Local and Regional:

  • Chesapeake Bay Trust
    The Chesapeake Bay Trust receives financial contributions from the general public and the private sector and distributes those contributions in the form of financial support grants to Bay-related programs. Recipients include nonprofit organizations, civic and community groups, schools and public agencies. Priorities are given to two principal areas: education projects that promote a behavior change toward the Bay and the performance of restoration activities that utilize volunteers.
  • District Department of the Environment
    The District Department of the Environment, Watershed Protection Division offers funding and training to schools through its Schoolyard Conservation Site (SCS) Program called, "Greener Schools, Cleaner Water." These innovative schoolyard greening projects focus on incorporating landscape design principles that create habitat for wildlife, emphasize the use of native plants, highlight water conservation, and/or retain and filter stormwater runoff, while having the added benefits of an outdoor classroom that supports effective teaching practices and promotes student learning. In addition to installing new schoolyard greenspace, the SCS program provides teachers with the training they need to use their conservation site with confidence to teach lessons based on the DCPS Power Standards (especially those focused on science and math).
  • Garden Resources of Washington
    GROW provides up to $1000 for community and youth greening projects in the District of Columbia. Groups eligible to apply for these grants include neighborhood & youth groups, schools, after-school programs, civic associations, churches, nursing homes, shelters, transitional housing, community gardens, and public housing groups. Funding is typically put towards tools, seeds, plants, soil amendments, mulch, educational materials, and community outreach and can not be spent on stipends, salaries, or contractor fees.
  • Mars Foundation 
    The Mars Foundation supports K-12 programs including basic skills, enrichment, and math and science curriculum development; mentoring; and literacy.  They also support projects for professional development for teachers, equipment and computer acquisition, and capital projects.  Proposal deadlines are October 29 and March 31. Contact the Mars Foundation for guidelines:  Mars Foundation, 6885 Elm Street, McLean, VA  22101; Phone:  703 821-4900; Fax: 703-448-9678.
  • Redskins All-Stars
    Redskins All Stars is designed to encourage and promote community service and volunteerism among youth. More than 40,000 area youth have participated in the program. The council provides each registered group with $100 voucher good at participating Home Depot locations in MD, VA, and DC to help defray the costs of project related expenses such as paint, trash bags, and building supplies.
  • TKF Foundation
    The TKF Foundation is dedicated to supporting organizations whose goals and programs benefit the connection of the human environment with the natural environment in Annapolis and Baltimore, MD and the District of Columbia. Their two main grant programs are “Open Space, Sacred Spaces” and “Community Greening”.

  • The Washington Post
    The Post provides an opportunity for teachers to apply for funds over and above those in the approved school budget to implement creative and innovative ideas that enrich the standard curriculum.

  • Westinghouse Electric Company
    Westinghouse actively contributes to programs that benefit nonprofit organizations. Areas of emphasis for this program are education, and civic and social pursuits. Within each area, Westinghouse encourages programs that help to meet the needs of populations such as the disadvantaged, the young, the elderly, minorities, and people with disabilities.

National:

  • 4-H Council
    The 4-H Council provides grants for many different initiatives and topics including Biotechnology, Tree Planting, Community Service, Building Community Inclusion and many others. Grants of $500 to $1,750 are available to individuals who wish to be involved in community tree planting http://www.fourhcouncil.edu/pGrntTreePlanting.aspx and/or reforestation projects.

  • Adopt-A-Classroom
     Through the Adopt-A-Classroom donation program, a sponsor donates $500 and provides moral support to a classroom of their preference or based on economic need.  Teachers select and order resources to enrich the classroom.  Teachers must be from public schools established before August 15, 2001, and have valid email addresses. 
  • America the Beautiful Fund
    Grants of 100 to 2,000 seed packets are being offered on the basis of availability and relative need through the Free Seed! program. These seeds have germination rates of 90-95%.
  • Captain Planet Foundation
    The mission of the Captain Planet Foundation is to fund and support hands-on environmental projects for children and youths. Their objective is to encourage innovative programs that empower children and youth around the world to work individually and collectively to solve environmental problems in their neighborhoods and communities. They offer grants of up to $2,500.

  • The Coca-Cola Foundation
    The Coca-Cola Foundation Classroom Teaching and Learning grants support: innovative K-12 public school programs, teacher development programs, and smaller projects dealing with specific activities in the elementary and secondary classroom.

  • Corning Foundation
    The Corning Foundation supports community service programs for students, curriculum enrichment, student scholarships, facility improvement, and instructional technology projects for elementary and secondary schools, community colleges and four-year institutions of higher learning.

  • Do Something!
    Do Something awards $500 grants to change-makers and potential community leaders age 18 and under who identify problems in their communities, and then create game plans to do something to change their world.  Young people can apply on their own behalves, or on behalf of a group or team. 

  • The DUNN Foundation
    The DUNN Foundation actively identifies and supports educational programs enhancing young people’s understanding of the visual environment. The grant program focuses on the development or enhancement of K-12 and adult education programs designed to develop an awareness of community character and appearance, or to provide students with the skills necessary for conservation and enhancement of the visual environment, both natural and built. The grants they offer ranging from $500 - $10,000.

  • FujiFilm
    The Products for Learning program is Fujifilm's way of rewarding individual educators who understand the value of integrating imaging and information technology into everyday classroom lessons. Successful applications are donated Fujifilm products including cameras, audiotapes, videotapes and Zip disks.

  • Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program
    The Fundamentals Grant Program was created to help teachers purchase resource materials, supplies, software, equipment and other items needed to fulfill their lessons. The initiative benefits, recognizes and rewards teachers in underprivileged schools who strive beyond challenges and limited resources to achieve excellence through instructional creativity, innovative teaching and high learning expectation for students. In order to be eligible, teachers must work in public schools where at least 50% of the school’s student population is eligible for the free or reduced lunch program.

  • Lowe’s Companies Inc.
    BUILD AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM AT YOUR SCHOOL
    Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, International Paper and National Geographic Explorer! classroom magazine are offering this
    outdoor classroom grant program to help schools improve their science
    curriculum by engaging students in hands-on experiences outside the
    traditional classroom. This Grant program is for outdoor classroom
    proposals by K-12 public schools in the United States. Grants up to
    $2,000 will be awarded to at least 100 schools and grants for up to
    $20,000 may be awarded to schools or school districts with major
    outdoor classroom projects. Proposals are reviewed three times a year.

  • Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Grant Program
    The Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Grant Program gives small monetary grants to schools, nature centers, or other non-profit educational organizations for the purpose of establishing outdoor learning centers. The grant recipient learning centers are those which most successfully reflect the Wild Ones mission to educate and share information about the benefits of using native plants in our landscape and to promote biodiversity and environmentally sound environmentally sound practices.

  • National Education Association Foundation
    The NEA Foundation supports a variety of efforts by teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff to improve student learning in the nation's public schools, colleges, and universities. NEA grants generally range from $2,000 to $5,000.

  • National Gardening Association
    The National Gardening Association awards Youth Garden Grants to schools, neighborhood groups, community centers, camps, clubs, treatment facilities, and intergenerational programs throughout the United States. These grants provide an assortment of quality tools, seeds, and garden products generously contributed by leading companies from the lawn and garden industry.

  • National Geographic Society Education Foundation
    Teacher grants of up to $5,000 are given directly to educators to facilitate their work in the classroom, school, district, and community. National Geographic seeks work that directly engages students and encourages them to understand the power and relevancy of geographic skills, the uses of geography, and a spatial perspective. Projects that have outreach to urban areas are particularly encouraged.

  • National Wildlife Foundation
    The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) offers grants of $250 to schools and organizations across the country for assistance in creating a certified schoolyard habitat. Schoolyard Habitats projects provide unique, hands-on, outdoor learning opportunities that cannot be duplicated in the traditional classroom setting and become an important part of your local ecosystem. For information on the schoolyard habitat program, visit NWF's web site or download an application for a schoolyard habitat grant.

  • Newman’s Own
    Newman’s Own, founded by actor Paul Newman, makes grants to a wide variety of nonprofits (including schools and other public-benefit institutions). Eligible categories include children and youth, health, education, elderly, the environment, the arts, literacy, substance abuse education, and housing and food programs. For more information write to Paul Newman.

  • Patagonia
    Patagonia supports environmental activism by committing at least one percent of sales or 10 percent of pre-tax profits – whichever is more – to grassroots environmental groups. They fund activists who take radical and strategic steps to protect habitat, wilderness and biodiversity. Grants generally range from $3,000 to $8,000.

  • Project Learning Tree
    GreenWorks! offers educators the opportunity to apply for grants ranging from $50 to $1000 to implement community action and service-learning projects. GreenWorks! projects should address an environmental issue and involve students from pre-school to high school in hands-on community action. Some examples of past grant projects include stream clean-up, graffiti paint-over, outdoor classrooms, gardens (butterfly, vegetable), schoolyard restoration.

  • SAM’s CLUB Foundation
    The Be a Good Neighbor Environmental Grant began as a tool to help fund a school's environmental efforts. Every SAM’s CLUB location now has a $500 grant to award to any qualified 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. The grant can be used for projects such as: environmental education, recycling, planting of trees and shrubs, pollution control or clean air/clean water efforts. To learn more about receiving a grant from your local SAM'S CLUB, please see the community involvement coordinator at the location closest to you.
  • Seeds of Change
    The Seed Donation Program gives seeds to organizations that promote education and sustainable living through organic gardening projects. Seeds of Change is committed to providing 100% certified organic, open-pollinated seeds of the highest quality including many heirloom, traditional, and unique Seeds of Change varieties. 
  • SHOPA Kids in Need Foundation
     Funds creating classroom projects according to the rubric that emphasizes innovativeness and merit, clarity of objectives, replication feasibility, suitability of evaluation methods, and cost effectiveness.  Grants up to $500. 

  • Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Symbol Community Grants fund innovative educational programs in schools and community organizations with special consideration given to programs that promote math, science, engineering, and technology.  Grant amounts vary. 

  • Timberland
    Timberland’s Community Investments Grants provide support for projects that encourage volunteerism and environmental responsibility. Grants are usually less than $2,000.

  • Tom’s of Maine
    Tom’s of Maine Grant Program is focused on four areas: the environment, human needs, the arts, and education. Of Education grants, Tom’s of Maine favor programs that address innovative educational programs for children and adults, especially ones that foster understanding of the natural environment and encourage community outreach. Grants range from $1,000 to $10,000.

  • Toshiba America Foundation
    The mission of Toshiba America Foundation is to contribute to the quality of science and mathematics education in U.S. communities by investing in projects designed by classroom teachers to improve science and mathematics education for students in grades K thru 12. Generally, the grants they provide are less than $5,000.

  • Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
    Toyota sponsors the Toyota TAPESTRY program that offers grants to K-12 science teachers for innovative projects that enhance science education in the school and/or school district. They focus on projects that emphasize the efficient use of natural resources and protection of the environment. Students participating in these projects should gain an increased awareness of the terrestrial, aquatic, and/or atmospheric environment and an understanding on their own interdependence with the natural world.

  • US Department of Agriculture: Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)
    The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program provides financial incentives to develop habitat for fish and wildlife on private lands. Participants agree to implement a wildlife habitat development plan and USDA agrees to provide cost-share assistance for the initial implementation of wildlife habitat development practices. USDA and program participants enter into a cost-share agreement for wildlife habitat development. This agreement generally lasts a minimum of 5 years from the date that the contract is signed.

  • Wal-Mart Foundation
    The Wal-Mart Foundation provides grants in the areas of Community, Education, Children and the Environment. All requests for funding must be directed through your local Wal-Mart.