Thank you to our very generous Anonymous Angel donor. ❤️
Our sponsor's promotion has ended but we still need your help.
Help Me Grow What's Possible – From the Garden to the Community
Hi, I’m Rodney Smith, and I’m living proof that a garden can change your life.
Not just by growing food—but by growing people.
I’m now the Community Outreach Manager at Tiger Mountain Foundation (TMF) in South Phoenix, but that’s not how my story started.
Before TMF, I was battling the kind of obstacles that many young people in our community face: cycles of incarceration, lack of opportunity, and the weight of generational struggle. I felt stuck. Unseen. Unvalued.
Then one day, I walked into a garden—and it changed everything.
Tiger Mountain Foundation didn’t just hand me a tool and tell me to work. They handed me dignity. Purpose. Skills. They showed me that I wasn’t broken—I was just waiting to bloom.
Today, I help lead that same garden. I mentor youth who remind me of myself. I teach families how to grow their own food. I run cooking demos with produce we harvest. I speak life into those who’ve been written off.
But this isn’t just my story. It’s our story.
Campaign Summary
At TigerMountain Foundation, we’ve spent years transforming over 200 vacant spaces into community gardens. These gardens have become more than spaces for growing food, they’ve become powerful platforms for education, employment, community healing, and purpose.
Now, our work is evolving—and expanding.
We are launching a new chapter that includes:
- A national Urban Ag & STEAAM Initiative connecting cities through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Agriculture, and Math.
- A bridge campaign to fund the team and initiatives that drive our mission daily.
To make this vision real, we need our greatest resource and that’s YOU.
That includes volunteers,
partners, and peer supporters who believe in sustainable,
people-powered change
Our Origin StoryIn one of the most underserved neighborhoods in Phoenix, TigerMountain Foundation began with a question: What happens when people grow their own food, and their own future? We invited neighbors to join us: youth needing purpose, elders with wisdom to share, returning citizens ready for a second chance. We gave them the tools, space, and support to plant, harvest, and thrive together. Over the years, we’ve grown:
But that was just the
beginning. |
The Moment We’re In
Our gardens taught us what’s possible when people are trusted and resourced.
Now, we’re scaling that impact to meet the urgency of this
moment with two connected initiatives:
1. With the Urban Ag & STEAAM Initiative
From Phoenix to cities across the country, we’re building community-based Urban Ag centers that integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Agriculture, and Math. These opportunities provide youth, adults, and seniors with real skills and creative expression while solving food insecurity from the ground up.
2. The Bridge
To bring this vision to life, we need to retain our team, fund
our frontline mentors, and provide operational stability. “The
Bridge” is our immediate fundraising priority, a way to protect what
we’ve built while scaling up what’s next.
|
How You Can Help
|
Why It Matters
|
|
Together, we are building a sustainable ecosystem for long-term,
scalable change.
Get Involved
We are inviting you to be part of
this next chapter.
The seed has been planted.
With your help, we’ll grow an ecosystem of opportunity—from Phoenix to beyond.
Now is the time.
Give. Share. Start a campaign. Help us grow what’s possible.
TigerMountain Foundation is a 501c3 charitable organization so
this donation can count as a deduction when you file your federal
income taxes. In addition, TigerMountain Foundation is recognized
by the Arizona Department of Revenue as a "Qualifying
Charitable Organization" because it serves low-income
residents of Arizona. Our Qualifying Charitable Organization Code
is 20127.
