Becoming Part of the Katie’s Krops Growing Family

The 2016 Katie’s Krops Grant Cycle has officially closed. Please check back this spring to learn who the new members of our young growing family will be. 

Thank you to all of our wonderful sponsors for their support and enabling us to continue to grow our dream! Please review the application carefully and let us know if you have any questions. Before placing your completed application in your mailbox, make sure that you have filled out every page, answered every question, and also included your letter of recommendation. All applications must be postmarked by December 31, 2015, and only applications that are mailed will be accepted. We will NOT accept e-mailed applications. Thank you and good luck to all of you that will be applying!

Click Here to download the Katie’s Krops 2016 Grant Application 

Becoming Part of the Katie’s Krops Growing Family

Receiving a grant from Katie’s Krops is so much more than just funding to start a garden. Youth who receive grants from Katie’s Krops become part of the Katie’s Krops growing family. They grow a healthy end to hunger in their community and positively impact the health of their cities and towns. They have an opportunity to travel to the all-expense paid Katie’s Krops Camp and expand their knowledge of agriculture and giving back. They have opportunities to win scholarships and they are eligible for funds to keep their gardens growing, season after growing season. Youth who receive grants from Katie’s Krops change the world, one vegetable garden at a time.

So how can you become a part of the Katie’s Krops growing family?

Here is what you need to know:

·       Once a year, Katie’s Krops hosts a grant cycle for youth, ages 9 to 16, to win a grant to start a Katie’s Krops vegetable garden in their community, where the whole harvest is donated to people in need.

·       Grant cycles begin October 1st and close December 31st. Grant winners are notified February. This timeframe is the only time of the year that funding is provided for Katie’s Krops gardens. The grant application will be available on October 1st.

· A child, or a group of children, can apply as long as they fall within the age range of 9 to 16 and live in the United States. We are a youth based initative. All Katie’s Krops are grown by kids.

·       Grantees are awarded a gift card to a garden center of their choice in their area, have support from Katie’s Krops, and are given a digital camera to document the garden and the harvest.

Applications for all types of vegetable gardens, such as a container garden if you live in a city or a vegetable garden located in your neighborhood or at your school, will be considered. The grantee decides where the garden will be grown. The grant winners also determine where they will donate their harvest, which is based on the need in their community. As an example, the harvest can be used to support classmates in need, homeless shelters, food banks, or for neighbors in need.

The winners will be awarded a gift card to a garden center in their area (up to $500), support from Katie’s Krops, and a digital camera to document the garden and the harvest. In addition to grant materials, winners will be eligible to attend the all-expenses-paid Katie’s Krops Summer Camp in Pelion, South Carolina, thanks to the generous support of our sponsor WP Rawl. We also award a yearly scholarship for higher education to the grantee of the year. All grantees that complete all grant requirements are eligible for funds to continue to grow, year after year, thereby creating a sustainable solution to hunger in their community.

What is required of our growers?

·       Katie’s Krops grant winners are required to start and maintain a vegetable garden for a minimum of one planting season. It is our hope that they will continue on with their garden, season after season, thereby creating a sustainable solution to hunger in their community. Many of our young growers pass their gardens on to siblings and classmates. The passing down of a garden is a wonderful gift and it is a reflection of the spirit of giving that we embody at Katie’s Krops.

·       The grantee(s) must donate the entire harvest from the garden to people in need in their community. This may be done through direct donations to families in need or by donating the harvest to soup kitchens or organizations that feed the needy.

·       Grantees are required to submit photos and a brief report on their progress, which includes the amount of produce they have grown, volunteers who have helped, donations made, and what they have learned from their experience.

·       Grantees and their parent or legal guardians are required to sign a letter agreeing to the above.

·       Grantees also must submit a photo release signed by their parent or legal guardian to Katie’s Krops.

We are very proud of the difference our young growers are making across the United States. We look forward to expanding our growing family and reaching Katie’s goal of at least one Katie’s Krops Garden in each of the 50 states. We are more than half way there, and with your help, we can accomplish this goal soon.

The number of grants we award is dependent on donations made to Katie’s Krops. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, or donating the funding for a garden in your state, please reach out to Stacy@KatiesKrops.com.