First Round of Grants Awarded to Nonprofits Promoting Climate-Friendly Foods
Washington, DC – July 15, 2020: Social entrepreneurs Seth Goldman and Julie Farkas announced today the selection of 21 community-based nonprofit organizations as grant recipients for the inaugural cycle of the Eat the Change® Impact grant program.
“Community leadership and engagement are vital to creating change. These organizations stood out for their authenticity and ability to inspire others through making planet-friendly, healthy food accessible to everyone regardless of race, geography and income,” said Julie Farkas.
The Eat the Change® program launched in March 2020 and will award $1 million (approximately $335,000 per year) over the next three years to national and community-based nonprofits working to promote and expand access to climate-friendly foods. Community-based grants range in size from $5,000 - $10,000. The second wave of grants, representing the national category, will be announced in August.
“We were thrilled to receive so many inspiring applications in our first year. The pandemic has highlighted the stark disparities in health outcomes that exist in our society, and there has never been a more important time to invest in community-based partners working to address those gaps,” added Seth Goldman.
Olympia Auset, founder and CEO of SÜPRSEED – a grant recipient developing a subsidized plant-based grocery in South Central Los Angeles – explained the role of climate-friendly foods in addressing these inequities: “There are a lot of things we feel like we can’t control, but we can control what we put in our mouths and we need to make sure everyone has equal ability to make those choices. Food is important on the path to resistance, and when each of us is able to create positive changes in ourselves through food, we are in a much better position to create change in the world around us.”
This year, the program received more than 120 applications from 34 states and 3 countries. Final selections were made based on each proposal’s alignment with and potential to promote four core values: Eating with Intention, Fact-Based Science, Democratizing Planet-Friendly Diets, and Innovation.
Community-Based Grantees:
- A Table in the Wilderness; Oklahoma City Metro Area, OK – Educating individuals and families on the physical, spiritual, and environmental benefits of a plant-based lifestyle ($7,500)
- Black Veg Society of Maryland; Baltimore, MD – Educating the public, particularly African American and Latinx communities, on the benefits of a plant-based diet ($7,500)
- Southern Illinois Community Foundation on behalf of Carbondale Spring Food Autonomy Initiative; Carbondale, IL – Creating a resident-led sustainable garden network to meet the nutritional needs of individuals facing food insecurity ($5,000)
- Charles Koiner Conservancy for Urban Farming; Silver Spring, MD – Building a new generation of sustainable food innovators through hands-on education ($7,500)
- Common Good City Farm; Washington, DC – Providing nutritious food and engaging
- residents to create a vibrant, informed, and well-nourished community through urban
- farming ($5,000)
- io Grande Community Development Corporation on behalf of Cooperative Catalyst of
- New Mexico; Albuquerque, NM – Providing services to develop agricultural
- cooperatives in tribal areas to empower communities and build local wealth ($10,000)
- Crossroads Community Food Network; Takoma Park, MD – Providing culturally appropriate education to expand food system knowledge and fresh produce consumption ($5,000)
- Cumberland County Food Security Council; Yarmouth, ME – Conducting educational gleaning initiatives to distribute local food, increase food access, and reduce food waste ($7,500)
- DC Greens; Washington, DC – Advancing food justice and health equity through food education, access, and policy; grant will support food-as-medicine work to shift local and national policy toward investment in produce prescriptions ($10,000)
- Acta Non Verba Youth Farm on behalf of East Oakland Grocery Cooperative; East Oakland, CA – Developing a worker-owned grocery cooperative that promotes human and environmental health and prioritizes Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) residents ($10,000)
- Feeding GA Families; Atlanta, GA – Providing free grocery assistance to reduce food insecurity through food pantries, feeding programs, food waste redistribution, health and welfare initiatives, and community events ($5,000)
- Earth Island Institute on behalf of Food Shift; Alameda, CA – Rescuing food waste to provide plant-forward foods for individuals facing food insecurity ($10,000)
- Friends of the National Arboretum Washington Youth Garden; Washington, DC – Piloting a field trip curriculum to educate students on the relationship between food systems and climate change ($7,500)
- Grow Dat Youth Farm; New Orleans, LA – Nurturing a diverse group of young leaders through the meaningful work of growing food ($10,000)
- Hawaii Institute of Pacific Agriculture; Kapaau, HI – Educating students to expand nutritional awareness and increase youth interest in regenerative agriculture ($7,500)
- Iowa Valley RC&D; Amana, IA – Launching innovative no-till production at Grow: Johnson County, a 5-acre charitable vegetable farm program ($10,000)
- Keep Growing Detroit; Detroit, MI – Educating urban gardeners about climate-smart growing and cooking practices ($10,000)
- Community Partners on behalf of Los Angeles Food Policy Council; Los Angeles, CA – Hosting culturally-relevant, plant-based cooking demonstrations with local chefs of color ($10,000)
- Project New Village; San Diego, CA – Facilitating community-centered meals and storytelling about food sovereignty and the climate impact of food systems ($10,000)
- SÜPRSEED; South Central, CA – Developing a subsidized organic grocery and community space to expand the availability of fresh vegan foods ($10,000)
- Trees that Feed Foundation; Winnetka, IL – Planting fruit trees in developing countries to feed people, create jobs, and benefit the environment ($10,000)