Since I was a child, I have, first as a volunteer and later as a nonprofit staff member, participated in food drives, in which local schools and other organizations collect canned goods to combat food insecurity in the community. While shelf-stable foods are an important resource, we’ve all learned over time that a healthy diet requires fresh foods as well. I’ve been privileged to work with a number of nonprofits committed to the idea that everyone should have access to fresh produce and other healthy foods. If you are seeking grant funding for similar food programs, I have some helpful resources to share.

In addition to your Community-Centric information from residents about specific needs and interests, grantors are interested to know the research data that specifies the problem and informs your approach, and how local issues reflect regional/national food-related challenges. Here are some resources to help you get grant-ready - grouped into two general areas:

1 - Healthy Food Access, which may include organizations providing food pantries, congregate or home-delivered meals, nutrition education, and/or working in communities without access to local grocers and other healthy food sources -

Food Research and Access Center (FRAC) - A wealth of resources about poverty-related hunger in the U.S., including local and national data and trends
A FRAC fact sheet has helpful information if you are considering an application to USDA's Summer Nutrition Program, which funds meals for children over the summer. This map helps you find the agency administering the program in each state.
The USDA provides a map showing low income areas with low access to grocery stores. Your state or local government may have similar tools available.
The American Society for Nutrition has data about the “global epidemic of diet-related chronic disease,” including research and data about the benefits of both healthy food and nutrition education.

2 - Food Sourcing, which includes varied interests such as consumer access to locally-grown and/or organic produce, ensuring the success of BIPOC and other socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers/producers, and environmentally sustainable agriculture. I expect that our country’s supply chain problems will spark funders’ interest in this area, so you’ll want to keep current on new programs and data.

If your nonprofit is working in this area, you’ll want to become familiar with the USDA’s programs, especially as they recently announced upcoming increased funding in several key areas.

Nonprofits working to support beginning farmers or small farms can visit the USDA’s Beginning Farmers and Ranchers page for an introduction to services and funding, including resources for Historically Underserved Farmers, Urban Farmers, and Organic Farmers.
If your nonprofit is new to Federal Grants, visit the Grants Learning Center at grants.gov to learn more, including how to search for USDA grants.

A source of recent scientific research in agriculture is the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which partners with the Land-Grant University (LGU) System - this link will help you find institutions, many of which are HBCUs and Tribal Colleges and Universities, conducting agricultural research in your region.

I am honored to have worked with food-related nonprofits who are working to ensure the personal health of individuals, and the economic health of local farmers, both of which benefit our entire community. If your nonprofit needs help in obtaining foundation, corporate or government grant funding in this area, please contact me or anyone at Purpose Possible and we’ll be glad to share how we can help.

Susan Butler Allison
sallison@purposepossible.com
Purpose Possible Consultant