This August, KidsGardening hosted a three-part webinar series on grant funding to help garden programs understand what to expect when applying for a grant, how to make a grant application stand out, and where to find grants for youth garden programs this upcoming year.
In the first webinar, Grant Basics for Youth Garden Programs, we went over the fundamentals of grants. We discussed five grant writing tips, learned how to determine if a grant opportunity is right for your program, reviewed a grant announcement, and drafted responses to common application questions.
In the second webinar, Crafting Your Narrative for Grant Applications, we discussed how to examine your organization’s mission statement, impact, and other details through a 12-question worksheet. We also reviewed a previous KidsGardening grantee’s application that had clear, concise, and impactful reasons for why they should be funded.
In the third webinar, Meet the Grantmakers Funding Youth Garden Programs, we hosted a panel discussion with Big Green, Captain Planet Foundation, Whole Kids Foundation, and Green Our Planet, all national youth garden grantmakers. After each organization shared what funding opportunities they have available this fall and in the spring of 2023, we dove into what makes an application stand out, what typical reporting requirements are, and the steps the grantmakers are taking to address diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in their grant programs.
Continue the discussion
And even though the webinar series is over, we did not want the topic to stop there! Would it be helpful to create a Fundraising Group in the Kids Garden Community to pose questions and share advice on this topic? The Kids Garden Community is a FREE online space to ask your youth garden questions, give advice, and learn from each other in discussion forums and live community events. Let us know by responding back to the discussion thread.
Upcoming funding opportunities
As you prepare to apply for grants this fall, refer back to the grant resources we developed during the series on our grant application support page. A quick refresher on the basics of grant writing, how to create your case statement, and the funding opportunities available will set you up for success.
Also, the following KidsGardening grant opportunities will be opening soon:
- The 2023 Budding Botanist Grant, opening in September
- The 2023 Youth Garden Grant, opening in mid-October
- The 2023 GroMoreGood Grassroots Grant, opening in January
Learn more about the webinar series.
