Scotts kicks off this year's GRO1000 Grassroots Grants

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company has officially cut the ribbon on its GRO1000 Grassroots Grants award program for 2016, now in its sixth year.

This year, the company is launching "The Pollinator Promise" for the first time, a yearlong effort to improve consumer education about pollinators and fund the establishment of at least 50 pollinator gardens throughout the United States in 2016.

“Pollinators are vital to our planet’s agriculture and ecosystem. We want to do what is in our power to help create more habitats where these creatures can thrive,” said Jim King, senior VP corporate affairs at ScottsMiracle-Gro. “It is our hope that the creation of these habitats, along with our continued funding of community greenscapes through GRO1000, has a positive influence on gardeners, cities and nature’s pollinators everywhere.”

GRO1000 helps fund non-profit civic organizations and communities looking to install pollinator habitats, community gardens and green spaces. The company is aiming to support the creation of more than 1,000 community gardens and green spaces in the U.S., Canada and Europe by 2018. So far, more than 680 community organizations have received funding.