Canaan Farms Community Garden at Salem Bible Church. Photo by Caleb Jones.
Community gardens transform how people eat and live in community by connecting people with each other and to where their food comes from. Gardens are where neighbors grow food for themselves and others, share knowledge on healthy food and lifestyles, heal and enrich our urban ecosystems, and strengthen their sense of pride in their communities. Sustaining these important spaces requires time, sweat, cooperation, coordination, and resources.
Since 2015, Food Well has supported 265 community gardens through Community Garden Grants and deployed $812,000 in direct funding. These grants help community gardens address their infrastructure, supply, and material needs to keep their gardens thriving. The 2026 Community Garden Grant will seek to deploy $132,500 in direct funding and includes 2 categories of support:
Garden Improvement Grant: This grant is for $1,500. These funds may be used for smaller infrastructure projects, extra compost, seedlings, tools, or other garden supplies. Food Well Alliance will target reaching 75 community gardens with this grant in 2026.
Garden Forward Grant: This is a larger grant aimed at helping community gardens move forward with a bigger project that will help their garden thrive. The Garden Forward Grant is for $10,000, and Food Well will target reaching two community gardens with this larger grant in 2026.
A community garden can apply for both of these opportunities through one application form but will only receive one grant.
Labor Support Funding
Food Well has expanded the availability of labor support funding to include community gardens! These funds are intended to cover the labor costs associated with garden projects that require a specialized contractor. Projects can include things like irrigation installation, shed installation, water line repairs, and more. While this resource is available year-round, it can be combined with your grant funds to assist in project implementation. The application for this resource is SEPARATE from the 2026 Community Garden Grants application and can be found here.
Note: This program does not cover regular salaries or routine garden maintenance.
Applications are due November 23, 2025 at 11:59 pm.
Important Information
Please read the following information about our grant guidelines and registering in the online grant system below before starting your application.
Eligibility: Community Garden Grants are designated specifically for community gardens. K-12 school gardens are not eligible to apply. Please read our grant criteria before applying.
Two Grant Opportunities: A garden is eligible to apply for both opportunities, but will only be awarded one category of support. That means if you apply for the Garden Forward Grant, your garden can also apply for the Community Garden Improvement Grant. That way, your garden can still be considered for the $1,500 grant even if you do not receive the $10,000 grant. Garden Forward Grant applicants will need to communicate within their application their capacity to manage and implement the larger grant project.
Registering in the Online Grant System with a Tax ID Number: To start an online grant application, you will need to register in the system, which requires you to enter a Tax ID Number. If your garden does not have a Tax ID Number, that is ok! Simply enter 00-0000000 on the registration page to get started.
First Time Applying? That’s great! We’re so glad you’ve decided to apply for the Community Garden Grant. All applications must be submitted through our online grant management system. Click here to learn more about creating your account and getting started.
Want to learn more about the 2026 Community Garden Grants?
Check out the recording of the Q&A Webinar where Grants & Resources Manager Kalia Henry covered all the details you need to know about applying.
2026 Community Garden Grants Timeline
Applications will be accepted from October 13, 2025 - November 23, 2026 and funds will be granted in Late January of 2026 before the growing season. Community gardeners will know the status of their application at the beginning of the year and be able to plan and implement projects in time for the spring planting season.
Engaging an External Review Committee
At Food Well, we believe in our vision of an equitable, local food ecosystem in which everyone can participate and benefit. To increase transparency around our garden grant process and provide networking and leadership opportunities for our community garden leaders, we are excited to form an External Review Committee of community garden leaders to help us with the decision-making process.
Separating Community Garden Compost Delivery from Garden Grant
We will still do compost delivery for community gardens, but instead of applying for delivery through the grant application, we will have a straightforward compost delivery request form for you to complete. Want to be notified when more information about compost deliveries becomes available? Sign up for the Resource Center newsletter!
If you have any questions regarding the changes to the Community Garden Grants application process, please visit our FAQs page for more information or direct your questions to Kalia Henry at kalia@foodwellalliance.org.
Have questions about the application timeline, fiscal sponsors, or other grant guidelines?
Watch the recording of our Q&A Webinar. Grants & Resources Manager Kalia Henry covered information about community garden opportunities and how to use the online grant system to complete your application.
Calling all garden leaders! See how the grant can help community gardens thrive!
We know it requires a lot of time, sweat, cooperation, coordination, and resources to maintain and sustain community gardens. Every year, we’re inspired by the creative ways community gardeners use the funds. Check out our list of previous grant recipients!
