Green For Your Green

New grant opportunities that we find are announced weekly in News from the Acres, our newsletter. Sign up to get the latest in your inbox. 

If you know of any funding sources that should be here, please contact us and we'll add them. 

Note that many grants require 501(c)(3) status or a fiscal sponsor. If your group or organization doesn't have 501(c)(3) status, IOBY.org is a great local option for fiscal sponsorship.

Citizens' Committee Composting Grant - Grants of up to $750 will be awarded to community groups working on neighborhood composting programs. Groups eligible for funding include community associations, community gardens, friends of park groups, housing development groups, nonprofits, schools, colleges and universities, hospitals, and private businesses. Grants can be used to purchase materials to start or expand upon a composting program. Due March 22, 2013! 

City Garden Club Scholarship Program offers each year a limited number of scholarships for activity-oriented, science-related sumer workshops to New York City public school teachers. Apply by March 31st!

Katie's Krops mission is to start and maintain vegetable gardens of all sizes and to donate the harvest to help feed people in need, as well as to assist and inspire others to do the same.  The winner will be awarded a gift card to a garden center in their area for $400, support form Katie's Krops, and a digital camera to document the garden and the harvest. Apply by March 31st!

Department of Environmental Conservation:  DEC is offering two types of grants in 2013.  DEC's Community Impact Grants award  $10,000 to $50,000 to fund projects that address exposure of the communities served by the applicant organizations to multiple environmental harms and risks.  DEC also offers Green Gems Grants which award $2,500 to $10,000 for smaller scale projects that involve education, stewardship, or monitoring activities related to parks, open space, community gardens or green infrastructure.  The projects must include a research and educational component that will be used to expand the knowledge or understanding of the affected community.  Apply by April 5th!

Farm to School Grant Program assists eligible entities in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools.  $5 million is awarded annually (by the USDA) in competitive grants for training, supporting operations, planning, purchasing equipment, developing school gardens, developing partnerships, and implementing farm to school programs.  Apply by April 24!

Green in Action Awards will be granting, to inspiring schools, classrooms, or youth groups awards for demonstration of commitment, creativity, or passion for sustainability. Apply by April 30th!

Manhattan Borough President's Office (MBPO) Community Grants: Each year the Manhattan Borough President’s Office (MBPO) partners with City agencies to provide programmatic funding to organizations that sustain, foster, and enhance the quality of life for Manhattan’s residents, neighborhoods, and communities. Apply by May 3rd!

The Brooklyn Community Foundation's Micro Grants program accepts requests for $500 or less to help support smaller scale projects and organizations throughout Brooklyn. Our Micro Grants serve two purposes: to support grassroots, community efforts like beautification campaigns, Parent-Teacher Associations, youth sports teams, or community gardens and to serve as seed funding for start-up nonprofit groups to help support immediate needs as they build a rapport within the community members and among other funders.  Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Wells Fargo Foundation provides Community Needs Grants to support organizations working to improve communities with low- to moderate-income. In particular, the Foundation strives to improve education, community development, and environmental health, ensure access to health and human services, and to bolster civic engagement.

Don't forget The New York Community Trust (rolling deadline), JM Kaplan Fund: City Life Program (rolling deadline), and The New York Awesome Foundation (rolling deadline). 

MATERIALS

America the Beautiful Fund's Operation Green Plant program has collected more than $100 Million worth of surplus seeds, bulbs and garden gloves from major American companies. Grants of 100 to 6,000 seed packets are being offered on the basis of availability and relative need. They have a seed warehouse in Brooklyn contact Frank (347) 241-7353.

Through the BIG!Gives Back program, Build It Green!NYC donates used building materials to charities, schools, environmental groups and artists in New York City.

NYC Department of Sanitation offers free equipment for community-initiated lot clean up.

New York Restoration Project helps communities transform public spaces. Community members complete our annual application to help them revitalize a public space and after a selection process, NYRP lends materials, muscle and expertise. 

The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation -- Fruit Tree Orchard Grant Overview
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) is a nonprofit charity dedicated to planting fruitful trees. 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, and low-income neighborhoods.  For more, please visit www.ftpf.org. Orchard donations are available for recipients who pledge to care for the trees and utilize them for a charitable purpose. If selected for an orchard donation, FTPF will provide high-quality fruit trees and shrubs, organic soil amendments, equipment, planting volunteers, and on-site orchard design work, horticultural workshops, and aftercare training—with the goal of improving the surrounding environment and providing a source of healthy nutrition for the community. They also help coordinate all aspects of the planting, and offer an educational experience for volunteers interested in learning more about tree planting. Free community arboricultural workshops are also available the day of the planting.
Recipients must be nonprofits, public schools, or government entities that 1) own the planting site or have long-term arrangements to remain at the site, 2) are committed to caring for the trees in perpetuity, 3) have a source of irrigation nearby, 4) and can help coordinate local volunteers to join us on the day of planting.

GRANTS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE LATER IN THE YEAR

Department of Environmental Conservation is committed to providing support and assistance to communities in comprehensive planning, management, and education to create healthy urban and community forests, and enhance the quality of life for urban residents through its Cost Share Grant program. At least $750,000 in grants will be available to municipalities, public benefit corporations, public authorities, school districts and not-for-profit organizations that have a public ownership interest in the property or are acting on behalf of a public property owner. Communities may request from $2,500 to $50,000, depending on municipal population, with a 50/50 match requirement. Eligible project categories include tree inventories; management plans; tree planting; maintenance and invasive pest detection studies. Additionally, $1,000 Quick Start Arbor Day Grants are available with no match requirement to help communities support the beginnings of a tree program by having an Arbor Day celebration. Funds are made available from the Environmental Protection Fund and will be managed and allocated by DEC.

National Gardening Association Youth Garden Grants. Five winners will receive gift cards valued at $1,000, and 95 winners will receive $500 gift cards, to purchase gardening materials and supplies from their local Home Depot store specific to the needs of their program.