How people's-choice garden grant votes work

By Gro1000Vote.com · Updated September 25, 2026 · Sources listed at the end

Some funders let the public choose a grant winner by online vote. These “people’s choice” contests raise awareness for the sponsor and the finalists, but they work differently from a standard grant review. Here is how they are usually structured, using the 2015 GRO1000 promotion’s published rules as a documented example.

How the format usually works

1. The sponsor picks finalists. In 2015, only four municipalities selected by The Scotts Company LLC could take part as entrants.^[1]
2. Finalists supply materials. Entrants provided photos, video and project descriptions for the voting site, and agreed to let the sponsor use them in promotion.^[1]
3. The public votes within set limits. The 2015 rules allowed one vote per person per day and banned automated voting.^[1]
4. The sponsor tallies votes and names a winner. The finalist with the most eligible votes, as counted by the sponsor, received the $40,000 grant. The rules also set out how a tie would be handled.^[1]
5. Other finalists may still receive something. In 2015 each finalist received a $1,500 initial grant, and the three runners-up were later awarded a $1,500 grant and a product donation.^[1][2]

Strengths and weaknesses of public votes

These are general considerations, not findings about any particular contest. Traditional reviewed grants, described in our garden grants guide, judge applications against published criteria instead.

How to tell whether a garden vote is legitimate

• Official rules are published and name the sponsor, dates, eligibility and how winners are chosen. The 2015 rules, for example, named the sponsor and its address and stated “no purchase necessary.”^[1]
• You never pay to vote and are not asked for bank details. The FTC warns that requests for upfront fees in exchange for grant money are a hallmark of scams.^[3]
• The sponsor confirms it. Check the company’s or foundation’s own website or press releases rather than trusting a link in a message.
• Old contests stay closed. If a page asks you to vote in a contest that ended years ago, treat it with suspicion.

If your garden is a finalist

Read the rules carefully, because they often cover travel, media appearances and ownership of the materials you submit.^[1] Plan a campaign that fits within the rules: remind supporters to vote once a day, and never use automated tools or incentives the rules forbid.

Related

• GRO1000 and the 2015 people's-choice garden vote
• Community garden grants: how they work and where to look
• How to start a community garden, step by step