Grant Opportunities for Food System Organizations and Businesses

Grant Opportunities for Food Assistance & Non-profit Partner

• Thome Aging Well Program: The second round of funding for the Thome Aging Well Program has opened. They expect to award up to $6 million in this round, with grants ranging from $75,000 to $300,000. All nonprofit organizations providing support to older adults with low incomes residing in Maryland or Michigan are eligible to apply. Click here to learn more. Applications are due April 14, 2023.

• America’s Healthiest Schools Award: The 2023 America’s Healthiest Schools Award application is now open! School teams nationwide can apply in one, more than one, or all 9 topic areas. All awardees will be featured in our national celebration this fall. Deadline: Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

• School Nutrition Foundation Equipment Grants: The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) has teamed up with industry partners to provide new kitchen equipment to deserving districts! Apply now for one (or more) of five available grants through the 2023 SNF Equipment Grant Program. Deadline: Friday, March 31, 2023.

• Traulsen & Hobart Save Your Kitchen Campaign: Traulsen proudly announces the eighth iteration of its Save Your Kitchen Campaign. The sweepstakes are open to K-12 nutrition professionals in the 50 states and Washington, D.C. The entry deadline for the 2nd sweepstakes of the year is May 5th. To enter the sweepstakes and for other information, click here.
• Montgomery County Office of Grants Management – Grants Application Platform: The Office of Grants Management is soliciting grant applications for the two new grant programs totaling $1.5 million focused on underserved communities and the nonprofit organizations rooted in them. Both programs are intentionally very flexible to allow nonprofits to identify their own needs and new programming to support their communities.

• Grant Relief for On-Boarding Workers (GROW): The past few months WorkSource Montgomery (WSM) plans to award another $1 Million dollars over the next year until funds are exhausted. The GROW COVID-19 financial assistance is intended for both for-profit and not-for-profit business entities, negatively impacted by the pandemic, including but not limited to, hospitality (hotel and food service), transportation, retail, travel, cosmetology, dependent care, and other industries with front-line workers, and particularly for small & minority-owned businesses. For more information or to apply, CLICK HERE. For specific questions about the GROW program, contact Cynthia Grissom at cgrissom@worksourcemontgomery.com

• ALDI Smart Kids Fund: ALDI Smart Kids partners with organizations that make a positive impact on kids’ health and well-being, food insecurity and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. So whether your mission is to support kids through education, arts, athletics or any other program that inspires them to be active and healthy, we say kudos to you and encourage you to apply for support from the ALDI Smart Kids program. Please visit the website for more information on eligibility and timeline.

• 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 2023 Keeping It Cool Grant Application is Now Open!
  The Keeping It Cool Grant Program will provide $400,000 in grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to support cold storage infrastructure and equipment needs of food businesses and 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations providing food-related goods and services in the Washington D.C. region. Eligible locations include Arlington, VA; Alexandria, VA; Fairfax Country, VA; Montgomery County, MD; Prince George’s County, MD; and Washington, D.C. Apply by March 31st.
• The Brighter Future Fund was launched in 2020 to assist farmers in successfully launching, growing, and sustaining farms in the face of forces impacting the food and agricultural system, including the COVID-19 pandemic, changing markets, severe weather, and climate change. Click here for more information.
• Grant Relief for On-Boarding Workers (GROW): The past few months WorkSource Montgomery (WSM) plans to award another $1 Million dollars over the next year until funds are exhausted. The GROW COVID-19 financial assistance is intended for both for-profit and not-for-profit business entities, negatively impacted by the pandemic, including but not limited to, hospitality (hotel and food service), transportation, retail, travel, cosmetology, dependent care, and other industries with front-line workers, and particularly for small & minority-owned businesses. For more information or to apply, CLICK HERE. For specific questions about the GROW program, contact Cynthia Grissom at cgrissom@worksourcemontgomery.com
• USDA FSA Grant to support GAP Certification and other Food Safety Expenses: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds specialty crop producers of available assistance to help cover certain costs of complying with regulatory and market-driven food safety certification requirements. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will accept applications for 2023 costs from Feb. 1, 2023, to Jan. 31, 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: The Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL) provides low-interest financing so producers can build or upgrade facilities to store commodities. Eligible commodities include grains, oilseeds, peanuts, pulse crops, hay, honey, renewable biomass commodities, fruits and vegetables, floriculture, hops, maple sap, milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, eggs, meat/poultry (unprocessed), rye and aquaculture. 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. Since its inception in May 2000, more than 33,000 loans have been issued for on-farm storage, increasing storage capacity by 900 million bushels.FSFL is an excellent financing program for on-farm storage and handling for small and mid-sized farms, and for new farmers. Loan terms vary from 3 to 12 years. The maximum loan amount for storage facilities is $500,000. The maximum loan amount for storage and handling trucks is $100,000. In 2016 FSA introduced a new loan category, the microloan, for loans with an aggregate balance up to $50,000. Microloans offer a 5 percent down payment requirement, compared to a 15 percent down payment for a regular FSFL, and waive the regular three-year production history requirement.