pollinator Species Promoted
• Number of Imperiled Species Protected
• Number of Native Plant Species Installed
• Number of Milkweed Plants Installed

Community Members Engaged: 

• Number of Individuals Engaged in Volunteer Activities 
• Number of Individuals Engaged in Outreach Activities 
• Number of Landowners Engaged
• Number of Toyota Employees Engaged
• Number of Individuals Engaged from Underserved Communities

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Garden Grant Program

Kids who grow veggies, eat veggies, so school gardens can make a big difference. Through our Garden Grant program, schools and non-profit organizations turn outdoor spaces into powerful hands-on learning gardens that connect kids with food, spark their curiosity and support classroom curriculum.

About the Program

At Whole Kids Foundation, we know that the more kids know and feel connected to their food, the more curious they become about how things grow or taste, and the more willing they are to try new foods. This is why we believe in edible garden learning spaces!

Our Garden Grant program provides a $3,000 monetary grant to support a new or existing edible educational garden located at either a:

• K–12 School
• Non-profit organization (501(c)(3) in the US/Registered Charity in Canada) that serves children in the K-12 grade range

Taronga’s Field Conservation Grants give funding and support to conservation projects that help wildlife, habitats and communities all over the world.

Taronga Field Conservation Grants are open to NGOs, community groups and individuals who have a new or established conservation project that could benefit from funding and expert support. Taronga will support the best in-the-field conservation programs with grants of up to $20,000 from a total of $200,000. 

Since launching Field Conservation Grants in 2008, Taronga has given over $1.1million to 105 projects worldwide, from 72 different organisations. Projects that have benefited from a Taronga Field Conservation Grant have helped to protect and regenerate habitats, stop poaching and trafficking of wildlife and reduce conflict between communities and wildlife living side by side.

Projects are selected by a panel of reviewers from across the organisation, with each project being reviewed by 6 panel members and scores averaged out and calculated to determine conservation efficiency (CE), assessing conservation outcome and project costs. Projects are ranked and the highest scoring projects are selected for funding. 

Taronga is for the wild. As a not-for-profit, Taronga has an absolute commitment to the conservation and securing a shared future for wildlife and people. Taronga Field Conservation Grants are one more way Taronga is working to achieve that vision.

Coal Communities Get Ready! Challenge

The Just Transition Fund is on a mission to create economic opportunity for the frontline communities and workers hardest hit by the transition away from coal. The Coal Communities Get Ready! Challenge supports organizations that are building readiness to apply for federal investment in locally led economic solutions. Meet the 2024 winners!

The Challenge

We know that communities have visionary ideas for growing and transforming their local economies, but often need targeted support to be ready to apply for and manage the federal funding that can bring these ideas to scale.

Through our Coal Communities Get Ready! Challenge, we identified a cohort of 12 organizations across the country that are building readiness to apply for federal funds within approximately one year. This opportunity is designed for organizations with little to no experience applying for federal funds. The winners will receive a one-year award, valued at $250,000, that includes grants for capacity support, and customized technical assistance to help build readiness to apply for complex federal funds at the end of the grant period. Winners will also have opportunities for peer learning and exchange with the other cohort members.

What We Looked For

We looked for organizations working to create equitable local economies through community economic development strategies and workforce programs, with model projects that are generalizable and replicable. Grants and technical assistance will help pilot and grow these projects and build the organizational infrastructure needed to apply for and manage federal funding. Specifically, we looked for community-led efforts that:

• Connect rural and urban markets to strengthen local economies.
  • We support initiatives that advance key sectors, invest in local leaders, build regional networks for collaboration, and creatively engage the private sector.
• Stimulate entrepreneurship.
  • We support efforts to promote collaboration among entrepreneurs, capital providers, and researchers. We will also support efforts to incubate and scale innovators and entrepreneurial training programs.
• Train workers for new economy careers.
  • We support innovative workforce development programs that train coal-affected workers and community members for well-paying, 21st century jobs, including programs that offer wrap-around support, engage local businesses, address worker skill mismatch, and create remote work opportunities.

National Garden Bureau promotes the health and healing powers of human interaction with plants through a yearly grant program for therapeutic gardens. Sakata Seed America is a leader in breeding vegetable and ornamental seed and vegetative cuttings. They are committed to supporting organizations throughout North America to help people live productive, healthy, and enriched lives. American Meadows says “We Do Good Through Gardening.” Their primary focus is to be great at providing home gardeners with the products and knowledge they need to succeed. They seek to be a trusted gardening partner for creative gardeners —those who are willing to combine new ideas and products with classic favorites. At Ball Horticultural Company, the motto Color The World is not just coloring the world with flowers and plants, but also ensuring that the industry and communities are vibrant and healthy by supporting organizations who promote nature, beauty, education and health.

Program Criteria

Each year, National Garden Bureau’s judging committee selects five Therapeutic Gardens to be the recipients of a Grant that will help the organization expand or perpetuate their initiatives. Those chosen will then compete via a social media voting contest by submitting a one-minute video featuring the gardens’ operations for First place, Second place, and three runners-up financial prizes. They will also be featured on National Garden Bureau’s website for national exposure.

Funding

$7,500 is available and will be divided among the five gardens chosen, with graduated amounts going to the first, second, and third-place contestants, as determined by online voting.

• First place award: $3,000
• Second place award: $1,500
• (Three) Third place awards: $1,000

The grants are co-funded by National Garden Bureau, Sakata Seed America, and American Meadows.