Civic Contribution Recipients
2022-2023 Civic Contributions Grant Recipients
The Brookwood Community To provide funds to support Brookwood’s 2022-2023 Horticulture Education Series, ten horticulture workshops and events which will be open to the public. These events will educate the community on the importance of beauty, sustainability, and conservation.
Friends of River Oaks Park To upgrade and maintain landscape throughout the park. Live oaks, perimeter beds, pruning needs, removal of invasive vines and new sheet screening along Westheimer are primary needs.
Houston Botanic Garden To purchase and install one 6’ live oak tree (Quercus virginiana) to expand the alley at the Garden’s entrance.
Main Street Ministries To help with Community Garden projects as well as support the daily operations, which allows people of varied backgrounds, including the homeless community, to volunteer together to grow and distribute food.
Memorial Park Conservancy To purchase and install 8 ebb and flow greenhouse production tables which provide irrigation, eco-friendly drainage, convenient mobility and significant reduction in water usage and waste.
The Mercer Society To purchase and install 4 properly fitted greenhouse shade cloths.
Nick Finnegan Counseling Center Foundation To beautify and maintain the outdoor garden space with seasonal updates, fountain maintenance and artificial turf installation. A bird bath in ROGC’s honor will be installed. This garden space is an extension of their client experience.
The Parish School To renovate their Thankful Garden which will feature 10 container beds with their own irrigation, a shade structure, a perimeter cedar post fence and will be ADA compliant.
ProVision/McNair Urban Farm and Community Garden To purchase a John Deere Tractor and a storage shed for the Farm and Garden.
Recipe for Success Foundation To expand their gardening education opportunities at Hope Farms with a regular schedule of free open enrollment classes especially tailored to neighborhood children and families.
Urban Harvest To expand their professional development workshop for schoolteachers, Edible Academy. Funds will subsidize teachers in underserved areas across Houston
2021-2022 Civic Contributions Grant Recipients
Houston Arboretum and Nature Center To transform the Woodway Entry Garden into a perennial native garden that will support pollinators and serve as an educational tool.
The Brookwood Community To provide funds to support Brookwood’s 2022-2023 Horticulture Education Series.
Houston Botanic Garden For the renovation of the Carnivorous Bog Garden.
Hermann Park Conservancy To purchase of native plants for The Commons at Hermann Park Entry Garden.
Holly Hall Retirement Community To fund the renovation and re-beautification of the Healthcare Patio Courtyard gardens and the Chapel Entrance and rose garden.
Main Street Ministries To support the daily operation of the MSM Community Garden.
The Mercer Society To purchase informational signage and programming support for Mercer Botanic Gardens’ Bee Pollinator Garden.
ProVision/McNair Urban Farm and Community Garden To fund improvements to the Pro-Vision/McNair Urban Farm. Funds will also be used toward the completion of the Community Garden and Outreach Program.
Recipe for Success To fund a rapid renewal of the Hope Farms Scott Street Pollinator and Perennial Garden.
Student Conservation Association To fund summer job opportunities for underserved Houston area youth working on conservation projects at local green spaces.
2020-2021 Civic Contributions Grant Recipients
The Brookwood Community To provide funds for a series of horticulture education events, open to the public, to help fund Brookwood’s horticulture enterprise and to educate the community on the importance of beauty, sustainability, and conservation.
Friends of River Oaks Park To conserve, upgrade and improve the landscape throughout the park, providing maintenance that is beyond the scope of the City of Houston Parks Department.
Houston Hospice To help implement the master plan for the hard and softscape improvements to the historic Holcombe house gardens. This project is a finalist for the 2021 GCA Founders’ Fund award.
Main Street Ministries To support the daily operation of the MSM Community Garden, which allows people of various backgrounds, including the homeless community, to volunteer together to grow and distribute food.
The Mercer Society To replace damaged and lost garden tables at the propagation center for added space to grow, and for use in educational workshops and plant sales.
The Parish School To purchase and install an Overcup Oak tree in the Oak Creek Exploration Zone, a Certified Nature Exploration Outdoor Classroom for children with communication delays and learning differences.
Memorial Park Conservancy This is the second half of a two-year grant in support of the capital campaign for the Memorial Park Master Plan
2019-2020 Civic Contributions Grant Recipients
Nature Discovery Center The Nature Discovery Center plans to create a Butterfly Garden and an Edible Native Plant Garden in their four-acre nature park, Russ Pittman Park
The Mercer Society The Mercer Botanic Garden has plans to safeguard the Mercer Botanic Gardens Native Plant Conservation Nursery, A National Collection of Endangered Plants Facility, by moving the current nursery to a new location.
The Monarch School The Monarch School would like to make additions to their existing Organic Garden and Harvesting Education Program.
HCHD Foundation The Harris Hospital System is creating an Enabling Garden at the current Community Farm at LBJ Hospital, as well as expand the garden.
Memorial Park Conservancy The first half of a two year grant in support of the campaign for the Memorial Park Master Plan.
Houston Botanic Garden Assist in implementing the garden’s master plan.
2018-2019 Civic Contributions Grant Recipients
Brookwood Community Support the operations of the Horticulture Enterprise, Brookwood’s largest enterprise. Providing learning and earning opportunities for over 60% of Brookwood citizens.
Connect Community Donate a tree/cost of Softscape for a parklet adjacent to KIPP Connect Academy in the Gulfton area of Houston.
Friends of Field Elementary School Assist with construction of a nature trail on the school grounds, accessible to the public after school hours.
Harvard Outdoor Classroom and Playscape Support expanded garden and classroom for the site that is certified by the NWF as a schoolyard habitat site and monarch waystation.
InKids Reinforce hardscape perimeter walkway at new campus damaged by Harvey.
Memorial Park Conservancy Purchase lath tables to support the Native Plant Grow-Out Program.
Recipe for Success Foundation Hope Farms Pollinator Garden (Final Phase)
Student Conservation Association SCA Houston urban initiatives
Houston Botanic Garden Assist in implementation of Phase I of the garden’s master plan.
2017-2018 Civic Contributions Grant Recipients
Bayou Preservation Association Since its inception in 1966, the Bayou Preservation Association has: monitored regional waterways to assess and act upon potential threats; promoted non-structural solutions to flooding; removed invasive, exotic species along stream corridors and planted native species in their place; engaged thousands of volunteers in bayou clean-up projects; improved access to bayous by creating local paddling trails; educated the community on sound watershed management practices. The funds requested would support the Stream Corridor/Bayou Stewardship Program, which is a multiphase project to remove invasives and plants native species along Clear Creek and its back bays, in Challenger Seven Memorial Park.
Brookwood Community Repair one of the greenhouses damaged during Hurricane Harvey.
Chinquapin Preparatory School Chinquapin is a private non-profit college preparatory school that serves over 160 economically disadvantaged youth in grades 6-12. The students perform most of the day-to-day jobs that help run the school. They are requesting funds to improve their “zero waste garden” and build a nponics structure.
Hermann Park Conservancy Support the landscape portion of the 1933 historic clubhouse restoration
Holly Hall Retirement Community Construct three raised garden beds and purchase basic gardening tools for residents to use as they plant and maintain the gardens.
Houston Arboretum and Nature Center The Arboretum and Nature Center is starting to implement the first phase of their master plan, which includes landscape restoration work in several areas of the park as well as re-introducing native grasses and wildflowers. The funds requested will be used for restoration of the Arboretum ravine.
Pro-Vision Pro-Vision started in 1990 as an idea to help young men from Houston’s most underserved neighborhood, Sunnyside. For almost 27 years it has incorporated a holistic approach to education and included outreach programs in order to provide an all-inclusive curriculum that allows both young men and women an opportunity to realize their full potential academically, economically and socially. The funds requested will be used to support the expansion of the Urban Farm.
Student Conservation Association-SCA Funding for Summer Community Crew and School Year Community Program
Urban Harvest Urban Harvest is a non-profit organization that helps neighborhoods build communities through gardening, create school gardens that bring life to the core curricula, provides fresh, locally grown food and encourages responsible land use. The funds requested would be used to expand their seasonal hub distribution for community gardens as well as replenish the soil in gardens affected by Hurricane Harvey.