Our community grant program supports horticulture education projects and programs
The Master Gardener Foundation of Clark County awards grants for horticulture education projects and programs that preserve or enhance our environment. Funds are awarded to qualified not-for-profit groups, community service groups, and schools in Clark County, Washington.
How to Apply:
Grant applications are accepted each fall, with applications due October 15th. Successful applicants are notified of their grant awards in January. Grant applicants must follow the Grant Standards and Guidelines in order to be considered.
Download the Grant Application Cover sheet (Word format or pdf) to submit with the narrative.
Existing grant holders should use this form to submit reimbursement requests.
2023 Grant Recipients
Youth Education Grants
- 4-H Restorative Community Service Food Bank Garden
- Hazel Dell School and Community Garden
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) education – 78th Street Heritage Farm Tours
- River HomeLink
- Spring Salad School Gardens
Community Programs
- Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Interpretive Garden
- Heritage Farm Organic Demonstration Field
- Minnie Stromgren Memorial Gardens
- Roots to Road – Partners in Careers
- St. Joseph Catholic Church Garden
- Maplewood Moseley Community Garden
- Clark County District Court – Community Service and Veterans’ Garden
Spotlight on Grant Programs
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Garden
The extensive gardens that welcome visitors to the Fort contain a 98% accurate replication of the plants that Dr. John McLoughlin had in the 1840’s. It is a condensed version of the original approximately 8 acres of gardens that fed the fort residents.
National Park Service volunteers plant, tend, harvest and preserve the garden’s bounty and educate visitors.
In addition to planting and maintaining the garden, volunteers give historic cooking and preserving techniques in the Fort Vancouver Kitchen, using produce from the garden.
The grant request was for funds and greenhouse space for the lemon trees and to grow the Fort’s garden starts. This is an organic garden so there’s always a need for good compost. Seeds and plants are of heirloom varieties and can be difficult and expensive to acquire. The proposal also requested funds for an herbicide for weed control that is certified to be organic, fertilizer and miscellaneous needs.
MGFCC’s grant funds allow the volunteers to act quickly when they spot a sale on (for example) hoses or fertilizer. That is not easy to do through the National Park Service as those purchases must be done with a Park Service credit card that can take time. When there is no time constraint the leads submit their request to the Park Service staff. Friends of the Fort also provides support to the gardens in addition to busing students to visit the Fort.
Spring Salad Gardens
The 2022-23 school year was the first full year of the WSU Extension Clark County Master Gardener’s School Garden Program actively working in Vancouver Schools. This was a year of building relationships with area schools, creating garden enrichment programs that offered garden access to all students, making numerous classroom visits, and offering staff trainings.
HOW DID WE DO THIS YEAR?
- 7 area elementary schools: Truman, Emerald, Washington, Sarah J, Anderson, Hazel Dell, Ogden and King
- 1200 individual students from Kindergarten through 5th grade participated in a garden program
- 1400 seeds started for school garden beds
- 17 Master Gardener volunteers serving in Vancouver schools
- 10 Recess in the Garden sessions for Truman Elementary students serving
- 150 to 200 students per session
- 5 classroom sized garden tool kits with activity binder created and distributed
- 5 Open School Garden Tours throughout the county
- 3-Part webinar delivered to 65 area educators in partnership with ESD 112, Lower Columbia Nature Network, and Lower Columbia School Gardens