Open - 2027 Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education native plant grant application closes November 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Central.
National – Wild Ones 2027 Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Native Plant Grants (In-Kind or $100-$500 Cash)
FundingPrimarily an in-kind native plant award; plant quantity/value tailored to project with no universal dollar cap published. Only if in-kind delivery is infeasible, $100-$500 cash for native plants or native seed exclusively.
DeadlineNovember 18, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. Official 2027 planting season online application opens July 15, 2026; form does not save drafts.
Last verified2026-10-26
Required next actionRead Wild Ones 2027 Seeds for Education rules and online application. Confirm US location, youth participation and exclusively native plant/seed project; prepare full project narrative, site readiness, maintenance and youth engagement descriptions, native plant preferences, two organization contacts and garden site photo/sketch. For cash requests only, document why plant shipment is infeasible and upload plant list with common and scientific species names and itemized budget. Submit all information in one online session by November 18, 2026 at 11:59pm Central Time. Award notification is expected February 16, 2027, with final reporting due February 28, 2028.
Broad Eligibility
Schools, nonprofit organizations serving youth, libraries, tribal organizations, community centers, nature centers and youth groups with US project sites. Projects must directly engage preschool through high-school age youth in hands-on native plant garden work/learning, use native plant species only and provide a credible long-term stewardship plan. Non-native plant and food/vegetable gardens ineligible. Cash awards only if in-kind native plant awards are infeasible, solely for locally sourced native plant/seed purchases.
Atlas Analysis
Verified October 26, 2026 from Wild Ones controlling program page and official current 2027 online application, including deadline and required attestations. Official distinction: principal benefit is in-kind native plant award with tailored plant shipments and no stated cash-equivalent value; limited $100-$500 actual cash grants in special cases only, exclusively for local native plants/seeds. Deadline November 18 2026 11:59pm Central. Form cannot save drafts, US only, youth direct participation, site and native plant restrictions, final reporting Feb28 2028. Taxonomy and duplicate checked against all nontrashed grant_opportunity titles including Lorrie Otto and Seeds for Education, no existing same-cycle record. This is not procurement or general unrestricted cash funding.
Wild Ones 2027 Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Grants
Wild Ones invites U.S. schools, youth-serving nonprofits, libraries, tribal organizations, nature centers, and community groups to apply for its 2027 Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education program. Most recipients receive an in-kind award of locally appropriate native plants shipped through the funder’s fulfillment partner. Award quantities and in-kind value are based on project needs, not a universal published dollar amount. When an in-kind plant shipment is not feasible, applicants may instead request a $100-$500 cash grant exclusively for locally sourced native plants or seeds. Do not assume every award is cash.
Eligibility and project priorities
Eligible U.S. applicants include public or private schools, nature centers, youth organizations, community centers, libraries, tribal organizations and nonprofits serving young people. Projects must involve youth from preschool to high school directly in planning, planting, maintaining or learning from the native plant garden. Supported projects include pollinator gardens, rain gardens, prairies, monarch habitat, woodland plantings, outdoor classrooms and other native plant learning spaces. Vegetable and food gardens and projects using non-native plants are ineligible.
Allowable activities and application requirements
Applicants must describe their garden site, site readiness and sunlight/soil conditions, proposed native plants, youth engagement, educational benefits and plans for long-term care. A photo, sketch or diagram of the proposed site is required. Two organizational contacts are requested. Cash-grant applicants must explain why in-kind plants are impractical and upload a detailed plant list, including common and scientific names, plus an itemized budget or quote. The funder does not publish a universal matching requirement.
Deadline and submission
Applications for the 2027 planting season close November 18, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. Submit the funder’s official online application. The form cannot save drafts and must be completed in one session; prepare responses separately before opening the form. Award notifications are expected by February 16, 2027, and the final report for this cycle is due February 28, 2028. Award recipients must satisfy reporting, funding acknowledgment and relevant youth photo-release conditions.
Official funder sources: Wild Ones program guidance and 2027 application instructions and submission form.
Source verificationReferenced source · wildones.orgAtlas last verified this record 2026-10-26. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
