Welcome to Community Backyards! This is an annual program by Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District that promotes water quality education for residents in Franklin County, Ohio. Our goal is to protect water quality by reducing stormwater runoff. We can do that in our own backyards by keeping rain where it falls and using it as a resource. We encourage and incentivize the use of rain barrels, rain gardens, native plants, composting, and low input lawn care to keep our waterways healthy and safe.
How It Works
Community Backyards offers one rebate voucher per household per year for the purchase of an eligible, approved backyard conservation item to residents in Franklin County, Ohio and/or participating communities. Here is how it works.
- Participate - First, you must participate in the education requirement of the program. You can do this via one of two ways - take the online course --or-- attend a local, in-person workshop. You only have to do one. After you participate, you will receive a voucher for a rebate.
- Pick Your Rebate - Now that you have a voucher, decide what rebate you want! Your eligible rebate items will be listed on your voucher. Pick one. Remember, you can only get ONE REBATE PER HOUSEHOLD PER YEAR. You cannot get multiple rebates in one year. So, choose wisely! However, you can participate each year.
- Redeem Your Rebate - Get your rebate! You have two options - redeem for an immediate discount at a participating local vendor --or-- purchase at any retail store and submit it for reimbursement.
The program is an annual program and is open each year from April through September.
Available Rebates
Rebates are available for residents of Franklin County and/or participating community residents. Your available rebate options will vary based on your home's tax district and are subject to availability. In Central Ohio, your primary tax district can be different than your mailing address or school district (i.e. Hilliard mailing, City of Columbus taxes, Hilliard Schools). Because of this, we will verify your tax district via the Franklin County Auditor after you participate (and you can too if you want to learn more about your property and taxes). Then, we will issue a voucher which will specify your tax district and rebates available to you.
Rebates are very limited and subject to availability and can change from year to year. You must live in Franklin County, Ohio and/or a participating municipality and participate in the Community Backyards online course or workshop in order to qualify for a rebate. Franklin Soil and Water has no control over if and what rebates are available for each community- it is all up to your home's local municipality and their available funding.
| Tax District | Rain Barrel | Native Plants | Compost Bin+ | Rain Garden |
| City of Columbus | $75 Rain Barrel Rebate | $50 Native Plants, Trees & Shrubs Rebate | Purchase a SWACO compost bin for $30 after $70 instant rebate
Not eligible for $50 rebate on a tumbler or on-the-ground compost bin | $250 Rain Garden Rebate |
| Cities of Bexley, Gahanna, Grove City, Hilliard, Obetz, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington, Westerville & Franklin County Townships | $50 Rain Barrel Rebate | $50 Native Plants, Trees & Shrubs Rebate | Purchase a SWACO compost bin for $30 after $70 instant rebate
--or--
$50 rebate on a tumbler, worm, or on-the-ground compost bin | $250 Rain Garden Rebate |
| Cities of Canal Winchester, Dublin & Worthington | $50 Rain Barrel Rebate | $50 Native Plants, Trees & Shrubs Rebate
| Purchase a SWACO compost bin for $30 after $70 instant rebate
--or--
$50 rebate on a tumbler, worm, or on-the-ground compost bin
| N/A - Not Eligible |
| City of New Albany | $100 Rain Barrel Rebate | $100 Native Plants, Trees & Shrubs Rebate
| Purchase a SWACO compost bin for $30 after $70 instant rebate
--or--
$100 rebate on a tumbler, worm, or on-the-ground compost bin
| $250 Rain Garden Rebate |
Franklin County Non-Participating Tax Districts
(Grandview, Whitehall) | $50 Rain Barrel Rebate | N/A - Not Eligible | Purchase a SWACO compost bin for $30 after $70 instant rebate
Not eligible for $50 rebate on a tumbler or on-the-ground compost bin
| N/A - Not Eligible |
*As of 9/16/2024, the following communities are OUT of funding: Canal Winchester, Dublin, Townships, & Non-participating Communities. No more vouchers will be issued in 2024. Additionally, the following communities only have rain garden rebates remaining: Hilliard, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington.
+SWACO Compost Bins are sold out as of 9/14/2024 for the rest of 2024. We will have more during the 2025 program. Come back next spring!
Take Action: Choose Your Way to Participate
There are two ways to participate to receive a rebate voucher. Pick ONE:
- Take the Online Course: Open April 19, 2024 - October 1, 2024. Come back in April 2025!
- Attend a Local Workshop: Workshops occur April-October annually.
After you participate, we will issue you a voucher, and then you can get a rebate.
Questions? Check out our
Resources page. Still not sure? Call our office at (614) 486-9613 or email us at
communitybackyards@franklinswcd.org.