Financing Your School Garden

How do you finance a school garden? Are there grants to apply for? What about donations from local businesses? Can plants and vegetable sales help finance the garden? Do you have suggestions for fundraisers?

This section will provide school garden coordinators and educators with information about the financial side of funding a school garden including grant ideas, ways to generate income and links to school gardening funding resources.

Caretakers Grant

We are excited to announce the School Garden Caretakers Grant winners!

2024

Selina Warren, Kingfield Elementary School
Laura Hoeft, Multiple Schools in Franklin County
Kate Wuori, Stratton School
Deb Thibodeau, South Bristol School
Amanda Delorie, Benton Elementary School

The School Garden Caretakers Grant offered five $2000 grants to School Garden Coordinators to support their volunteer work (or supplement their paid work) with a financial vote of confidence in both 2023 and 2024. The School Garden Caretakers Grant application and award process was managed by Maine Agriculture in the Classrooms (MAITC) as they already offer grants to school gardens. We are thankful for the support for the two year 2023/2024 School Garden Caretakers Grants which were funded by the Healthy People Healthy Places Nature Based Education grant program administered by the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation.

Grant Resources

This spreadsheet contains information about funding opportunities for school garden projects in Maine. Some entries are more widely applicable to outdoor learning or STEM education, but all pertain to school garden projects. Please reach out to info@msgn.org for additional support.

Grant Writing Resources and Tips

Grant writing resources and tips to help you write a successful grant application and then insert a link to the article.

Funding a School Garden Program

Check out KidsGardening.org for information on ways to acquire materials and funds to sustain your school garden program.

How to Fund School Garden Projects

Whether your plans are modest or visionary, you can apply the following steps to financing your school garden project and yourself through donations, discounts, fundraisers, grants and more! You need to make a plan, break it down into steps, begin asking for help and then carry out your project. Before you know it, you will be on your way to realizing your dreams for financing your school garden projects (and yourself)!

Ready to make a plan to fund your school garden?

Plant Sales and Market Stands

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension has information and a listing resource for school gardens considering having a plant sale.

If buying or selling plants at a plant sale, see Cooperative Extensions Bulletin #2518, Best Practices for Plant Sale Donors and Buyers in Maine.
Check out Cooperative Extensions Garden and Yard page for a list of Plant Sale Fundraisers in Maine. This resource is for information only and reflects all the information they have been given. Please submit your information as soon as possible.
For more information, email isabella.viselli@maine.edu.