Prairie Garden Grants Program 

We are pleased to announce our MPF Prairie Garden Grants Program is once again open and accepting applications for 2025!

Gardening and other conservation groups, parks, schools, and other entities in Missouri and immediately surrounding states are invited to submit proposals to MPF’s Prairie Garden Grants Program. In 2025, MPF would like to award several grants to help fund the establishment or improvement of prairie gardens or plantings using Midwest native plants. Grants will not exceed $800 each. Those with smaller projects are encouraged to apply as well. Matching funds are not required, but proposals with secured matching funds may be evaluated higher than others.

Please see application guidelines below and use this application form to apply. Letters of support are welcome. Please email MPF Conservation Program Associate Lilly Germeroth at lilly@moprairie.org with questions or if you encounter any technical difficulties.

Applications are due January 24, 2025.

Note: The online application form linked above is the preferred method of submitting an application as it allows uploading of supplemental materials along with the application. This requires logging into a freely available Google account before completing the form; if you are unable to login to a Google account before completing the form, please email lilly@moprairie.org to make alternate arrangements for submitting your application.

Application Guidelines:

Gardens must be available to the public and must incorporate native prairie species.

Grant funds must be used to establish a new native garden or to improve an existing garden. Gardens can be formal or informal. Grant funds can be used to purchase native seeds or native plants.

Plants purchased with grant funds must be species native to the lower Midwest. They can include sedges, grasses, wildflowers, trees, shrubs, or vines.

Grant funds may not be used to purchase cultivars or nativars. If you are unfamiliar with these terms, learn about them here, or contact the Missouri Prairie Foundation at info@moprairie.org for guidance.

Grant funds may not be used to purchase fertilizer or plastic/non-biodegradable weed barriers (newspapers make a great weed barrier and decompose over time).

Before preparing a proposal, become familiar with the links under “Learn more about native gardens from Grow Native!” on this page. You may also wish to consult the Grow Native! native garden plans and the Native Plant Database for information and inspiration.

Proposals must address how the garden will be shared and promoted to the surrounding community.

Grant applications are rated based on six categories: Location, Need, and Purpose (25%), Garden Description and Design (20%), Time Frame (15%), Public Exposure and Interpretation (10%), Maintenance Plan (15%), and Budget (15%).

A brief update with photos is requested 6 months after the grant is awarded, and a full report with photos is required by May of the following year.