Budding Botanist Grant
In late 2023, twenty high-need schools across the United States will be awarded $500 in grant funding to support their youth garden programs.
This grant is closed. Read the list of 2024 awarded programs.
Budding Botanist Grant
The Klorane Botanical Foundation is committed to supporting programs that teach respect for the environment and protect nature through the preservation of plant species and biodiversity. Designed to further their mission, the Budding Botanist Grant will help our students learn about plants, explore their world, and inspire them to take care of the life they discover in their local ecosystems.
In late 2023, twenty high-need schools across the United States will be awarded $500 in grant funding to support their youth garden programs.
Eligibility
Public, private, or charter schools that are planning a new or expanding an existing school garden program designed to teach students about environmental sustainability and the importance of biodiversity are eligible.
KidsGardening grantees from any 2022 or 2023 grant program (Youth Garden, GroMoreGood Grassroots, Lots of Compassion, and Little Seeds Pollinator Pals) and previous Budding Botanist winners are not eligible.
Schools must:
- Support, work with, or serve communities and a majority of individuals that are under-resourced (systematically denied resources and opportunities based on race, gender, ethnicity, income level, abilities, geographic location, etc., or currently experiencing hardship such as a natural disaster, etc.)
- Have a free and reduced lunch rate equal to or greater than 40%.
- Have fifteen or more youth participate in the garden program.
- Have received less than $10,000 in grants for the garden program in 2022 or 2023.
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: How does the program exist within or engage a community that has been systematically denied resources, whether physical assets and money or representative leadership and community services? Organizations affected by multiple socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors are given priority.
Program Funding and Support: Does an organization have access to consistent, substantial monetary support or prior grant funding? Or are pre-existing resources (financial or otherwise) limited? Organizations experiencing the latter are given priority.
Impact: Will grant funding dramatically expand learning opportunities for program participants? Does the intended impact reflect the needs of the community? Organizations working with greater than 50 youth/people will be given priority.
Award Package
20 schools will receive $500 in funding to support the development of new and improvement of existing gardens that teach students about environmental sustainability and the importance of biodiversity.
How to apply
The deadline for application submission was Friday, October 20, 2023, at 11:59 pm PST.
All applications must be submitted online. You can download a copy of the questions to view ahead of time as a Word document or PDF file. We strongly advise saving the questions and then copying and pasting the answers into the application rather than composing your answers directly into the online form. Many browsers are set to timeout after 30 minutes of inactivity (or sometimes sooner), so you may lose your work if it takes longer than your browser's setting to complete or save your entry.
Award Notification and Fulfillment
Winners will be announced and contacted by email by Friday, December 1, 2023. A list of winners will also be posted on KidsGardening.org on that date. Awards will be distributed in December 2023.
Grant Recipient Requirements
Programs are required to complete a year-end report by June 15, 2024. These reports help KidsGardening determine the overall impact of the grant program. Winners will be provided with a link in May 2024 to the 10-question online form to complete.
Year-end reporting requirements include:
- 5-10 digital images of the garden
- Brief video update
- Parental release forms to accompany images of children
- A narrative about the impact of the garden program
If you do not feel that you will be able to comply with these reporting requirements, please do not apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are my chances of winning a Budding Botanist Grant?
We typically receive between 150-300 applications each grant cycle.
My program has previously been awarded a grant from KidsGardening. Am I eligible to apply for and receive a Budding Botanist Grant?
KidsGardening grantees from any 2022 or 2023 grant program (Youth Garden, GroMoreGood Grassroots, Lots of Compassion, and Little Seeds Pollinator Pals) and previous Budding Botanist winners are not eligible.
What makes a good Budding Botanist application?
The Budding Botanist Grant is designed to support programs that teach respect for the environment and protect nature through the preservation of plant species and biodiversity. As such, a competitive application will demonstrate a clear connection between program activities and goals and the grant’s overall objective. Please be as precise and descriptive as possible when outlining how your program seeks to both promote and educate youth about environmental sustainability and biodiversity.
We also encourage you to explore our Grant Application Support page for advice on how to craft a standout grant application.
How do I know if I’ve successfully submitted my application?
You will receive a confirmation email following the submission of your application on JotForm. Occasionally these emails end up flagged as Spam, so we recommend checking your Spam box.
What if I have started my application but have not finished it, will it be reviewed?
Applications that are started but not submitted will not be considered for the award.
What if I need to update my submitted application?
You can email [email protected] to make minor changes to your application. If you need larger changes, please complete a new application. We only review the last application submitted by an organization.
What if I submit more than one application for the same organization?
The last application submitted will be reviewed.
How do you select grant winners?
We have a team of grant readers that evaluates applications and supporting materials for about a month. A single application typically goes through three rounds of evaluation before being selected as a winner.
In the initial round, a single reader will review an application, using a standardized scoring rubric, judging it on assorted criteria including but not limited to demonstrated need, program sustainability and impact, and clear fit with grant objectives. High-quality applicants are then selected to undergo a second round of evaluations. In this phase of the review process, each member of the grant selection committee reads all second-round applications before meeting to engage in group deliberation and finalist selection. These finalists are then recommended to the grant program sponsor, who reviews application materials and confirms winner selections.
What can we use the $500 in funding on?
You may spend the grant funds on gardening materials such as raised bed materials, soil, plants, seeds, compost materials, tools, fencing, greenhouse or hydro/aquaponic materials, curriculum, watering supplies, observation tools, garden decor, cooking supplies, and programming. This is not an exhaustive list but merely an example of how the funds can be used.
A maximum of $250 can be budgeted to cover salaries.
I didn’t receive an email on Friday, December 1, 2023, the day of the winner announcement. Does this mean my program hasn’t been awarded a grant?
Grant Application Technical Support
If you have any questions that were not addressed in the above Frequently Asked Questions section, please contact KidsGardening Program Director Sarah Lane at [email protected].
About the Grant Sponsor
Founded in 1994, the Klorane Botanical Foundation is a corporate foundation of Pierre Fabre Laboratories. For nearly 30 years, it has been planting the seeds of botanical passion around the world. The Klorane Botanical Foundation has acted unceasingly to preserve plant heritage through three essential missions: PROTECT plant species under threat, EXPLORE the treasures of the plant world to better understand and protect them, and SHARE botanical knowledge with the largest number of people, particularly children.
Through its commitment to various initiatives, including the Great Green Wall, UNESCO GREEN CITIZENS, and Botany for Change, the Klorane Botanical Foundation gives back to plants the place they deserve in our lives and in our cities.
For over 50 years, Klorane has been committed to innovating plant-based and sustainable hair and skin care products that contribute to a more responsible world for future generations. In an effort to advance this mission, every Klorane purchase supports actions to preserve plant biodiversity, including the Budding Botanist grant program.
Apply for Budding Botanist
The deadline for application submission was Friday, October 20, 2023, at 11:59 pm PST
Grant Application Support
Grant writing tips and how to navigate our online grant application platform
More Grant Opportunities
Additional grant opportunities from other organizations
Grant Winners
Meet our amazing grant winners, listed by award
