Grants

Scholarship Fund

Graduate School Scholarships

Now a new TNPS opportunity supports university and graduate students who plan to build careers that preserve our rare and native plants!


By investing in the people who will be working and researching in this field, TNPS members play a dynamic role in the future.


TNPS will award $1,000 per year to each of five Tennessee public universities that will select one or more student recipients for botanical research, field studies, botanical outreach and education or herbarium activities that enhance the student’s educational experiences and likelihood of a career in botany.


The schools include Tennessee Technological University, East Tennessee State University, UT Chattanooga, the University of Memphis and UT Knoxville. Each school offers courses that align with the TNPS mission.

Grants 4 Native Plants

The Tennessee Native Plant Society provides grants for public, private, and home school groups to purchase native plants with the goal of improving recognition and appreciation of our beautiful Tennessee native plants. Native plants supply native pollinators with food for both larval and adult stages of development and provide schools with native habitats for an array of native pollinators and other wildlife. The following three links include Information, an Application form, and an Action Plan form.


Grants Information 2026  ~  Grant Application 2026 ~  Action Plan 2026


THE GRANT APPLICATION PERIOD FOR 2026 IS NOW OPEN.


Application criteria:

  • Must be a public or private school or home-school association in Tennessee.
  • Must be willing to use a hands-on student curriculum, such as Symbiotic Schoolyard.
  • May apply for a grant annually.


Schools receiving grants from TNPS will be provided:

  • $500 to purchase Tennessee native plants and any needed supplies
  • One Wildflowers of Tennessee book and one Woody Plants of Kentucky and Tennessee book for reference
  • A mentor to assist in decisions regarding site selection, plant choices, planting techniques, maintenance needs and, possibilities for future planting projects


Timeline:

  • Grant Application deadline:  June 30, 2026
  • Notification of grants awarded, and mentor provided by: July 31, 2026
  • Action Plan due: September 1, 2026
  • Grant check and books will be delivered shortly after the Action Plan is received.
  • Grantee provides TNPS with before and after photos, a list of the number and species of plants used, a student-written article, and an extended maintenance plan by May 14, 2027.


Communications:

Please send Grant Application and Action Plan via email to TNPS at grants@tnps.org.


Grants are also available through:

Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education – https://wildones.org/seeds-for-education/

Tennessee Environmental Education Association – https://eeintennessee.org/

2026 Grantees


Congratulations to the following schools who were selected to receive $500 grants from Grants 4 Native Plants in 2026!


Bartlett Ninth Grade Academy — Teacher: Roger Graham; Mentor: Margaret Zachry

Evans Elementary School — Teacher: Shatara Brooks; Mentor: Anne Ballentine

Riverdale High School — Teacher: Michael Shirley; Mentor: Kim Sadler

Rockwood High School — Teacher: Darcy Soard; Mentor: Brad Fox

Stratford STEM Magnet High School — Teacher: Jesi Seifert; Mentor: Ian Dawe

Witt Elementary School — Teacher: Candance Proffitt; Mentor: Laura Doty

How to Donate


TNPS will maintain both Grants 4 Native Plants and the university program together in a single account known as the TNPS Scholarship Fund. TNPS gathers funding through donations. Would you like to be part of this exceptional project? Here are ways to donate:

  • Donate online through your TNPS secure account. Go to tnps.org and select Login in the upper right corner. On your profile page, click on the Donate box.
  • Or mail a check to TNPS. Send a check payable to Tennessee Native Plant Society and note that the money is for the TNPS Scholarship Fund. The address is:
    Tennessee Native Plant Society
    P.O. Box 159274
    Nashville, TN 37215
  • If you have a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), authorize your administrator to make a transfer to TNPS (Tax ID number 62-1247084). Specify that your gift is for the TNPS Scholarship Fund.


If you wish, TNPS will include your name on a Scholarship Fund donors’ list on the website and in our quarterly newsletter. You can make your gift in your own name or in honor or memory of a friend or loved one.