The deadline for New England Grassroots Environment Fund‘s (NEGEF) Grow grant is quickly approaching–coming up March 15, 2016! This grant offers $1,000-$3,500 for established school and community gardens to increase capacity, collaborate, and leverage impact. In addition to grant funds, 2016 Grow grantees who are based in Vermont receive planning support and technical assistance from VCGN staff. Grow application deadlines are March 15 and September 15, each year. More info and online applications at: www.grassrootsfund.org
This collaboration between NEGEF and VCGN also brought about a webinar series presented this winter for grassroots groups. If you missed the live broadcast it’s not too late to tune in – click here for recordings of the webinars described below.
Building Resilient Solutions: A resilient gardener is one who takes the time to observe, interact with their garden, and continually gain a renewed understanding of 
that garden’s quirks and challenges. As community and volunteer leaders, we can take lessons from the resilient gardener and build the capacity for people and our programs to respond and adapt to change. See and hear about real gardens that are actively building integrated solutions that have allowed them to keep functioning, recover quickly from challenges, and adapt to change. Learn how to creatively solve problems and find solutions using a resilience framework. The following handout can be used as a guide for incorporating resilience thinking into problem solving: Building Resilient Solutions – VCGN.
Creating An Inclusive Food Movement: “What could an inclusive community garden, food forest, or permaculture project look like?” “How can we attract and retain members from different 
class, race, and gender backgrounds?” “Why should we focus on creating a more just, equitable food system?” This webinar is targeted towards community groups across New England that have asked themselves one or more of these questions. Facilitated by Shane Lloyd of Class Action, this webinar will help groups address the above questions, identify barriers that diminish their work and offer tools to build alliances for social change. We will also hear from groups working on the ground and learn from their first-hand experiences in this movement. Here are some great resources to bring the discussion back to your group: Creating an Inclusive Food Movement – ClassAction and Identity Chart – Good Food Good Medicine. Read more about this topic on NEGEF’s website.
Nourishing Our Roots: Using Grassroots Fund Grants: “What could our grassroots group do with a Seed grant?” “Should we apply for a Seed grant, Grow grant, or neither?” “Who can we turn to for technical expertise?” Facilitated by the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, this webinar will explore innovative ways that grassroots groups can use grant funding to support their work in each of the Fund’s five key issue areas. 
Participants will hear directly from past grantees and learn how a small grant can equate to big impact in your work. We will also hear from organizations like VCGN, about available technical resources and ways they can best support your work. Learn more about NEGEF and their Seed and Grow grant opportunities at: www.grassrootsfund.org. Grow grant deadlines are March 15 and September 15. Seed grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
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