- filed under: Outdoor Classroom Set Up, School Garden Basics
BC School Garden Grants
School garden grants make all the difference in the start up, maintenance and enjoyment of a school garden. Grants and funds from sponsors are often necessary to run outdoor classroom and garden programs. And with school budgets so tight, it is all but impossible to get extra money for the supplies needed to run an effective school garden program. Information below is subject to change. I try to update this post at least twice per year. Give yourself plenty of time to write and edit your application. A clear and well considered plan will make your application more desirable to reviewers.
Have I missed an existing school garden grant? Please contact me to let us know about new grants!
BC School Garden Grant Information is current as of October 7, 2024
Current and Open Grants:
Farm To School BC
Available to: K-12 schools in BC, ongoing
Grant value: $1000
Grant window opens: October 1, 2024
Grant window closes: November 8, 2024
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Community Funding
Available to: Public schools and registered charities
Grant window: ongoing
Grant value: Up to $10,000
Farm to Cafeteria Canada Seed Grants
Available to: K-12 schools in all Provinces (except Ontario- apply for the Nourish to Flourish Grant in Ontario here)
Grant window closes: October 21, 2024
Grant value: $500- $3000
Nutrition Link Services Society
Available to: Registered charities that support nutrition literacy (existing programs only)
Grant window closes: September 30, 2024
Grant value: $2,000- $5000
Walmart Canada
Available to: public schools and charitable organizations specific to healthy eating, food access & building strong communities or disaster relief
Grant window: Ongoing
Grant Value: Varies by request
BC Hydro Grants
Available to: schools with a CRA charitable number and a project focus that aligns with their 3 priorities: workforce of tomorrow, safety and smart energy ideas
Grant Window: February 1- March 31, 2025
Grant Value: Grassroots grants $2000 Broad Impact Grants $10,000
TD Friends of the Environment School Garden Grants
Available to: educational institutions and charitable organizations
Grant window: Two grant cycles- applications due July 15, 2024 and January 15, 2025
Grant Value: $2000-$8000
Honda Foundation
Available to: public schools
Grant window: ongoing
Grant value: up to $50,000
Canadian Tire Sponsorships
Available to: Non-profit organizations
Grant Window: Ongoing
Grant Value: Contact your local store for details
Available to: public school & independent school classrooms or schools (no district applications)
Grant Window: Two deadlines September 1, 2024 or February 1, 2025
Grant value: $600
Whole Kids Foundation Bee Grants
Available to: The Traditional Bee Grant allows for K-12 schools or non-profit organizations that serve any grades K-12 to start a new or enhance an existing bee program hosting live bees on their campus.
Grant window opens for applications: September 1, 2024
Grant window closes: October 15, 2024
Grant value: A choice of a monetary ($1500) or equipment grant intended to support schools in bringing live bees to their campus or grow their already existing educational hive program.
WWF Go Wild Grants
Available to: K-12 schools across Canada looking to protect and restore nature their school-yard habitats
Applications open: September 9, 2024
Application closes: October 21, 2024
Grant value: $1500
Tree Canada: Greening Canada’s School Grounds
Available to: public & independent schools
Grant value: $3,500
Grant window: October 11 to December 12, 2024
FREE Professional Learning & Resources for teachers
Outside Play.Org
Available to: Parents, Early Childhood Educators and K-12 teachers. FREE tools and resources supporting outdoor play and learning. Three tools on the site: one for parents, one for ECE and one for school teachers.
The teacher tool is designed as a lunch and learn to build capacity for outdoor play and learning in your school community.
Take Me Outside
Available to: teachers across Canada
Information: Download the resource hub to access community partners and local resources.
The Outdoor Learning Store
Available to: Teachers across Canada
Information: Free webinars and curated resource kits for school gardeners. Recordings of school garden webinars and links to resource kits I helped developed can be viewed here.
Farm to School BC
Available to: teachers across BC
Information: Free webinars and EXCELLENT resources for teachers who wish to use their gardens as classroom spaces.
Ongoing projects that are free to teachers.
Bulbs For Kids
Available to: schools until all packages are claimed.
Sign up to their email list to be the first to know when bulbs are available again! Even if all the packages are gone this year, you’ll be the first to know next year! Requests for packages usually come out in the early Spring.
BC Agriculture in the Classroom: Planting a Promise
Available to: Teachers across British Columbia
Sign up with BCAITC to receive an email when the bulbs are available. Usually Early September.
Rick Hansen Foundation
Available to: schools wanting to improve the accessibility of their parks and playgrounds
Contact the foundation if you have accessibility concerns in your garden or outdoor classroom.
Jane Goodall Roots & Shoots
Inspiring and equipping the next generation of conservation leaders
Online guides, tools and resources are available.
Previous Grants not available at this time. Check back soon as grant windows can open unexpectedly.
Whole Kids Garden Grant Program
Available to: K-12 schools in Canada growing edible gardens (previous award winners can reapply if funds received before 2020)
Grant window opens: February 1, 2024
Grant window closes: March 1, 2024
Grant value: $3000 to support new or existing edible gardens
Ocean Wise Action Grant
Available to: Youth and young professionals (under 30) read grant for details
Grant Value: $250-$3000
Grant window closes: January 15, 2024
Scotts Miracle Grow for Good Program
Available to: schools and non-profit civic organizations seeking to develop sustainable gardens and green spaces.
Grant window opens: February 1, 2023
Grant window closes: February 28, 2023 (or when 200 applications are received!)
BC Dairy Association Mini Grants
Available to: K-12 teachers who have taken one of their approved workshops
Grant window: January 1- February 2, 2022
Grant value: $150
ParticipACTION Community Better Challenge
Available to: Schools & organizations that support physical activity
President’s Choice School Nutrition Grants
Available to: school based student nutrition programs operating a breakfast and/ or lunch program
Applications due: May 26, 2023
Grant Value: funding to purchase food and consumable supplies for daily school food programs
NutritionLink Services Society
Available to: Registered charities or qualified donees (like schools) that offer food literacy programming.
Grant window opens: July 31, 2023
Grant window closes: September 30, 2023
Grant Value: Enhancement grants $2-5,000; Start up grants $10,000
Whole Foods Foundation Canadian Farm to School Grant
Available to: public schools & non-profit organizations
Grant Window opens: February 5, 2024
Grant Window closes: April 5, 2024
Grant value: up to $10,000 for the development of a salad bar service at your school
Community Spaces Funding
Available to: Registered charities & non-profit organizations that improve the places Canadians meet, play, learn and share
Grant window: February 1- March 1, 2024
Grant value: $25,000- $150,000 per project
Canada Post Community Foundation Grant
Available to: public & independent schools
Grant window opens: March, 2024
Grant value: Multiple funding streams. Read the linked page for details.
PHE Canada Empowerment Grants
Stream One: Healthy Active Programming- for school projects that initiate, enhance, and/or increase access to meaningful physical and health education programming and/or healthy school initiatives. Grants typically ranging from $500 to $2,500 and can include garden related projects and initiatives that support physical and health education programming, healthy eating, mental health.
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