Merrifield Garden Center – Community Donations & Growing Good Program (2026)

Gift Cards, Gardening Products, Discounts, and Planting Soil for Northern Virginia Community Organizations

Merrifield Garden Center supports local schools, athletic clubs, community organizations, and charitable fundraisers through its Community Involvement Programs. Available support may include gift cards, gardening products, and discounts.

Merrifield also partners with Coast of Maine Organic Products through the Growing Good Program, which provides planting soil and other gardening products to qualifying schools, community gardens, and nonprofit initiatives.

Organization: Merrifield Garden Center
Support Type: Gift cards, gardening products, discounts, planting soil, and other in-kind support
Geographic Focus: Northern Virginia
Application Deadline: Rolling; community donation requests should be submitted at least 60 days before the event

New to corporate grant fundraising?
Read our Corporate Grants for Nonprofits: Ultimate Guide to learn how corporate funding works.

About the Funder

Merrifield Garden Center is a family-owned and operated garden center, nursery, and landscaping company with deep roots in Northern Virginia.

Founded in 1971, the business has grown from a small roadside garden center into a major regional provider of plants, gardening supplies, landscape services, home décor, and horticultural education.

Merrifield currently operates two Northern Virginia garden centers:

• Merrifield in Falls Church, Virginia
• Fair Oaks in Fairfax, Virginia

Through its community involvement programs, Merrifield supports organizations and activities that strengthen local schools, clubs, neighborhoods, and charitable causes.

What This Program Supports

Merrifield Garden Center considers requests from local groups seeking several forms of community support.

Gift Card Donations

Gift cards may be provided to support charitable fundraisers, auctions, raffles, school events, and other community activities.

Applicants should clearly explain how the gift card will be used and who will benefit from the event or fundraiser.

Gardening Product Donations

Merrifield may provide plants, gardening supplies, or other products for qualifying community projects and events.

Product requests may be particularly relevant for:

• School gardens
• Community beautification projects
• Outdoor learning spaces
• Community gardens
• Neighborhood planting projects
• Charitable events involving plants or gardening

Community Discounts

Merrifield may offer discounts to eligible schools, clubs, charitable organizations, and community groups purchasing gardening products for a qualifying project or event.

Growing Good Planting Soil Donations

Merrifield partners with Coast of Maine Organic Products through the Growing Good Program.

The program provides organic soils and amendments to:

• Schools
• Community gardens
• Public gardens
• Nonprofit organizations
• Educational gardening programs
• Community groups growing edible or ornamental plants

Growing Good support is provided through product donations rather than monetary grants. Approved recipients must be able to pick up their donation from a participating local garden center or retailer.

Geographic Focus

Merrifield Garden Center’s community involvement programs primarily support organizations and activities in Northern Virginia.

Merrifield’s two current locations are:

Merrifield

8132 Route 29
Falls Church, Virginia 22042

Fair Oaks

12101 Route 29
Fairfax, Virginia 22030

Organizations located in Fairfax County, Falls Church, and nearby Northern Virginia communities may be particularly well positioned for consideration.

Applicants should clearly explain their local connection and how the request will benefit people in the Northern Virginia community.

Eligibility & Preferences

Merrifield Garden Center specifically identifies the following types of groups as potential recipients:

• Local schools
• Athletic clubs
• Community organizations
• Foundations
• Charitable fundraisers
• Other locally based community groups

Merrifield does not publish a formal requirement that every applicant hold 501(c)(3) status. Schools, clubs, and other community-based groups may submit requests through the online form.

For the strongest request, applicants should demonstrate:

• A clear connection to Northern Virginia
• A specific community benefit
• A defined event, project, or fundraiser
• A reasonable and specific donation request
• Sufficient advance notice
• A clear plan for using the donated product, gift card, or discount

Growing Good Eligibility

The Coast of Maine Growing Good Program is intended for organizations using donated gardening products for educational, charitable, or community purposes.

Potential recipients include:

• Schools and educational programs
• Community and public gardens
• Nonprofit organizations
• Youth gardening programs
• Food-growing projects
• Projects creating outdoor classrooms
• Initiatives promoting gardening, health, nutrition, or environmental awareness

Applicants must be able to pick up approved products from a local participating retailer. Organizations should not contact the retailer to arrange a donation until Coast of Maine has issued final approval and pickup instructions.

Ineligible Requests

Merrifield Garden Center does not publish a formal list of ineligible organizations or activities.

However, submitting an application does not guarantee support. Merrifield receives a high volume of requests and can only fulfill a portion of the opportunities submitted.

Applicants should avoid submitting:

• Incomplete requests
• Requests without a clear community purpose
• Requests submitted fewer than 60 days before an event
• Requests without an event date or location
• Broad requests that do not identify the specific support needed
• Requests with no clear Northern Virginia connection

Growing Good provides products rather than cash contributions. Organizations seeking general operating grants or unrestricted monetary support should pursue another funding source.

Funding Amounts

Merrifield Garden Center does not publish standard donation values.

Support may vary depending on:

• The type of organization
• The nature and size of the event
• The specific product or gift card requested
• The request’s connection to the local community
• Product availability
• The volume of requests received
• Available community support resources

Applicants should make a specific and reasonable request rather than asking Merrifield to determine the donation amount or product package.

Growing Good donations are also awarded on a case-by-case basis and are subject to product availability and a limited charitable donation budget.

Timeline & Review

📅 Application Timeline: Rolling / ongoing
📅 Merrifield Donation Lead Time: Submit at least 60 days before the event
📅 Growing Good Lead Time: Apply at least 30 days before the planned planting or product-use date
📅 Growing Good Fulfillment: Approved donations may take up to three weeks to arrange for local pickup

Merrifield’s donation request team will contact applicants as quickly as possible to discuss the opportunity.

Because of the number of requests received, Merrifield cannot guarantee that every request will be approved.

Application / Request Process

Organizations seeking support directly from Merrifield Garden Center must complete the donation request form on the company’s website.

The form requests:

• Applicant’s first and last name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Event name
• Event date
• Event location
• Date by which a response is needed
• Description of the donation request

Applicants should clearly state:

• What product, gift card, or discount is being requested
• The purpose of the event or project
• The population or community that will benefit
• How the donation will be used
• The organization’s connection to Northern Virginia
• The date by which the organization needs a decision

Requests should be submitted at least 60 days before the event.

Organizations seeking Coast of Maine soil or gardening products should complete the separate Growing Good application.

Apply / Learn More

➡️ Submit a Merrifield Garden Center Community Donation Request

For planting soil and gardening product donations:

➡️ Apply for the Coast of Maine Growing Good Program

Why This Opportunity Is a Good Fit

This opportunity may be a strong fit for organizations that:

• Operate in Northern Virginia
• Are affiliated with a local school, athletic club, community organization, or charitable fundraiser
• Need a gift card for an auction, raffle, or fundraising event
• Need gardening products for a school or community project
• Are developing a garden, outdoor classroom, beautification project, or food-growing initiative
• Can use a community discount to reduce project expenses
• Can submit a request at least 60 days before an event
• Can pick up approved Growing Good products from a participating local retailer

Merrifield Garden Center’s Community Involvement Programs are best suited for locally rooted organizations seeking practical, in-kind support for community events, gardening projects, educational activities, and charitable fundraisers.

Corporate Grants Guide Notes

Review Type: Rolling review
Recommended Lead Time: At least 60 days for Merrifield requests
Support Provided: Gift cards, gardening products, discounts, and planting soil
Cash Grants: Not advertised
Best Suited For: Northern Virginia schools, clubs, community organizations, gardens, and charitable fundraisers
Important Note: Merrifield cannot guarantee support for every request because of application volume