Mini-Grants

Apply for a Mini-Grant

Does your organization want to plant more trees on its property — or remove honeysuckle or other invasive woody plants — if only you had the manpower, expertise, training, or funds? Taking Root is accepting applications for tree planting projects in need of funding up to $500. Project applications will be reviewed twice a year: For spring projects, applications should be submitted between September 1st and December 1st. You will be notified in February if your project is selected. For fall projects, applications should be submitted between March 1st and June 1st. You will be notified in August if your project is selected. All applicants will be notified of their application status whether or not the project is chosen for funding.

Eligibility

• Projects should be community based. Typical projects include community street trees, schools, non-profit organizations, parks, churches and other public campuses.
• Applications must be fully completed and contain a detailed budget of how funds will be spent and a 2-3 year care plan for the newly planted trees.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Applications MUST be submitted online. Hard copies will NOT be accepted.
• Please note that failure to complete your project within the grant period or submit a final project report may result in the return of awarded funds to Taking Root.

Timeline

For spring projects
Applications should be submitted between September 1 and December 1. You will be notified in February if your project is selected.

For fall projects
Applications should be submitted between March 1 and June 30. You will be notified in August if your project is selected.

All applicants will be notified of their application status whether or not the project is chosen for funding.

Application

1. Review the application questions. You may want to write out your responses in a Word document or other text editor, then paste them into the appropriate fields in the online application. The Google Form will NOT save any content if not completed within the session. We recommend submitting all answers at once to avoid any inconveniences or deletions of answers.
2. We are happy to answer your questions, however, in order to keep the application process unbiased, we can’t help you develop your project or plans. If your project is selected, we are happy to offer our expertise to help you refine your plans.

When Preparing Your Application Please Consider the Following

 1. Diameter of 1.5” – 2” caliper trees (6-8 feet tall) cost about $200 each, including delivery.

2.   Three gallon container trees (approx. 1 inch in diameter and 4 feet tall) cost about $20 each.

3. One year old, bare root seedlings cost $1.00 – $2.00 each (plan on about 300-400 per acre for a reforestation project).

4.  Long term care of newly planted trees is critical – project applications should include provisions for watering and maintaining trees for 2-3 years after planting.

Recent Mini-Grant Projects

Taking Root would like to thank Mini-Grant applicants for their passion and commitment for planting trees. This program is only possible thanks to the Taking Root donors who support our projects. Please consider making a contribution to Taking Root’s Tree Fund so we can continue to fund these great projects!

From 2016-2020, Taking Root awarded 34 Mini-Grants to 29 organizations. Funding ranged from $2000 (eleven grants) to less than $1000 (seven grants), with some applicants supplying additional funding from their own or other sources. Project scale ranged from the planting of three trees in an urban parking lot to reforestation that added trees, seedlings and shrubs to areas cleared of invasive honeysuckle.

For the most part, this program has added trees to school grounds (10), parks or preserves (8) or urban neighborhoods (8), including street tree plantings in four neighborhoods. Projects have occurred throughout the region: Hamilton County accounted for about 60% and the rest were in Ohio’s Butler, Clermont and Warren Counties and Kentucky’s Campbell and Kenton Counties.

In 2020, Taking Root awarded five Mini-Grants for planting trees in low-canopy neighborhoods, local parks and school grounds. Each grant enabled local entities to carry out self-initiated plans and projects in which the addition of new trees is just part of the project benefit.

Check out the Taking Root blog for more information about the 2020 Mini-Grant recipients!