Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day and KidsGardening share a belief that the garden has the power to do more than grow flowers and herbs. It can grow people, communities, and even kindness, too. Together, they designed the Lots of Compassion Grant program to support local leaders looking to transform vacant lots into gardens to help grow compassion in their community.
About 15% of land in urban cities is deemed vacant or abandoned, which can lead to many negative outcomes for surrounding neighborhoods, including decreases in physical and mental health and diminished feelings of safety & security. Lots of Compassion aims to provide resources to those seeking to transform vacant lots in their neighborhood into gardens for community growth.
Eligibility
School districts are eligible to apply. Groups and individuals are also eligible to apply by partnering with a fiscal sponsor who has achieved tax-exempt status. Previous Lots of Compassion Grant winners are ineligible.
- Provide proof of 501(c)(3) status, fiscal sponsorship, or qualify as tax-exempt.
- Support, work with, or serve communities with 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 fifteen or more people participate in the garden program.
- Use the funds to build a garden in a vacant lot.
Funding Priorities
The selection of winners is prioritized based on demonstrated need and program impact. KidsGardening considers a variety of factors when determining need, including
- Socioeconomic & Sociodemographic Factors:
- 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? Under-resourced organizations are given priority.
- Program Funding and Support:
- Does a program 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 considered a higher need and are given priority.
- Impact:
- Will grant funding dramatically expand learning opportunities for program participants? Does the intended impact reflect the actual needs of the community? Organizations working with greater than 50 people will be given priority.
Lots of Compassion Award Packages
In 2024, 10 grantees will be awarded $20,000 each to transform a vacant lot into a garden.
How to apply
- The deadline for application submission is Sunday, June 30, 2024, at 11:59 PM PT.
- All applications must be submitted online. You can download a copy of the questions as a Word document or PDF file.
Award Notification and Fulfillment
- Winners will be announced and contacted by email by August 23, 2024. On that date, a list of winners will also be posted on mrsmeyers.com and KidsGardening.org.
- Award funds will be distributed in two payments, September 2024 and January 2025, based on the grantee’s budget.
Grant Recipient Requirements
Grantees are required to complete a brief year-end report by June 15, 2025, and each year thereafter until 2028. These reports help KidsGardening and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day determine the overall impact of the grant program. You can download a copy of the year-end report as a Word document or PDF file.
Winners will receive a link via email to the 13-question online form in May 2025 and each year following. Year-end reporting requirements include:
- 5-10 digital images of the garden
- Photo release forms to accompany pictures of youth and adults.
For more information including FAQ’S, go to Learn more and apply!
