Funding the gardens that feed communities.

SeedMoney helps people start and sustain public food gardens, through small challenge grants, crowdfunding tools, and hands-on coaching. To date we’ve helped fund 3,687 garden projects across 52 U.S. states and territories and 65 countries. Learn why we focus on food gardens, see our verified impact, or read our annual reports.

3,687

Gardens Funded

$4.2M

Funds Mobilized

5.5×

Funding Multiplier

1.1M+

People Reached

7.4M

Servings Grown

52 / 65

States & Terr. / Countries

Explore the impact map →

Our story

History

SeedMoney began in 2003 as Kitchen Gardeners International, a nonprofit focused on helping people grow more of their own food at home. Over time our focus shifted from backyards to the public realm, to the community gardens, school gardens, food bank gardens, shelter gardens, and senior gardens that feed and connect whole neighborhoods.

In our first decade we built an online community of 20,000 gardeners across more than 100 countries, won several high-profile campaigns to protect home food gardens, gave a popular TEDx talk on the importance of vegetable gardening, and led the “Eat the View” campaign that helped persuade the Obamas to plant a vegetable garden at the White House.

From 2012 to 2015 we ran a traditional grants program, Sow It Forward, awarding 440 grants. But with more than 3,000 requests from all 50 states and 30 countries, we couldn’t keep up with demand. So in 2015 we built something more scalable: a model that pairs small challenge grants with community crowdfunding, so gardens can help fund themselves. It worked — and in 2016 we renamed ourselves SeedMoney to reflect the new mission.

Screenshot of our first website in 2003 — 2003 · Our first website, as Kitchen Gardeners International

The Eat the View campaign site — 2008 · The “Eat the View” campaign

Promo for the Sow It Forward grants program — 2012 · Our first grants program, Sow It Forward

2012 · A front-yard food garden we helped protect

Why we exist

Mission

SeedMoney funds community food garden projects through small challenge grants, crowdfunding support, and hands-on coaching — helping communities grow food, build resilience, and strengthen local food systems.

We believe the gardens most worth funding are the ones a community is already willing to work for — so rather than simply writing checks, we offer challenge grants that projects earn by rallying their supporters. The possibility of winning one is what motivates a garden to take part — and what gives its supporters a reason to give.

Our approach

Crowdgranting

Rather than simply writing checks, we pair small challenge grants with community crowdfunding. Each fall, gardens run a 30-day fundraiser all at the same time, start to finish — and the more a project rallies its supporters, the larger the grant it earns. Every applicant gets the tools, coaching, and a free garden planner to do it, no fundraising experience required, and keeps 100% of what they raise.

See how the SeedMoney Challenge works →

From the gardens

What our grants make possible

Raised beds at the Southeast Linn Community Center garden in Lisbon, Iowa

“With $1,400 raised through the SeedMoney Challenge, we moved to a new site, installed raised beds, and added a deer fence. The results speak for themselves: over 3,200 pounds of fresh produce distributed through our food pantry this summer alone.”

Nicole McAlexander Southeast Linn Community Center · Lisbon, IA

Students at the Odyssey Charter School farm in Palm Bay, Florida

“It was a record-breaking year for our farm and garden program. Students grew more than 2,500 lbs of food for our school café and the community, and nearly 500 students got hands-on experience growing and caring for the land. The $1,530 we raised through the SeedMoney Challenge made it possible.”

Ian Macpherson The Farm & Gardens at Odyssey · Palm Bay, FL

Children with moringa seedlings in Les Cayes, Haiti

“With $10,320 raised through the SeedMoney Challenge, we built a hoop house to protect disease-resistant pigeon pea seedlings — critical in a country where the traditional crop has been wiped out by disease. We also distributed more than 500 moringa seedlings to local children.”

Kathy Radcliffe Harvesting 4 Haiti · Les Cayes, Haiti

How we’re funded

Funding

SeedMoney is funded by donations from individuals, family foundations, and corporate sponsors. Our finances are independently recognized for transparency and impact. See our Impact Audit and Annual Reports for the full picture.