Grants and Awards

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an independent federal agency in the United States established in 1996. It is the primary source of federal support, grantmaking, research, and policy for the nation's museums, public and academic libraries, botanical gardens, and related cultural institutions.

Mission Garden was awarded an Inspire! Grant to expand youth field trips, family programs, and curriculum development, as well as maintain/expand three youth education staff positions to connect local students with science and gardening.

The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 as the philanthropic arm of Sprouts Farmers Market.

The foundation focuses on empowering children and families to live healthier lives by advancing nutrition education, expanding fresh food access, and supporting community health and wellness programs across the states where Sprouts operates. Sprouts covers 100% of the foundation's administrative and operational costs so that 100% of donated funds go directly to programs.

The Target Community Engagement Funds (CEF) is a corporate grant program from Target that provides local grants ranging from $1,000 to $15,000. These grants empower local Target store and distribution center leaders to fund nonprofits and schools in their communities.

Budget de la Gente (also called Participatory Budgeting) is Tucson’s first municipal participatory budgeting program, launched in Ward 1.

As an official awardee, the Mission Garden Culturally Rooted Field Trips for Ward 1 Students project was selected for funding. The grant provides local Ward 1 students with guided educational field trips to Mission Garden to learn about and connect with Tucson’s deep-rooted indigenous agricultural history and local culture.

The Met Foundation Inc. is a private family grantmaking foundation based in Indianapolis, Indiana, that was established in 1997. It operates primarily by issuing preselected grants to non-profit organizations focused on environmental conservation, the arts, youth services, and animal welfare.

While headquartered in Indiana, the foundation primarily distributes its funds across three key states: Indiana, Colorado, and Arizona.

The Southwestern Foundation for Education and Historical Preservation is a private grantmaking foundation focused on supporting historic preservation, educational programs, and community enrichment primarily in Arizona and the broader Southwest.

The Acequia Construction, the foundation provided a critical grant alongside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to fund the design and creation of the garden's historic acequia (irrigation water canal). Designed by local expert Dennis Caldwell, this feature replicates ancient water canals and acts as a protected habitat for the endangered Gila topminnow

The SDCP prioritizes the permanent protection of cultural and historic landscapes across the county, specifically listing the Mission Garden alongside places like Historic Canoa Ranch

Pima County owns the Mission Garden site—located at the foot of Sentinel Peak—and uses the framework of the SDCP and its Cultural Resource and Historic Preservation Office to guide ongoing preservation, landscape restoration, and federal grant acquisition

The garden's recent listing on the National Register of Historic Places is tied to the continued conservation and stewardship efforts supported by Pima County Conservation Lands and Resources under the SDCP umbrella

Desert Diamond Casino (owned and operated by the Tohono O'odham Nation), alongside Pima County, has served as a generous sponsor for Mission Garden’s annual Native American Arts Fair in Tucson, Arizona. This support aligns with the casino's community outreach focus on arts, culture, and enhancing the quality of life across Southern Arizona

Mission Garden was selected alongside Cinema Tucson as an official beneficiary of Las Doñas' annual Merienda fundraiser. The proceeds from this event are directly distributed to local community efforts dedicated to preserving the cultural traditions, heritage, and rich history of the Tucson region

Stonewall Foundation provides general annual support to its core beneficiaries rather than strictly restricted project grants, the funds help sustain Mission Garden's ongoing operations as a living agricultural museum. This includes maintaining its heritage orchard and timeline plots, keeping general admission free to the public, and running hands-on educational programming and school field trips.

AIP provided grant funding for the garden’s public speaker and cultural series, notably Earth Speak: Indigenous Voices at Mission Garden