Sprouting School Gardens Grant

Overview

Across the country, Sprouts has been supporting thousands of school gardens and nonprofit organizations through our grant programming. To help more schools create or expand their school garden-based programs, we are pleased to announce our new Sprouting School Gardens Grants.

The grants range in size from $5,000 to $10,000 and support school garden program operations, program supplies, and educator stipends to help school gardens thrive. Organizations must be schools or 501(c)(3) nonprofits with a presence in cities and communities where Sprouts Farmers Market operates stores in order to apply. 

Organizations must first complete a full Neighborhood Grant* cycle may be invited to apply for a Healthy Communities Grant. The Healthy Communities Grant is designed to help nonprofit partners scale programs and serve a greater number of individuals. Grants range in size from $50,000 to $100,000, spread over two years. By offering multi-year funding, organizations can build capacity and expand their reach within the communities they serve. 

Sprouting School Gardens Grants are designed to create, sustain or expand garden-based education programs on school campuses that emphasize health education and nutritious eating. Funding can be used to support new school gardens or existing school gardens (indoor and outdoor gardens are both eligible), program supplies and educator stipends. Programs that include hands-on cooking or tasting components are highly encouraged to apply.

FUNDS SUPPORT THINGS LIKE...   

• Learning Tools: Garden curriculum books, cooking carts and supplies for your cooking demonstrations, root viewers, pollinator hotels etc.  

• Physical Garden Features: This includes garden beds, seedlings/plants, shade structures, sheds, hydroponic towers and other physical items in the garden    

• Educator Stipends: Full or part-time garden educator stipend for time spent in the garden or on continuing education   

• Tools & Supplies: Think classroom sets of gloves, shovels, buckets, wheelbarrows, hoses, or any item that is used to maintain your garden   

• Other: Supplemental food for cooking demonstrations 

This grant program is replacing our previous Neighborhood Grant, which since 2016 has awarded more than $4 million to 400 nonprofit organizations.

Grantees will be announced on July 31, 2024 and funds will be awarded in early August. Funds are restricted to the 2024-2025 school year and must be used within that timeframe. All grantees will be required to submit a final grant report, using a template that's provided, to share how the funds were used and to share results.