Where do I find money for a natural playground?

We recently ran across this company, RSF Social Finance which believes that the primary role of money is to "serve the highest intentions of the human spirit." In our conversations with their Senior Lending Manager, he said they support the kind of work we do and would welcome applications from our clients!

Because our Natural Playgrounds projects meet several of their borrower criteria: ecological stewardship, sustainable approaches to design, and commitment to social good and environmental sustainability.

• Grantors love Natural Playgrounds because they're oriented toward fitness, nature, education, and children with disabilities, they boost academics, and they're 100% accessible!
• Beautiful, photorealistic plans make fundraising easy
• Find a list of grantors on our website
• Double your dollars with material donations

Here are some other possible sources of money: some of these them may seem like a stretch, but if you think creatively, or have a good grant writer on board, you'll be surprised at how many of them will be applicable. We obviously cannot list all granting sources for each state or region, so check within your area for a state or private organization knowledgeable about funding sources.

Note: we try our best to keep these up-to-date, but if you find any broken links, or find other sources that should be here, please let us know by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!

• American Express: A stretch, maybe, but they encourage employees to participate in community activities
• AT&T: encourages employees to volunteer time to enhance the communities where they work and live
• ABC fundraising
• Active living
• Alcoa
• Allstate Foundation Neighborhood revitalization guidelines
• Andrew Melon foundation
• Arbor Day use trees, raise $
• Artsonia
• Artware
• Auctions
• Ben & Jerry's Foundation
• Boxtops 4 Education
• Braitmayer Foundation
• bricksRus (see also Donorbricks)
• Bruner Foundation
• CA Together: funds early ed programs
• Californiaplayground funding!
• capital campaigns (how to)
• captain planet foundation
• cfda: catalog of federal domestic assistance grants
• Chamber of Commerce Ed Grants Program (nh example)
• Charlotte Martin Foundation for AK ID MT OR & WA tribal communities, to enrich cultural lives of youth, to preserve/protect wildlife/habitat
• chef
• Chocolate, Equal Exchange
• christensen fund
• coca-cola foundation
• colgate
• community toolbox: oriented toward children's environmental health
• conservation fund
• cookiedough
• cottonwood foundation
• CVS
• dana foundation
• dewing foundation: seed money for intellectual stimulation of young children
• do something grant
• donorbricks (see also BricksRus)
• dunn foundation
• Easy Fundraising Ideas
• ebay foundation
• entertainment industry foundation
• entertainment fundraising
• environmental ed grants
• environmental education alliance of georgia, but search for other similar grants in your state
• Equal Exchange Fundraising offers organic and fairly traded foods, fairly traded gifts, recycled cotton gift wrap
• eScrip: year 'round fundraising process for schools
• Everywhere Garden Grants: supporting the building, amendment, or revitalization of gardens on K-12 public or charter school campuses
• ezfund
• Farm Bureau broad range of grants & resources
• Federal Grants: might take a while to search
• For all kids: Rosie's foundation; child care for at-risk kids
• foundation center (how to)
• Foundation Center: go here to find foundations in your area!
• four hcouncil
• fund raising, fundraising help for non-profits
• fund raising: raise money by recycling
• fund-raising: products
• Giant Foods: wellness initiatives
• garden stones to make and sell
• give back to grow awards green schools (no $)
• gourmet!
• Government Grants: search here for government grants
• Green your school: for conservation projects designed by high school students to beautify & conserve their school environments
• Hasbro
• hemenway-barnes
• Hamburger Helper They're giving away up to $100,000 to help fund projects in hometowns all across America
• HNH Foundation: money for equipment, but leaning toward natural playgrounds (NH only)
• home depot
• hondacorporate
• Iap foundation
• jennings: fundraising ideas for playgrounds
• jessie smith noyes foundation
• Kellogg foundation: certain regions
• kids gardening: grants, grant writing tips, etc.
• Kodak American Greenways
• lindbergh foundation
• lorrie otto: seeds for education grant program
• lowes: community grants
• Lowes teams up with National Geographic Explorer to provide outdoor classroom grants
• magazines
• mkf
• Monsanto fund
• National Agriculture in the Classroom grants & scholarships
• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Also: State Grants. 3 NH Example below:
• National Environmental Education Fund (NEEF)
• National Fish & Wildlife Foundation funding to sustain, restore, & enhance fish, wildlife, and plants, & their habitats 
• arts grants: NH
• national tree trust
• National Geographic
• native plant conservation grant
• nfwf1
• nfw3
• nhcf: for NH residents only
• nike
• nikebiz
• northeast utilities system
• nwf
• nwf2
• original works: using children's art to raise money (see also Artsonia)
• Penny Fund programs benefitting ommunity
• Physical Education for Progress (PEP) Grant: US Dept of Ed grant for initiating/expanding/improving K-12 physical education programs
• pizza fundraiser
• promotions
• Project Learning Tree - GreenWorks! Grants
• rivers & trails: free guidance
• Safeco If you're a non-profit, and you know a Safeco employee, possible grants are available.
• School Fundraising Ideas
• school fundraisers: numerous ideas!
• school grants
• schoolpop: school support program
• Seeds: places to find them, a Natural Playgrounds Company resource
• Sega Foundation: accepts unsolicited proposals for small grants
• Shade Grants
• shirts
• skratchers
• sponsorship: about sponsors and how to get them
• starbucks foundation
• stonyfield: profits for the planet program. A stretch, but maybe...
• Target: might be a stretch, but...
• ToshibaFoundation
• Town Creek Foundation: projects fostering sustainable policies and practices
• Toyota
• USDA: Community facilities program; development of community facilities for public use in rural areas
• Verizon: get volunteer and maybe $ help
• walmart foundation: also, speak with their local "Good Works Coordinator"
• Westinghouse-Civic
• Whole Foods Market
• woven school products
• WT Grant: a stretch, but maybe...