Now in its 13th year, Fiskars Project Orange Thumb^® awards cash and garden tools to community groups across North America and Canada. I was honored to accept their invitation to be on their editorial board where I helped select 30 grant recipients from the 50 finalists.

From nearly 375 grant applications, Fiskars selected the finalists then each editorial board member read through each application statement to select this year’s recipients, each of whom will each receive $3500 in cash and Fiskars garden tools.

2015 Grant Recipients

• Teens Empowerment Awareness with Resolutions, Inc., Tuskegee, Ala.
• Altadore School Parent Council Association, Calgary, Alberta
• Fulton Place Community Garden, Edmonton, Alberta
• District of Chetwynd, Chetwynd, British Columbia
• South Conejos Schools, Antonito, Colo.
• Huckleberry Hill Elementary School PTO, Brookfield, Conn.
• MAN UP Mentoring, Inc., Orlando, Fla.
• Calvin Hunsinger School, Clearwater, Fla.
• Gardner Community Garden, Gardner, Kan.
• Crescent Leadership Academy, New Orleans, La.
• The Home for Aged People of Fall River, Fall River, Mass.
• Teaticket School, Falmouth Public Schools, East Falmouth, Mass.
• Southwest Housing Solutions, Detroit, Mich.
• Churches United for the Homeless, Moorhead, Minn.
• Newark Science and Sustainability, Inc., Newark, N.J.
• Holmdel Green Team, Holmdel, N.J.
• Mount Holly Community Garden/Mount Holly Farmers Market, Mount Holly, N.C.
• Little Bud Thorbs Economic Development Association for Minorities in Sports and Human Enrichment, Grifton, N.C.
• Veterans Healing Farm, Hendersonville, N.C.
• Community Living Hanover & Area, Hanover, Ontario
• Peterborough Community Garden Network, Peterborough, Ontario
• Springwater Environmental Sciences School, Oregon City, Ore.
• Steel Valley School District, Munhall, Pa.
• Town of Whitewood, Whitewood, Saskatchewan
• Rosebud Economic Development Corporation, Mission, S.D.
• Loudon County Health Improvement Council, Loudon, Tenn.
• First United Methodist Church, Cross Plains, Texas
• Box Elder Community Garden, Brigham City, Utah
• Centreville Elementary School, Centreville, Va.
• The Guest House of Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wis.

Head over to Fiskars to read a brief description of each organization and the community garden projects they will be creating.

Congratulations to this year’s grant recipients and I look forward to seeing what’s accomplished in the coming year!

Disclosure: My participation on the 2015 Fiskars editorial board is a paid position. Read our Sponsorhip Disclosure Policy.