Gateway Greening | Community Garden Grants

Community Garden Grants

Each year Gateway Greening offers grants to start new, and expand existing community gardens. During a typical year we award about 10 new community garden and urban greening projects and 15 expanding projects. Gateway Greening does not give financial awards, however we award the necessary materials and resources to start a garden project. These garden projects take many shapes including community vegetable gardens, tree and shrub plantings, native gardens, perennial beds, street beautification, or any other innovative project created by community groups.

Successful community gardens start with successful groups. Gateway Greening awards projects to groups that:

develop a realistic plan and sustainable project
create a project with visible impact on the neighborhood and to passers-by;
coordinate with other neighborhood initiatives to create a project which is cohesive with other improvement plans, and is an asset to the neighborhood;
demonstrate the willingness to commit the necessary labor to maintain the project, including planting, watering, weeding, etc. throughout the season and in coming years; and
demonstrate a need for Gateway Greening’s support and services.

Gateway provides resources to greening groups, including:

assistance with project planning and coordination;
plant materials;
soil amendments and mulch;
technical assistance such as educational workshops on garden care, landscaping principles, watering and plant maintenance; and
on-going support provided by Gateway Greening staff and volunteers.

New Community Garden Grant

Gateway Greening's Service Area

Gateway Greening offers an annual grant for the establishment of new community gardens and urban greening projects. We require that neighborhood groups be committed to creating a successful project over the long term. Groups are urged to apply only for projects they are certain they can maintain. Your community garden must be within our service area to be eligible, which includes St. Louis City and the areas west to I-170, north to the Missouri River and east to the Mississippi River, with projects in underserved areas given priority. Projects will be selected based on demonstrated need.

Our grant application is designed to be a useful planning tool for your community garden, or urban greening project. Required elements in the application include project sketches, garden guidelines, garden calendar, community partnership map, and letters of support from community partners. To learn more about or to receive a grant application please contact James Anderson at (314) 588-9600 ext. 30. Please note our grants are available beginning in August and are due the November 11th.

2012 Community Garden Orientation

If you were unable to attend one of Gateway Greening's Community Garden orientations, you can view the orientation slide show below.

Grant Application Resources

Expansion Community Garden Grant

Gateway Greening also offers grants to currently supported Gateway Greening community gardens interested in expanding their project. Only existing Gateway Greening supported projects are eligible for the expansion grant, and applicants must have met all of their previous grant requirements. If you are an existing community garden or urban greening project looking to expand, but not previously awarded as a Gateway Greening project, you are welcome to apply as a new community garden.

2012 Community Garden Timeline
2012	Community Garden Applications are no longer being accepted for the Spring of 2012. New and expanding community gardens will be announced in February 2012.
2013	Applications to start community gardens in the Spring of 2013 will become available August 2012 and will be due November 2012.