Grant Opportunities for Food Assistance & Non-profit Partners
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FY25 Food as Medicine Grant Program: The FY25 Food as Medicine Grant Program is a two-stage process. The goal of Stage One is to identify potential project partner organizations in the following categories: pediatric primary care healthcare providers, food assistance program operators, food educators, and food businesses including farms, producers, and wholesalers/distributors. Organizations can 1) jointly submit a Stage One Application as an Established Partnership* that can perform all of the required project tasks AND/OR 2) submit an Individual Organization Stage One Application indicating which specific project tasks the organization can provide. If your organization wishes to apply for both funding as part of an Established Partnership, and as an Individual Organization to pursue the establishment of new, additional partnerships, please submit separately both a joint and individual Stage One Application. Organizations may be named as a collaborator in multiple “Established Partnership” type applications. Organizations may not submit multiple “Individual Organization” type applications. Deadline
Jan 6 2025 11:59 PM - DHS Announces $160 Million First Portion of Additional Nonprofit Security Grant Program Funds to Protect Faith-Based and Nonprofit Organizations Against Targeted Attacks: The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it will distribute $160 million in Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funds as a first tranche of additional funding that the Biden-Harris Administration secured to protect faith-based institutions and nonprofit organizations against targeted attacks. The announcement accompanies DHS’s release of an amended Notice of Funding Opportunity that will now enable qualifying institutions and organizations to apply for these additional NSGP funds.
- Ben & Jerry’s Foundation Grassroots Organization National Grants: The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation National Grassroots Organizing Program is dedicated to advancing racial equity, social justice, and environmental justice by providing grants of up to $30,000 per year to small grassroots organizations with budgets under $350,000. These grants support community-level efforts to dismantle discriminatory systems and promote inclusivity. Applications for 2024 are now open, offering a rolling process for submission throughout the grant year. Learn more and apply here! To see examples from 2022 grantees, click here. Deadline: Grants are accepted on a rolling basis.
- Greater Washington Community Foundation Health Equity Fund: The Health Equity Fund is offering grant opportunities for demonstration projects that provide proof of concept and determine potential for scalability. The projects must consist of two or more partner organizations working collaboratively in a new and targeted way to implement economic mobility models that increase strategic economic participation and build community wealth for people and communities with the greatest economic and health disparities.Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis through March 2026 (or until funds have been exhausted).
- Whole Kids Grants Salad Bar Grant: Kids with access to a salad bar in their school cafeteria not only put more fruits and veggies on their plates, they actually eat them! The CDC reports that kids with access to a salad bar consume 33% more fruits and vegetables. The Salad Bars to Schools grant program is donating salad bars to U.S. schools to allow kids to have daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables. To learn more and apply, click here. Applications accepted year round
- Food is Medicine (FIM) Request for Proposals – AHA awards are limited to project PIs that hold a doctoral-level degree and are associated with eligible institutions, including U.S.-based non-profit institutions, including medical, osteopathic, and dental schools, veterinary schools, schools of public health, pharmacy schools, nursing schools, universities and colleges, public and voluntary hospitals and others that can demonstrate the ability to conduct the proposed research. For individuals associated with for-profit institutions, community-based organizations, or other non-eligible entities, there are opportunities to partner with eligible PIs in conducting this research. For those interested in connecting with project PIs, please complete the form at this link (Food is Medicine Practitioner Form (office.com), and a member of the team will follow up with you.
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The W. K. Kellogg Foundation — Accepts healthy kids and community/civic engagement grant applications throughout the year with no submission deadline.
- Nonprofit, Interest Free, Micro Bridge Loan Account (NIMBL) — This interest-free, micro bridge loan program and fund supports the operations of nonprofit entities. The program is administered by the Maryland Nonprofit Development Center and the Maryland Department of Commerce. The program provides short-term financing support to qualifying nonprofit entities between the award date of a government contract and the actual receipt date of those awarded funds. Application accepted on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis.
Grant Opportunities for Food Businesses & Farms:
- Historically Underserved Farming Communities Grant Program- The historically underserved farmer/farming communities grant program is designed to address systemic/structural barriers to access that disproportionately limit the ability of historically underserved farmer/farming communities to fully participate in SARE programs. This grant program funds projects that create farming and food system opportunities for historically underserved farmers/farming communities and prioritizes work that engages, and is led by, people with experience from those communities. The program seeks projects that will address the needs and serve the interests of groups that have been met with discrimination and other systemic obstacles to full participation in the agricultural system of the Northeast. Northeast SARE’s Administrative Council allocated approximately $3,000,000 to fund projects for this cycle of historically underserved farmers/farming communities grants. awards can range from $150,000 to $250,000 depending upon a project’s needs, complexity, and duration. Approximately 15-20 awards will be made. Question and Answer Sessions will take place for this grant program in November and December. Sessions will take place from 2-3 p.m. on November 13th, November 19th, December 4th, and December 10th. Recordings, along with questions and answers, will be made available after each session. Click here to learn more. Online submission due date January 7, 2025.
- County Cost Share Grants: (MARBIDCO and OAG) Agricultural Cost Share Reimbursement (ACRE) Program ACRE provides matching grant cost-share assistance to farmers for agricultural business projects that improve, expand and increase the profitability of the agricultural enterprise. Examples of agricultural projects that may be eligible for this program include but are not limited to: deer fence, agricultural well, vertical racks for microgreens, farm equipment and tools, hydroponics equipment, aquaponics equipment and refrigeration.
- USDA FSA Microloans: Loans of up to $50,000 for down payment on land, buildings, projects, equipment, and several other approved uses. For farmer land owners and also for farm operators (non-owners).
- Farm Storage Facility Loan Program: Eligible facility types include grain bins, hay barns, bulk tanks, and facilities for cold storage. Drying and handling and storage equipment is also eligible, including storage and handling trucks. Eligible facilities and equipment may be new or used, permanently affixed or portable.
- Financing, Technical Assistance, and Grants to Help DC Food Businesses Expand Economic Prosperity – Nourish DC provides a range of technical assistance services to help entrepreneurs take their new and existing businesses to the next level including: one-on-one consulting, short-format seminars/ webinars/ trainings, access to a kitchen incubator, mentoring, and cohort-based intensive training. Click here to learn more.
- Maryland Dept of Ag, Water and Power Grants for Urban Farms Maryland’s Small Farm and Urban Agriculture Program is now accepting applications for its Urban Agriculture Water and Power Infrastructure Grants. Approved by the Maryland General Assembly in 2022, this financial assistance program provides the department with up to $500,000 in annual funding through Fiscal Year 2027 to help urban farms and community gardens purchase and install equipment to access water and electricity needed to sustain their operations. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis as long as funds remain available. To qualify for this grant, you must produce a farm product that generates a minimum of $1,000 in sales or donations annually. Eligibility for this grant is limited to operations located in urban areas as defined by the United States Census Bureau and any incorporated municipality recognized by the State of Maryland. Please click the interactive map link to determine if your property meets the location criteria. Info here. Grant applications will be accepted as long as funds remain available.