2026 Lots of Compassion Grant Application
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  • 2026 Lots of Compassion Grant Application

    Together, Mrs. Meyers Clean Day and KidsGardening 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. In 2026, 10 grantees will receive $20,000 each to transform a vacant lot into a garden. A total of $200,000 will be awarded.

  • Para aplicar en español, haga clic en el botón “English (US)” y cámbielo a “Espanol”.

    The deadline for application submission is June 15, 2026, at 11:59 PM PT.

    Grantees will be announced and contacted by email in late August. A list of grantees will also be posted on KidsGardening.org/grant-winners. Award funds will be distributed in two payments, September 2026 and January 2027, based on the grantee’s budget.

    Questions? Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section on the grant landing page.

    Please contact KidsGardening Grant Program Director Sarah Lane at grants@kidsgardening.org with any additional questions.

    All applicants will be added to KidsGardening’s mailing list.

  • Eligibility Questions

  • Is your organization tax-exempt, or are you partnering with a fiscal sponsor that has achieved tax-exempt status? Organizations must be based in the United States or U.S. Territories.*
  • Is your organization a municipality, like a city, state, or federal government, or a politically-funded organization?*
  • Has your organization received a Lots of Compassion Grant before?*
  • By September 2026, will you have access to a vacant lot that has sunlight and access to water? A vacant lot is defined as a piece of land that is not being used currently. Examples include but are not limited to, unmaintained areas filled with weeds, abandoned areas, areas not cared for, and areas that are not welcoming.*
  • Do you plan to use this vacant lot to grow compassion in your community through the garden?*
  • What type of community is your vacant lot located in?*
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  • What percentage of the people who will participate directly in the garden program experience food insecurity? Select the type of data you would like to provide.*
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  • If chosen as a grantee, will your organization be able to use all of the funds and implement programming by June 2027? Award funds will be distributed in two payments, September 2026 and January 2027, based on the grantee’s budget.*
  • If chosen as a grantee, do you agree to interviews, site visits, and media requests from Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day and KidsGardening?*
  • If chosen as a grantee, do you agree to submit a short year-end report by June 2027 and a brief update after years two, three, and four?*
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  • Based on your answers, you are not eligible for the 2026 Lots of Compassion Grant. For details on eligibility, please review our grant landing page.

  • Contact and Background Information

    Section 1 of 4

  • Thank you for taking the time to fill out the eligibility survey. Based on your responses, your program only partially aligns with our funding priorities. You are eligible to apply; however, programs with higher demonstrated need will align more closely with our funding priorities and therefore are more likely to be funded.

    For details on our funding priorities, including how we measure need, please review our grant landing page.

  • Format: (000) 000-0000.
  • Organization Type*

  • Verification Document. Attach a document verifying your organization’s tax-exempt status or provide a link below. EIN letters, W-9s, and state sales tax certificates are not accepted.

    • 501(c)(3) organizations - Submit your IRS Determination Letter.
    • Schools - Submit a letter on school district letterhead, signed by a school district official, stating that the school in question falls under the school district's jurisdiction.
    • For other tax-exempt organizations, such as universities and religious organizations - Provide a letter on official letterhead stating that you are designated as an automatically tax-exempt organization and thus exempt from needing a 501(c)(3) documentation to claim nonprofit status with the US government. You may also submit an IRS Determination Letter if available.
    • Fiscal Sponsorship - Submit your sponsor's IRS Determination Letter and a signed contract detailing the fiscal sponsorship relationship between your organizations.
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  • Upload: Land Ownership. Attach or provide a link below to a letter of commitment from the land owner or proof of land ownership. Examples of proof of land ownership include, but are not limited to, a land deed, tax bill, etc.

  • Lot Ownership Upload*
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  • Has your organization applied for and/or received a grant from KidsGardening before? If you are not sure, please check our grant winners map for your organization: www.kidsgardening.org/grant-winners*

  • Garden Information

    Section 2 of 4

  • In this section, we want to learn more about your organization’s interest in transforming vacant lots into gardens to grow compassion in your community. For two of the ten questions, you have the option of submitting a video or a text response. Please upload a different video for each question.

  • 1. Why would your organization like to transform a vacant lot into a garden?*
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  • 2. How will your garden help to grow compassion in your community?*
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  • 3b. Photos. Attach 3-5 up-to-date photos of the garden site or provide a link to the files below.*
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  • 3c. Video. Attach a video or provide a link to the file below, quickly showing the vacant lot space (1-minute maximum).*
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  • Optional Attachments

    Section 3 of 4

  • 1. Garden Sketch, Land Survey or Scale Map (Optional). Please attach a garden sketch, land survey, or scale map of the space. If you do not currently have this information, search for the address of your lot on Google Earth or Google Maps, or request the digital land records or parcel map information from your city.

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  • 2. Letters of Support (Optional). Attach a one-page letter of support for your project written by a community partner or another organization involved in the project demonstrating their support for your organization.

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  • Grant Applicant Demographic Information (Optional)

    Section 4 of 4

  • We are collecting demographic information as part of an effort to ensure our grant application process is equitable. Answers will not play a role in the grant application evaluation, nor influence winner selection.

  • I identify as... (Optional, Select One)
  • If biracial or multi-racial, would you like to elaborate? (Select all)
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