Grant Opportunities for Food System Organizations and Businesses

Grant Opportunities for Food Assistance & Non-profit Partners

• Montgomery County’s Asian American Health Initiative Accepting Applications for Healthy Community Grant Program Through Monday, Aug. 5: Montgomery County’s Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI), a program of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services, is now accepting applications for the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Healthy Communities Fund grant program. The grant program offers $1.5 million in funding to support Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) organizations in providing linguistically and culturally responsive services to the County’s diverse community. Organizations can apply for up to $150,000 in funding for FY25. Application forms are posted on the AAHI website and application submissions will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 5.

• FY25 School-Based Food Assistance Grant Program Application Now Open: The Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR), in partnership with the Office of Grants Management (OGM), is soliciting grant applications for the County’s FY 2025 School-Based Food Assistance Program from food assistance provider organizations that provide school-based food assistance services at Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) sites. $1,250,000 in total grant funding is available for innovative programs to increase food security for students and their families through food assistance services co-located at an MCPS school site. Funding may be awarded to new initiatives, or continuation or expansion of existing programs at additional sites.Successful applicants will be asked to serve specific MCPS schools identified based on alignment of individual school’s needs with providers’ current programs, experience, and capacity. Awardees will be matched with one or multiple school(s) following the grant review period; the school match(es) will be indicated in grant agreements. The minimum award that applicants may request is $40,000 and maximum award is $300,000. Final award amounts may be lower than $40,000. The performance period for these grant awards is anticipated to be on/about August 15, 2024 to on/about June 30, 2025. To apply click here. Key dates for this program are: Application Opens: Wednesday, July 3, 2024 Application Closes: Friday, July 26, 2024 at 12:00 PM

• lululemon invites applications for the 2025 Here to Be Grant which will award general operating support of up to $50,000 to community-led nonprofit organizations working to create equity in well-being, and serving populations most impacted by systemic inequity. Applications from organizations working at the intersection of environment and well-being are also welcomed. An annual budget of less than $2 million is preferred.
• 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
• Whole Kids Get Schools Cooking Grant: The Get Schools Cooking Grant was created to support medium-sized school districts in the U.S. who are eager to transform their school lunch programs from processed foods to scratch-cooked meals. To learn more and apply, click here. Application closes mid 2024.
• 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.
  

• 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:

• The Northeast Regional Food Business Center (RFBC) opened its first grant round to fund network development and direct business technical assistance for local producers and food and farm businesses. Applications are due August 23^rd by 7:59 pm ET.
•  RAFI Infrastructure Grants, now open, providing up to $10K for “Historically Underserved farmers and ranchers for projects that demonstrate an ability to increase farm viability; establish new markets for local products and services; develop new uses for existing structures and equipment; add value to existing farm products through processing, packaging or marketing; make optimal use of on-farm and natural resources; and Cultural/Heritage projects which are focused on preserving and continuing a specific agrarian tradition.” The application deadline is Friday, August 9, 2024 at 5:00 p.m Eastern Time. More information here: https://www.rafiusa.org/programs/farmers-of-color-network/rafi-infrastructure-grants-2024-applications-open
• USDA Composting and Food Waste Reduction Cooperative Agreements The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot projects for fiscal year 2024. Selected projects will develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans and are part of USDA’s broader efforts to support urban agriculture. OUAIP will prioritize projects that anticipate or demonstrate economic benefits; incorporate plans to make compost easily accessible to farmers, including community gardeners; integrate other food waste strategies, including food recovery efforts, and collaborate with multiple partners.USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) – led by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) – will accept applications on Grants.gov until Sept. 4, 2024.
• 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).
• MARBIDCO Grants: Several grant programs to apply to, for cold storage, aggregation, urban ag, and more! Typically with a match.
• 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.