Past Grantees

BUILD, Inc.

Awarded $175,000.00

for the Austin Grown program, which addresses food insecurity among youth and families in the community by promoting access to organic food options while teaching healthy food preparation and youth leadership. The program expands on BUILD’s learning garden, The Iris, to create job experiences for teens as they learn about urban agriculture, food production, and food justice

View BUILD, Inc.'s Website

Beyond Hunger

Awarded $25,000.00

for the In The Kitchen: Generational Change through Community Health Ambassadors program. In a partnership with New Moms, ambassadors provide cooking instruction and nutrition information; advocate for healthy cooking and eating habits; and address chronic health issues

View Beyond Hunger's Website

GSJ Family Life Center

Awarded $75,000.00

To help launch and ramp up community driven operations at the Austin Community Incubator Kitchen, which provides healthy food-centered local entrepreneurship opportunities and nutrition education for Austin neighborhood residents. This project builds on the work that Greater St. John Bible Church and Faith in Place have collaborated on since 2020

View GSJ Family Life Center's Website

GAP Community Center

Awarded $50,000.00

To fund Chiquitos in the Kitchen/Juntos in the Kitchen, a cooking and gardening program that empowers students on the north side of Austin to creatively and sustainably engage with food in the garden, in the kitchen, around the table, and in the community

View GAP Community Center's Website

Westside Health Authority

Awarded $500,000.00

For the partnership with Forty Acres Fresh Market toward construction of a brick-and-mortar grocery store. Once completed, the market will increase access to affordable fresh food retail in Austin.

View Westside Health Authority's Website

Austin Coming Together

Awarded $450,000.00

to support the efforts of Austin Eats, a coalition working to strengthen the healthy food ecosystem in Austin by increasing the collective impact of its member organizations to improve education and economic development outcomes for the community.

View Austin Coming Together's Website

Westside Health Authority

Awarded $593,000.00

For the continued partnership with Forty Acres Fresh Market toward construction of a brick-and-mortar grocery store, specifically for marketing outreach and purchase of equipment once construction on the store is complete.

Lumpkin Family Foundation portion: $98,948

View Westside Health Authority's Website

NeighborSpace

Awarded $92,000.00

For the coordination of activities at all of the Austin-based community gardens and the development of one additional Peace Garden.

Lumpkin Family Foundation portion: $15,351

View NeighborSpace's Website

Bethel New Life

Awarded $200,000.00

For phase 1 of their Mildred Wiley Wellness Hub at the Beth Ann Campus. The wellness hub will include gardens, a sunroom for senior residents to enjoy and for the processing of vegetables, and nutrition education in partnership with the Illinois Extension Service.

Lumpkin Family Foundation portion: $33,372

View Bethel New Life's Website

Faith in Place

Awarded $33,425.00

For additional costs associated with rezoning and completing the build-out of a certified kitchen at Greater St. John Church, which will be open to the community for development of commercial food products, cooking classes, and sanitation certification for those seeking employment in the food industry.

Lumpkin Family Foundation portion: $5,577

View Faith in Place's Website

Beyond Hunger

Awarded $28,000.00

To train nutrition ambassadors who can provide cooking instruction and nutrition information focused on how to prepare healthy meals with the food available from emergency supply, in a partnership with New Moms.

Lumpkin Family Foundation portion: $4,672

View Beyond Hunger's Website

BUILD, Inc.

Awarded $180,000.00

For the redevelopment of the Iris garden and associated programming, at Michele Clark High School (temporary location) and ultimately as it returns to the location of their completed new facility.

Lumpkin Family Foundation portion: $30,035

View BUILD, Inc.'s Website

BUILD, Inc.

Awarded $13,527.00

To expand their iris garden and involve more youth in its care, as well as to add some gardening efforts off-site, where youth will work with elders in the community to grow food.

View BUILD, Inc.'s Website

Westside Health Authority

Awarded $159,903.00

To support collaboration with Forty Acres Fresh Market, an existing for-profit fresh market concept, to move them into a permanent space and provide a full-service produce store in Austin.

View Westside Health Authority's Website

NeighborSpace

Awarded $25,050.00

To provide technical assistance in building capacity among the Austin community's network of gardens with needed infrastructure installations and improvements that will optimize production of fresh, locally grown vegetables and enable each garden to activate plans for community-managed spaces that addresses residents’ needs for safe gathering places and inter-generational community building.

View NeighborSpace's Website

Austin Coming Together

Awarded $20,875.00

To support coordination efforts on all food-related work in Austin as it pertains to the community’s quality of life plan, including community gardens, grocery stores, food cooperatives, and restaurants. The funding will also help to build the collective, positive narrative of the changes coming to Austin.

View Austin Coming Together's Website

Faith in Place

Awarded $14,195.00

To build out a commercial kitchen at Greater St. John Bible Church where residents can obtain their sanitation certificates and caterers can execute contracts in a legally licensed kitchen.

View Faith in Place's Website

GAP Community Center

Awarded $3,726.00

To teach children from the north end of Austin to cook, and to build a bridge between Austin’s Black population and the growing Latino population on the north end of the neighborhood.

View GAP Community Center's Website

By the Hand Club for Kids

Awarded $12,525.00

To expand their Austin Harvest pop-up market from a 12-week pilot last summer to a year-round program making low-cost produce available in the community and teaching entrepreneurialism to the youth.

View By the Hand Club for Kids's Website

Food Chain Workers Alliance

Awarded $10,000.00

To continue their work and build capacity to introduce and center worker voices in local, state, and national policy campaigns in three primary categories: 1) worker health and safety standards for all food workers, and meatpacking workers in particular; 2) national farmworker policy priorities, including members' opposition of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act; and 3) continued development and implementation of food procurement policies across the United States as part of the Good Food Purchasing Program.

View Food Chain Workers Alliance's Website

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Awarded $20,000.00

To help us bring our policy expertise to bear at critical climate crisis decision-making spaces in Washington, D.C. and mobilize our grassroots base around a major multi-year campaign on climate change from the field to advance legislation that addresses climate change mitigation and adaptation head-on and places just, regenerative policies at the heart of solutions for agriculture.

View National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition's Website

Government Accountability Project

Awarded $10,000.00

To enhance overall food integrity by facilitating truth-telling, accountability, and fairness to safeguard food, curtail farm animal abuse, and challenge economic exploitation of farmers and migrant workers through their support of enhanced and modernized corporate whistleblower protections for the agriculture industry.

View Government Accountability Project's Website

State Innovation Exchange

Awarded $20,000.00

The SiX Agriculture Program will prioritize helping state legislators across the nation work more effectively to coordinate and collaborate with grassroots organizations to engage and champion meaningful regenerative agriculture policy that centers food justice, farmer equity, clean air and water, healthy soils and re-establishes healthy local farm economies for our rural communities. While this work is state-based, it is Six's goal to not only impact policy at the state level but to compliment regional and national efforts that are working to advance regenerative and climate-friendly agriculture policy.

View State Innovation Exchange's Website

Animal Agriculture Reform Collaborative

Awarded $10,000.00

To build a broad, powerful base of organizations across the country from the environmental, independent farmer, sustainable food, labor, civil rights, and animal welfare movements to jointly challenge corporate control of the food system and advocate for better U.S.-based agricultural policies.

View Animal Agriculture Reform Collaborative's Website

Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN)

Awarded $10,000.00

We are engaged in two, multipart reporting initiatives — The first focuses on creative agricultural solutions to the climate crisis and the impediments such solutions face. The second explores a key aspect of the biodiversity crisis: How agriculture depletes biodiversity, and how, when managed sustainably, it can enhance biodiversity while feeding a growing population. With climate policy a major factor in the current presidential campaign and the biodiversity crisis a subject of international concern, we believe support for this reporting is essential to increasing public pressure on lawmakers and corporations and catalyzing change.

View Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN)'s Website

Rural Coalition

Awarded $30,000.00

To advance community-based development in rural, persistently poor communities, expand equity in farm and food programs, and transform systems of inequity in USDA and its programs and services to yield foundational changes in Farm Bill legislation, making more resources available to family-sized farmers and rural communities.

View Rural Coalition's Website

HEAL Food Alliance

Awarded $30,000.00

To support the capacity-building and general operations of the Alliance to identify and advance strategic policy campaigns on the Farm Bill and food procurement, as well as protections for food workers and the dismantling of corporate control. HEAL Food Alliance will also cultivate new leaders through the third cohort of their School of Political Leadership, build their members’ capacity for organizing and communications, and coordinate an emerging initiative to increase philanthropic investment in the leadership of BIPOC groups accountable to their communities.

View HEAL Food Alliance's Website

Union of Concerned Scientists

Awarded $40,000.00

To provide mini-grants to Good Food for All (GFFA) members to support their individual organizational capacity to make progress on collective GFFA priorities and goals. Over the last three years, these mini-grants have become an essential source of financial support for otherwise unfunded or underfunded projects; a valuable capacity building opportunity to develop and evaluate grant making skills; and a way of bringing the collaborative together to share learning.

View Union of Concerned Scientists's Website

Open Markets Institute

Awarded $20,000.00

To shine a light on corporate agricultural monopolies through investigative reporting, in-depth policy research and proposals, proposing legal remedies and rulemaking, and coordinating a coalition for progressive policy and agriculture organizations on challenges in the food and agriculture systems space. Our work in food and agriculture has been focused on two key strategies: reviving antitrust enforcement and promoting fair dealing in food markets, and rebalancing power in political and economic systems.

View Open Markets Institute's Website

Funders for Regenerative Agriculture (FORA)

Awarded $20,000.00

To move towards collaborative action for a network of 60 diverse members, including creating a Communications & Media studio, a grassroots policy strategy at the national and state level, a Financing the Transition strategy, a comprehensive Tracking the Field initiative, and Research series.

View Funders for Regenerative Agriculture (FORA)'s Website

California Climate and Agriculture Network

Awarded $10,000.00

To support the creation of the National Healthy Soils Policy Network to serve as an information clearinghouse, learning laboratory, and aggregator of farmer voices across the country for building power and securing resources that will catalyze a transition to a healthy and just agricultural system while delivering climate solutions and increasing on-farm resilience.

View California Climate and Agriculture Network's Website

National Family Farm Coalition

Awarded $20,000.00

To pay for activities required to elevate the voice and priorities of our members who primarily live in rural America, advocate for policy changes that enrich their lives, and raise the profile of community-based and controlled food systems. This includes staff time, organizational expenses, and cost of travel and stipends for our members to compensate them for any potential loss of income while they are away from their businesses of farming, ranching, or fishing.

View National Family Farm Coalition's Website

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funders

Awarded $40,000.00

To support the project “Catalyzing Action: Building philanthropic knowledge and capacity to impact food and farm policy,” to enhance SAFSF's ability to contribute to more effective investments and accelerated learning within their membership.

View Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funders's Website

National Young Farmers Coalition

Awarded $10,000.00

To create a cohort of young farmers trained to become leaders ready to bring their political know-how home to their agricultural communities, resulting in an expanded network equipped to serve as mentors, advocates, technical assistants, and public officials, resourced to serve without sacrificing their vital work as farmers and land stewards.

View National Young Farmers Coalition's Website

Food and Farm Communications Fund

Awarded $10,000.00

To provide targeted communications funding and resources to community-based organizations working at the forefront of food and farm systems change. The Fund advances communications initiatives and media projects to help shift narrative and further the goals of the grassroots and their allies. The Fund also seeks to influence increased funding and prioritization of strategic communications and narrative as essential tools in movement-building and systems change.

View Food and Farm Communications Fund's Website

Open Markets Institute

Awarded $20,000.00

To shine a light on corporate agricultural monopolies through investigative reporting, in-depth policy research and proposals, proposing legal remedies and rulemaking, and coordinating a coalition for progressive policy and agriculture organizations on challenges in the food and agriculture systems space. Our work in food and agriculture has been focused on two key strategies: reviving antitrust enforcement and promoting fair dealing in food markets, and rebalancing power in political and economic systems.

California Climate and Agriculture Network

Awarded $10,000.00

To support the creation of the National Healthy Soils Policy Network to serve as an information clearinghouse, learning laboratory, and aggregator of farmer voices across the country for building power and securing resources that will catalyze a transition to a healthy and just agricultural system while delivering climate solutions and increasing on-farm resilience.

Union of Concerned Scientists

Awarded $40,000.00

To provide mini-grants to Good Food for All (GFFA) members to support their individual organizational capacity to make progress on collective GFFA priorities and goals. Over the last three years, these mini-grants have become an essential source of financial support for otherwise unfunded or underfunded projects; a valuable capacity building opportunity to develop and evaluate grant making skills; and a way of bringing the collaborative together to share learning.

Food Chain Workers Alliance

Awarded $10,000.00

To continue their work and build capacity to introduce and center worker voices in local, state, and national policy campaigns in three primary categories: 1) worker health and safety standards for all food workers, and meatpacking workers in particular; 2) national farmworker policy priorities, including members' opposition of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act; and 3) continued development and implementation of food procurement policies across the United States as part of the Good Food Purchasing Program.

Animal Agriculture Reform Collaborative

Awarded $10,000.00

To build a broad, powerful base of organizations across the country from the environmental, independent farmer, sustainable food, labor, civil rights, and animal welfare movements to jointly challenge corporate control of the food system and advocate for better U.S.-based agricultural policies.

View Animal Agriculture Reform Collaborative's Website

Rural Coalition

Awarded $30,000.00

To advance community-based development in rural, persistently poor communities, expand equity in farm and food programs, and transform systems of inequity in USDA and its programs and services to yield foundational changes in Farm Bill legislation, making more resources available to family-sized farmers and rural communities.

National Family Farm Coalition

Awarded $20,000.00

To pay for activities required to elevate the voice and priorities of our members who primarily live in rural America, advocate for policy changes that enrich their lives, and raise the profile of community-based and controlled food systems. This includes staff time, organizational expenses, and cost of travel and stipends for our members to compensate them for any potential loss of income while they are away from their businesses of farming, ranching, or fishing. View National Family Farm Coalition's Website

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Awarded $20,000.00

To help us bring our policy expertise to bear at critical climate crisis decision-making spaces in Washington, D.C. and mobilize our grassroots base around a major multi-year campaign on climate change from the field to advance legislation that addresses climate change mitigation and adaptation head-on and places just, regenerative policies at the heart of solutions for agriculture.

Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN)

Awarded $10,000.00

We are engaged in two, multipart reporting initiatives — The first focuses on creative agricultural solutions to the climate crisis and the impediments such solutions face. The second explores a key aspect of the biodiversity crisis: How agriculture depletes biodiversity, and how, when managed sustainably, it can enhance biodiversity while feeding a growing population. With climate policy a major factor in the current presidential campaign and the biodiversity crisis a subject of international concern, we believe support for this reporting is essential to increasing public pressure on lawmakers and corporations and catalyzing change.

Funders for Regenerative Agriculture

Awarded $20,000.00

To move towards collaborative action for a network of 60 diverse members, including creating a Communications & Media studio, a grassroots policy strategy at the national and state level, a Financing the Transition strategy, a comprehensive Tracking the Field initiative, and Research series.

View Funders for Regenerative Agriculture's Website

State Innovation Exchange

Awarded $25,000.00

The SiX Agriculture Program will prioritize helping state legislators across the nation work more effectively to coordinate and collaborate with grassroots organizations to engage and champion meaningful regenerative agriculture policy that centers food justice, farmer equity, clean air and water, healthy soils and re-establishes healthy local farm economies for our rural communities. While this work is state-based, it is Six's goal to not only impact policy at the state level but to compliment regional and national efforts that are working to advance regenerative and climate-friendly agriculture policy.

HEAL Food Alliance

Awarded $30,000.00

To support the capacity-building and general operations of the Alliance to identify and advance strategic policy campaigns on the Farm Bill and food procurement, as well as protections for food workers and the dismantling of corporate control. HEAL Food Alliance will also cultivate new leaders through the third cohort of their School of Political Leadership, build their members’ capacity for organizing and communications, and coordinate an emerging initiative to increase philanthropic investment in the leadership of BIPOC groups accountable to their communities.

National Young Farmers Coalition

Awarded $10,000.00

To create a cohort of young farmers trained to become leaders ready to bring their political know-how home to their agricultural communities, resulting in an expanded network equipped to serve as mentors, advocates, technical assistants, and public officials, resourced to serve without sacrificing their vital work as farmers and land stewards.

Food and Farm Communications Fund

Awarded $10,000.00

To provide targeted communications funding and resources to community-based organizations working at the forefront of food and farm systems change. The Fund advances communications initiatives and media projects to help shift narrative and further the goals of the grassroots and their allies. The Fund also seeks to influence increased funding and prioritization of strategic communications and narrative as essential tools in movement-building and systems change.

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funders

Awarded $40,000.00

To support the project “Catalyzing Action: Building philanthropic knowledge and capacity to impact food and farm policy,” to enhance SAFSF's ability to contribute to more effective investments and accelerated learning within their membership.

Government Accountability Project

Awarded $10,000.00

To enhance overall food integrity by facilitating truth-telling, accountability, and fairness to safeguard food, curtail farm animal abuse, and challenge economic exploitation of farmers and migrant workers through their support of enhanced and modernized corporate whistleblower protections for the agriculture industry.

Union of Concerned Scientists

Awarded $30,000.00

To support the activities of the Good Food For All (GFFA) initiative with the ultimate goal of improving the well-being of communities whose contributions are essential for the food and agriculture system to work but whose interests and priorities are seldom considered in federal policy.

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Awarded $20,000.00

To support a three-year effort to engage NSAC's members, allies, and their collective grassroots base around major opportunities to advance climate change legislation and farm and food policy reform.

Food and Environment Reporting Network

Awarded $10,000.00

To support two multipart reporting initiatives — one on climate and agriculture and another on biodiversity and agriculture. The first is inspired by the fact that there is no climate “solution” that does not include agriculture and food production.  The second explores a key aspect of the biodiversity crisis: How agriculture depletes biodiversity, and how, when managed sustainably, it can enhance biodiversity while feeding a growing population. 

Food and Farm Communications Fund

Awarded $10,000.00

To support communications funding and resources to community-based organizations working at the forefront of food and farm systems change, and to advance communications initiatives and media projects that help to shift public narrative and further the goals of grassroots organizations and their allies.

Rural Coalition

Awarded $30,000.00

General operating support to secure just and sustainable food systems that bring fair returns to diverse small farmers and ranchers, tribal and other communities; fair working conditions and dignity for farmworkers and food chain workers; protection of mother earth now and for our children’s children; safe, adequate and healthy food for all, especially the elders, youth, and most vulnerable of us. RC engages in an integrated program of public policy monitoring, technical assistance, capacity-building, participatory collaborative research, and education so that together they may secure the best possible federal policy outcomes and forge innovative, community-driven solutions with the grassroots communities they serve. 

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Awarded $20,000.00

To support a three-year effort to engage NSAC's members, allies, and their collective grassroots base around major opportunities to advance climate change legislation and farm and food policy reform.

Open Markets Institute

Awarded $20,000.00

To support OMI's vision for fair and sustainable agriculture policy through work that includes 1) publishing policy papers and briefs, 2) conducting cutting-edge research, and 3) building broad coalitions to influence rulemaking.

State Innovation Exchange

Awarded $0.00

To support the work of the SiX’s Agriculture Program which prioritizes helping state legislators across the nation work more effectively to coordinate and collaborate with grassroots organizations to engage and champion meaningful regenerative agriculture policy that centers food justice, farmer equity, clean air and water, healthy soils and re-establishes healthy local farm economies for our rural communities.

Food Chain Workers Alliance

Awarded $20,000.00

To support policy work that will fall into three primary categories: 1) worker health and safety standards for all food workers, and meatpacking workers in particular; 2) national farmworker policy priorities, including members' opposition of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act; and 3) continued development and implementation of food procurement policies across the United States as part of the Good Food Purchasing Program.

HEAL Food Alliance

Awarded $30,000.00

General operating support to mobilize the alliance to bolster capacity-building activities that grow the sector for long-term transformational change.  HEAL members now represent 2 million rural and urban farmers, ranchers, fisherfolk, farm and food chain workers, scientists, indigenous groups, public health advocates, policy experts, community organizers, and activists.

Food Chain Workers Alliance

Awarded $20,000.00

To support policy work that will fall into three primary categories: 1) worker health and safety standards for all food workers, and meatpacking workers in particular; 2) national farmworker policy priorities, including members' opposition of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act; and 3) continued development and implementation of food procurement policies across the United States as part of the Good Food Purchasing Program.

State Innovation Exchange

Awarded $25,000.00

To support the work of the SiX’s Agriculture Program which prioritizes helping state legislators across the nation work more effectively to coordinate and collaborate with grassroots organizations to engage and champion meaningful regenerative agriculture policy that centers food justice, farmer equity, clean air and water, healthy soils and re-establishes healthy local farm economies for our rural communities.

National Family Farm Coalition

Awarded $20,000.00

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funders

Awarded $50,000.00

To support the project “Catalyzing Action: Building philanthropic knowledge and capacity to impact food and farm policy,” to enhance SAFSF's ability to contribute to more effective investments and accelerated learning within their membership.

ActionAid USA

Awarded $10,000.00

To support the advance of research, communications, and movement building around new federal policy solutions for a climate-friendly, economically just, and sustainable food and farm system in the US.

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funders

Awarded $75,000.00

“Catalyzing Action: Building philanthropic knowledge and capacity to impact food and farm policy” will enhance our ability to contribute to more effective investments and accelerated learning within our membership.

Open Markets Institute

Awarded $20,000.00

To raise public awareness of the impact of monopoly power in the food system, and to support the creation of regional resilient food systems where farmers and food chain workers have support and dignity and consumers can access a wide variety of affordable, healthy, and culturally relevant foods.

ActionAid USA

Awarded $20,000.00

To support the advance of research, communications, and movement building around new federal policy solutions for a climate-friendly, economically just, and sustainable food and farm system in the US.

Union of Concerned Scientists - Good Food For All

Awarded $30,000.00

This project will enable members of communities that have been historically excluded from federal food and agriculture negotiations to generate, refine, and advocate for their policy priorities and innovations. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) facilitates the activities of the Good Food For All (GFFA) initiative with the ultimate goal of improving the well being of communities whose contributions are essential for the food and agriculture system to work but whose interests and priorities are seldom considered in federal policy.

Food Policy Action

Awarded $20,000.00

Through public education, advocacy, and community organizing, Food Policy Action Education Fund unites advocates across the food movement on diverse issues such as nutrition and health, organic foods, local community agriculture, beginning farmers, and clean water.

State Innovation Exchange

Awarded $25,000.00

To support the work of the SiX’s Agriculture Program which prioritizes helping state legislators across the nation work more effectively to coordinate and collaborate with grassroots organizations to engage and champion meaningful regenerative agriculture policy that centers food justice, farmer equity, clean air and water, healthy soils and re-establishes healthy local farm economies for our rural communities.

Food and Environment Reporting Network

Awarded $10,000.00

To support multi-part reporting initiatives on climate and biodiversity in agriculture.

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Awarded $20,000.00

To support a three-year effort to engage NSAC's members, allies, and their collective grassroots base around major opportunities to advance climate change legislation and farm and food policy reform.

Food and Farm Communications Fund

Awarded $10,000.00

To support communications funding and resources to community-based organizations working at the forefront of food and farm systems change, and to advance communications initiatives and media projects that help to shift public narrative and further the goals of grassroots organizations and their allies.

National Family Farm Coalition

Awarded $0.00

To support elevating the voice and priorities of NFFC members who primarily live in rural America, advocate for policy changes that enrich their lives, and raise the profile of community-based and controlled food systems.

Food and Environment Reporting Network, Inc.

Awarded $10,000.00

To support a multi-part, multi-platform investigation and reporting into rural conflicts between large-scale animal production facilities (CAFOs) and local communities. 

Food Policy Action

Awarded $25,000.00

Through public education, advocacy, and community organizing, Food Policy Action Education Fund unites advocates across the food movement on diverse issues such as nutrition and health, organic foods, local community agriculture, beginning farmers, and clean water.  

Union of Concerned Scientists - Good Food For All

Awarded $30,000.00

This project will enable members of communities that have been historically excluded from federal food and agriculture negotiations to generate, refine, and advocate for their policy priorities and innovations. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) facilitates the activities of the Good Food For All (GFFA) initiative with the ultimate goal of improving the well being of communities whose contributions are essential for the food and agriculture system to work but whose interests and priorities are seldom considered in federal policy. 

National Family Farm Coalition

Awarded $20,000.00

To support elevating the voice and priorities of NFFC members who primarily live in rural America, advocate for policy changes that enrich their lives, and raise the profile of community-based and controlled food systems.

ActionAid USA

Awarded $15,000.00

To support the advance of research, communications, and movement building around new federal policy solutions for a climate-friendly, economically just, and sustainable food and farm system in the US. 

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funders

Awarded $100,000.00

“Catalyzing Action: Building philanthropic knowledge and capacity to impact food and farm policy” will enhance our ability to contribute to more effective investments and accelerated learning within our membership.  

Food Policy Action

Awarded $40,000.00

Through public education, advocacy, and community organizing, Food Policy Action Education Fund unites advocates across the food movement on diverse issues such as nutrition and health, organic foods, local community agriculture, beginning farmers, and clean water.  

Open Markets Institute

Awarded $30,000.00

To help policymakers and the public understand America’s monopoly problem in food and farming and take action to reverse it. We use investigative journalism, op-eds, grassroots alliances, and policymaker education to raise awareness of the consequences of concentrations of power in food and farm markets, and work directly with policymakers to develop solutions.

Union of Concerned Scientists - Good Food For All

Awarded $30,000.00

This project will enable members of communities that have been historically excluded from federal food and agriculture negotiations to generate, refine, and advocate for their policy priorities and innovations. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) facilitates the activities of the Good Food For All (GFFA) initiative with the ultimate goal of improving the well being of communities whose contributions are essential for the food and agriculture system to work but whose interests and priorities are seldom considered in federal policy. 

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funders

Awarded $100,000.00

“Catalyzing Action: Building philanthropic knowledge and capacity to impact food and farm policy” will enhance our ability to contribute to more effective investments and accelerated learning within our membership.  

Izaak Walton League of America

Awarded $20,750.00

To build a network of farmland owners in East Central Illinois working together to speed the adoption of soil health practices shown to conserve soil and water, reduce polluted runoff, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, store carbon in the soil, reduce farm input costs, and make farmland more resilient to flooding and drought. The funds will support network education through a series of six online and in-person workshops on soil health and resources for conservation planning as well as technical and financial assistance.

View Izaak Walton League of America's Website

Illinois Stewardship Alliance

Awarded $35,000.00

To support staff in identifying, recruiting, and training farmers to engage in ISA work through their member-only caucuses, participate in coalitions working with policymakers and their staff, communicate stories and produce reports on food system issues, and provide opportunities for engagement online and in-person.

View Illinois Stewardship Alliance's Website

Sola Gratia Farm

Awarded $30,000.00

For administrative staff and customer relationship management (CRM) software to improve efficiency and effective communication with partners, members, volunteers, and donors. The additional staff will allow the Director and support staff to focus on other areas of growth and development identified in their Strategic Plan.

View Sola Gratia Farm's Website

Forefront - Fresh Taste

Awarded $32,500.00

To contribute to the pooled funding of the Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative (IRAI) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) to generate research into regenerative agriculture and build new collaborative partnerships engaging stakeholder and academic communities in sustained two-way dialogs about research and education, and challenges to adoption and measuring impact.

View Forefront - Fresh Taste's Website

American Farmland Trust

Awarded $45,000.00

To support the outreach efforts of American Farmland Trust (AFT) to local landowner, nonprofit, and farmer champions of farmland protection in Sangamon, Champaign, and Coles Counties. AFT will offer a farmland transition workshop to complement the engagement and capacity-building for permanent farmland protection in the region by engaging landowners in the importance of planning for the future of their land.

View American Farmland Trust's Website

Prairie Rivers Network

Awarded $20,000.00

To support the continued growth and development of the IDEA Farm Network (IFN), a farmer-led learning community that is rooted in East Central Illinois, plus two annual gatherings for the ReGenerate Illinois (RI) Network and food system related projects.

View Prairie Rivers Network's Website

The Land Connection

Awarded $36,000.00

For general operating support for their project, Increasing Capacity to Build Strong and Resilient Local Food Systems. The project is designed to increase farmer knowledge on building and growing sustainable farming businesses to provide the local community with access to healthy, locally grown and raised foods. The project also aims to increase public awareness of the importance of a strong, resilient, local food system by increasing the number of programs and events offered to the general public.

View The Land Connection's Website

Friends of Lake Shelbyville

Awarded $5,000.00 To fund the creation and activities of the Lake Shelbyville Youth Ambassador program, a monthly series of hands-on habitat and recreation projects for area youth that will enhance the local community's use of project lands to enjoy the outdoors and subsequently increase fitness and enjoyment of nature. The projects will also instill in the participants a sense of pride and ownership in public lands and lead to an increased interest in natural resource management careers.

Charleston High School - Charleston Community School District #1

Awarded $5,000.00

To support the newly constructed, student-run Trojan Greenhouse through the purchase of plant plugs, greenhouse tools, and garden equipment. Charleston High School horticulture students will grow spring annuals and garden crops to help beautify the landscapes within the Charleston-area community and provide access to affordable garden crops for local gardens.

View Charleston High School - Charleston Community School District #1's Website

University of Illinois Extension

Awarded $25,000.00

To cover the cost of meat processing for the East Central Illinois Deer Donation program, an effort to provide hunter-donated venison to low-income and food insecure families in Clay, Coles, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, and Shelby Counties.

View University of Illinois Extension's Website

Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

Awarded $40,000.00

To produce in-depth stories focused on agriculture, climate change and water, including data analysis of publicly available federal and state data, reports, graphics, and other data visualizations. The results will be shared through their collaborative network and media partners to inform and educate the communities, public officials, advocates, and critics who may have the resources to influence constructive change.

View Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting's Website

Champaign County Environmental Stewards

Awarded $36,840.00 For the purchase and installation of a mechanical lift system to aid in the collection of heavy food scrap waste containers for the Commercial Food Scrap for Composting Pilot Project in Urbana, IL. The additional equipment will improve operator safety and allow the waste collector to expand the collection route to include additional restaurants and businesses.
View Champaign County Environmental Stewards's Website

Faith In Place

Awarded $30,000.00

To continue the “Connecting Communities for Faith Environmental Leadership and Collaboration” project - building on significant successes in 2018-2021 to engage East Central Illinois (ECI) people of faith to help protect the environment; strengthen grassroots leadership capacity; and increase connections among ECI communities in five program areas: sustainable food & land use; energy & climate change; water preservation; advocacy; youth leadership.

View Faith In Place's Website

Fresh Taste - Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)

Awarded $30,000.00

To support the study of regenerative agriculture to advance productivity, profitability, and environmental health by actionable research, designed and conducted collaboratively with stakeholders, at the interface of agronomy, crop science, ecology, computer science, economics, and social dimensions.

View Fresh Taste - Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)'s Website

Elevate CICC, Inc.

Awarded $15,000.00

To provide funding for the Regional Growth Initiative, development of partnerships across the rural communities of East Central Illinois and the nation to work collaboratively to cultivate entrepreneurial and leadership skills in area youth and citizens.

View Elevate CICC, Inc.'s Website

Eastern Illinois University Office of Civic Engagement and Volunteerism

Awarded $5,215.00

To support the EIU Campus Food Pantry in offering milk, eggs, bread, and fresh produce to compliment the nonperishable items meeting student hunger and food insecurity needs.

View Eastern Illinois University Office of Civic Engagement and Volunteerism's Website

Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund (IECEF)

Awarded $25,000.00

To fund the general operations of IECEF to increase their work on sustainable agriculture and conservation in East Central Illinois by promoting policies that conserve natural areas and educating decision makers through hands-on experiences with conservation areas in their districts.

View Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund (IECEF)'s Website

Trail Recreation Effingham County

Awarded $50,000.00

To fund the TREC Phase VI Project, including the development of a nature park on TREC owned property, clearing brush for the trails, and construction of elevated walkways and pipe culverts to cross streams and waterways with access to sandbars along the Little Wabash River.

View Trail Recreation Effingham County's Website

Farmworker & Landscaper Advocacy Project (FLAP)

Awarded $30,000.00

To conduct community outreach and labor rights education in East Central Illinois to low-income Latinx workers and their households in the cannery, farms, greenhouse, landscaping, meat, nursery, packinghouse, poultry, restaurants, and snow plowing industries.

View Farmworker & Landscaper Advocacy Project (FLAP)'s Website

Fresh Taste - Chicago Regional Food System Fund (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)

Awarded $50,000.00

To contribute funding toward the collaborative Chicago Region Food System Fund, focusing on COVID-19 related response and building resilience in the local food system, an area approximately 200 miles from Chicago. Priority has been given to organizations producing food in, and supplying food to, communities of color.

View Fresh Taste - Chicago Regional Food System Fund (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)'s Website

Fresh Taste (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)

Awarded $30,000.00

To systemically change the way food is produced and consumed in the Chicago region to promote healthy land, healthy people, and healthy communities by creating an effective funder and practitioner collaboration in the Upper Midwest to promote a resilient food system in the region. This work includes supporting the evolution of local foods to include greater emphasis on diversified, regenerative agriculture through small grains, perennial agriculture, and livestock.

View Fresh Taste (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)'s Website

Prairie Rivers Network

Awarded $35,000.00

For general operating support for Prairie Rivers Network’s organizational capacity and development while strengthening ongoing and emerging agricultural programming to foster the adoption of agricultural practices and policies that regenerate and protect the land, air, water, and biodiversity of communities from the northeast to the southern tip of Illinois, with a strong focus in East Central Illinois

View Prairie Rivers Network's Website

The Land Connection

Awarded $25,000.00

To develop and launch a comprehensive farmland access program for Illinois, drawing on work from partners at The Conservation Fund and Liberty Prairie Foundation who have worked to identify challenges to farmers seeking land and landowners seeking conservation-minded farmers and the additional support services that would make those connections possible.

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View The Land Connection's Website

Fit-2-Serve

Awarded $20,000.00

For organizational capacity building and expansion of Fit-2-Serve's current programs targeting youth through agriculture and rural development activities to create a stronger social fabric grounded in good health and sustainability.

View Fit-2-Serve's Website

Sierra Club Foundation

Awarded $30,000.00

For the Illinois Partners for Clean Water Campaign to engage community members in efforts to improve water quality through improved farming practices and wastewater treatment in five East Central Illinois watersheds—the Vermilion, Sangamon, Embarras, and Little Wabash rivers; and Shoal Creek (Kaskaskia River tributary).

View Sierra Club Foundation's Website

Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund

Awarded $25,000.00

To amplify the voices of IECEF partners in East Central Illinois and beyond through the organization's Conservation Program to promote local ordinances which allow citizens greater autonomy in converting portions of their properties into natural landscapes and demonstrate to decision makers the value of natural areas as a strong mitigation tool in the fight against the impacts of climate change.

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View Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund's Website

Eastern Illinois University

Awarded $30,000.00

For continued funding of the Squash Hunger through Partners in Produce project and additional community outreach and networking capabilities while providing more students with hands-on community public health nutrition experience.

View Eastern Illinois University's Website

The Land Connection

Awarded $20,000.00

For general operating support for their project, Increasing Capacity to Build Strong and Resilient Local Food Systems. The project is designed to increase farmer knowledge on building and growing sustainable farming businesses to provide the local community with access to healthy, locally grown and raised foods. The project also aims to increase public awareness of the importance of a strong, resilient, local food system by increasing the number of programs and events offered to the general public.

View The Land Connection's Website

American Farmland Trust

Awarded $29,991.00 To fund the efforts of American Farmland Trust to build interest in and capacity for farmland protection within county governments and Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) in targeted regions of Illinois, including virtual training for elected officials and SWCD representatives on successful farmland protection programs and available funding.
View American Farmland Trust's Website

Champaign County Environmental Stewards

Awarded $35,000.00 To establish facilities and commercial relationships as part of the Commercial Food Scrap Compost Pilot Project to divert pre-consumer food scraps from landfills to a composting facility that will make salable screened garden compost. View Champaign County Environmental Stewards's Website

Illinois Stewardship Alliance

Awarded $35,000.00

Funding to support staff as they identify, recruit, and train farmers to engage in their work through the member-only caucuses, participate in coalitions, work closely with policymakers and their staff, communicate stories and produce reports on food system issues, and provide opportunities for personal engagement.

View Illinois Stewardship Alliance's Website

Prairie Rivers Network

Awarded $33,000.00

To support the continued growth and development of the IDEA Farm Network (IFN), a farmer-led learning community that is rooted in East Central Illinois, plus two annual gatherings for the ReGenerate Illinois (RI) Network and food system related projects.

View Prairie Rivers Network's Website

Sola Gratia Farm

Awarded $30,000.00

For administrative staff and customer relationship management (CRM) software to improve efficiency and effective communication with partners, members, volunteers, and donors. The additional staff will allow the Director and support staff to focus on other areas of growth and development identified in their Strategic Plan.

View Sola Gratia Farm's Website

Buckeye Friends School (Fiscal Sponsor: Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation)

Awarded $4,678.00

In support of the school's Garden the Great Project to inspire students with a hands-on experience growing sustainable food as they study the impact of industrial food production on climate change and cultivating regenerative agriculture systems.

View Buckeye Friends School (Fiscal Sponsor: Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation)'s Website

Sierra Club Foundation

Awarded $30,000.00

For the Illinois Partners for Clean Water Campaign to engage community members in efforts to improve water quality through improved farming practices and wastewater treatment in five East Central Illinois watersheds—the Vermilion, Sangamon, Embarras, and Little Wabash rivers; and Shoal Creek (Kaskaskia River tributary).

View Sierra Club Foundation's Website

Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund (IECEF)

Awarded $25,000.00

To fund the general operations of IECEF to increase their work on sustainable agriculture and conservation in East Central Illinois by promoting policies that conserve natural areas and educating decision makers through hands-on experiences with conservation areas in their districts.

View Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund (IECEF)'s Website

Camp New Hope

Awarded $25,000.00

To spruce up Camp New Hope to provide an inviting, welcoming and an educational atmosphere with butterfly and pollinator gardens, walking paths, benches, bird baths, signage, and plaques to distinguish the various garden areas and plant or tree species for those enjoying the scenery.

View Camp New Hope's Website

Fresh Taste - Chicago Region Food System Fund (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)

Awarded $50,000.00

To contribute funding toward the collaborative Chicago Region Food System Fund, focusing on COVID-19 related response and building resilience in the local food system, an area approximately 200 miles from Chicago. Priority has been given to organizations producing food in, and supplying food to, communities of color.

View Fresh Taste - Chicago Region Food System Fund (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)'s Website

Forefront - Fresh Taste

Awarded $30,000.00

To systemically change the way food is produced and consumed in the Chicago region to promote healthy land, healthy people, and healthy communities by creating an effective funder and practitioner collaboration in the Upper Midwest to promote a resilient food system in the region. This work includes supporting the evolution of local foods to include greater emphasis on diversified, regenerative agriculture through small grains, perennial agriculture, and livestock.

View Forefront - Fresh Taste's Website

Fresh Taste - Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)

Awarded $30,000.00

To build leadership capacity in Regenerative Agriculture at the University of Illinois by catalyzing collaboration among units on campus with relevant, complementary expertise and supporting the education of graduate students at the University of Illinois who choose to work on research topics relevant to promoting the key metrics of regenerative agriculture.

View Fresh Taste - Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)'s Website

Shelbyville Community Garden

Awarded $5,000.00

To purchase lumber for additional raised beds at the community garden, plus fruit trees, hoses and tools, a portable green house, and supplies for educational classes for children and adults.

View Shelbyville Community Garden's Website

The Land Connection

Awarded $25,000.00

To develop and launch a comprehensive farmland access program for Illinois, drawing on work from partners at The Conservation Fund and Liberty Prairie Foundation who have worked to identify challenges to farmers seeking land and landowners seeking conservation-minded farmers and the additional support services that would make those connections possible.

View The Land Connection's Website

University of Illinois Extension

Awarded $15,961.00

To purchase refrigeration units for local food pantries participating in the Squash Hunger Through Partners in Produce project, a collaboration between Eastern Illinois University and the University of Illinois Extension to address food insecurity in East Central Illinois by obtaining produce donations from farmers and distributing them to local food pantries, providing fresh produce to resource-limited populations.

View University of Illinois Extension's Website

Faith in Place

Awarded $30,000.00

To continue the “Connecting Communities for Faith Environmental Leadership and Collaboration” project - building on significant successes in 2018-2021 to engage East Central Illinois (ECI) people of faith to help protect the environment; strengthen grassroots leadership capacity; and increase connections among ECI communities in five program areas: sustainable food & land use; energy & climate change; water preservation; advocacy; youth leadership.

View Faith in Place's Website

Douglas-Hart Foundation

Awarded $30,000.00

To support the Wishes for Whiteside project to update, beautify, and expand the Whiteside Garden and interpretive center to offer public tours and educational exhibits to promote recreation and increase conservation practices in East Central Illinois.

View Douglas-Hart Foundation's Website

Prairie Rivers Network

Awarded $35,000.00

For general operating support for Prairie Rivers Network’s organizational capacity and development while strengthening ongoing and emerging agricultural programming to foster the adoption of agricultural practices and policies that regenerate and protect the land, air, water, and biodiversity of communities from the northeast to the southern tip of Illinois, with a strong focus in East Central Illinois.

View Prairie Rivers Network's Website

Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

Awarded $20,000.00

For in-depth investigative journalism concerning the overall carbon sequestration efforts in Central Illinois and their potential impact on climate change as well as our food and fuel systems, while also providing well-reported and contextual information so citizens can be fully informed in their assessments of these projects.

View Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting's Website

Fit-2-Serve

Awarded $20,000.00

For organizational capacity building and expansion of Fit-2-Serve's current programs targeting youth through agriculture and rural development activities to create a stronger social fabric grounded in good health and sustainability.

View Fit-2-Serve's Website

Savanna Institute

Awarded $35,000.00

To expand its program into East Central Illinois to work directly with farmers, landowners, agencies, and local organizations to make agroforestry adoption easier at the farm and community level through educational opportunities, state and local agricultural policy development, and one-on-one technical support.

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View Savanna Institute's Website

Illinois Stewardship Alliance

Awarded $47,000.00

To support staff as they identify, recruit, and train farmers to engage in their work through the member-only caucuses, participate in coalitions, work closely with policymakers and their staff, communicate stories and produce reports on food system issues, and provide opportunities for personal engagement. The funding also covers the completion of a feasibility study for a small and diversified farm loan program in Illinois.

View Illinois Stewardship Alliance's Website

Prairie Rivers Network

Awarded $60,000.00

For general operating support of ReGenerate Illinois (RI), a collaborative partnership that unites farmers, organizations, researchers, institutions, and food entrepreneurs seeking to expand regenerative agriculture, the availability of regenerative-grown local foods, and rebuild local food economies across Illinois. Funding will also benefit the IDEA Farm Network (IFN), a farmer-led learning community of over 430 farmers, researchers, NGOs, and educators.

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View Prairie Rivers Network's Website

Sola Gratia Farm

Awarded $7,500.00

To improve soil fertility and plant health on newly acquired and existing acreage through increased and targeted soil testing and plant sap analysis, consultation with a soil health expert, and investment in equipment, nutrients, mycorrhizal fungi, and cover crop seeds.

View Sola Gratia Farm's Website

Eastern Illinois University School of Technology

Awarded $48,450.00

To increase the understanding of the scientific and commercial foundations for a profitable, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly alternative crop rotation for farmers in East Central Illinois through industrial hemp fiber by investigating the barriers and opportunities for its development from the crop to energy feedstocks and other sustainable products.

View Eastern Illinois University School of Technology's Website

The Land Connection

Awarded $20,000.00

For general operating support to fund the Increasing Capacity to Build Strong and Resilient Local Food Systems project in Champaign County to provide farmers with the necessary networks, training, and education focused on improving environmental and ecological outcomes for the community and economic and quality of life outcomes for farmers.

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View The Land Connection's Website

Faith In Place

Awarded $20,000.00

To continue the expansion of Green Teams within congregations in East Central Illinois and to facilitate projects in the areas of sustainable food and land use, energy and climate, and water preservation.

View Faith In Place's Website

Grand Prairie Friends

Awarded $22,200.00

To fund a feasibility study regarding the building of a bridge to connect the natural area of Lake Charleston to those of Grand Prairie Friends, across the Embarras River in southern Charleston, IL.

View Grand Prairie Friends's Website

Fit-2-Serve

Awarded $20,000.00

For organizational capacity building and expansion of Fit-2-Serve's current programs targeting youth through agriculture and rural development activities to create a stronger social fabric grounded in good health and sustainability.

View Fit-2-Serve's Website

Fresh Taste - Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)

Awarded $30,000.00

To build leadership capacity in Regenerative Agriculture at the University of Illinois by catalyzing collaboration among units on campus with relevant, complementary expertise.

View Fresh Taste - Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)'s Website

Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund (IECEF)

Awarded $25,000.00

To support the general operations of IECEF and enable them to increase their work to promote policies that conserve natural areas and promote sustainable agriculture by educating decision makers through hands-on experiences with conservation areas in their districts.

View Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund (IECEF)'s Website

City of Mattoon

Awarded $16,250.00

To plant 50 trees throughout the city along streets, boulevards, in parks, and at the Lake Mattoon Pavilion during the fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021; Watering and maintenance will continue for approximately two years or until the trees are established.

View City of Mattoon's Website

Fresh Taste (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)

Awarded $25,000.00

In contribution to the Chicago Food System Emergency Response Fund, intended to support response to the COVID-19 crisis in the Chicago region food system while preparing for recovery and greater resilience in the future.

View Fresh Taste (Fiscal Sponsor: Forefront)'s Website

Sierra Club Foundation

Awarded $30,000.00

To provide organizing and technical support to volunteers and East Central Illinois residents so they have a basic understanding of what a meaningful watershed Nutrient Assessment and Reduction Plan (NARP) contains, feel comfortable speaking up in these planning efforts, and are well-equipped to contribute to the development of the plans to improve water quality in area watersheds.

View Sierra Club Foundation's Website

Coles County Soil and Water Conservation District Foundation

Awarded $1,500.00

To rent the Illinois Natural History Survey Traveling Science Center, a mobile classroom featuring informative, engaging exhibits on biodiversity and natural resources, for the conservation district's annual educational event for Coles County public school students at the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site in early May.

View Coles County Soil and Water Conservation District Foundation's Website

Prairie Rivers Network

Awarded $35,000.00

For general operating support for Prairie Rivers Network’s organizational capacity and development while strengthening ongoing and emerging agricultural programming to foster the adoption of agricultural practices and policies that regenerate and protect the land, air, water, and biodiversity of Illinois and beyond.

View Prairie Rivers Network's Website

Forefront - Fresh Taste

Awarded $30,000.00

To systemically change the way food is produced and consumed in the Chicago region to promote healthy land, healthy people, and healthy communities by creating an effective funder and practitioner collaboration in the Upper Midwest to promote a resilient food system in the region. This work includes supporting the evolution of local foods to include greater emphasis on diversified, regenerative agriculture through small grains, perennial agriculture, and livestock.

View Forefront - Fresh Taste's Website

Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation

Awarded $10,000.00

To build a greenhouse to expand the availability and consumption of healthy food through year-round local food production and educational programs in alignment with school schedules in Champaign County.

View Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation's Website

The Organic Center

Awarded $10,000.00

To develop training modules for agricultural professionals in East Central Illinois to help improve the economic and environmental conditions of local farms through increased access to trained and trusted, science-based organic agronomic support.

View The Organic Center's Website

Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

Awarded $20,000.00 For an in-depth investigative look at the overall carbon sequestration efforts in Central Illinois and their potential impact on climate change as well as our food and fuel systems while also providing contextual information so citizens can be fully informed in their assessments of these projects.
View Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting's Website

Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District Foundation

Awarded $15,000.00

To improve the ability of Embarras agriculture educators and farmers to implement and support regenerative grazing by offering two full-day workshops demonstrating the benefits of regenerative grazing principles and practices.

View Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District Foundation's Website

Champaign Parks Foundation

Awarded $6,400.00

For the establishment of a tree canopy over the Greenbelt Bikeway, a dedicated corridor through Dodds Park for Parkland Community College students and other residents who commute by bicycle, rather than by car. The new trees will also reduce storm runoff and help to lower water temperature in the Copper Slough to the east, improving its ability to support aquatic life.

View Champaign Parks Foundation's Website

Prairie Rivers Network

Awarded $20,000.00

For continued support to expand the monitoring of herbicide drift on forests, prairies, and public lands as well as train farmers, land managers and agency staff on symptom identification.

View Prairie Rivers Network's Website

Delta Institute

Awarded $35,000.00

To develop an economic tool that integrates soil health indicators when calculating property value, thereby promoting economic practices that have the potential to assess land managed with sustainable agriculture practices at a higher value over conventional agriculture across greater Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa.

View Delta Institute's Website

Savanna Institute

Awarded $20,000.00

To establish and maintain 250 acres of agroforestry in Champaign and Piatt Counties. The plantings will focus on alley cropping and windbreaks, two of the top nature-based climate solutions identified for the US. Implementation will occur across 2-3 privately owned farms under long-term leases by the Savanna Institute.

View Savanna Institute's Website

EIU Department of Biological Sciences

Awarded $47,038.00 View EIU Department of Biological Sciences's Website

Douglas-Hart Nature Center

Awarded $140,000.00

To expand and restore the nature center's habitat by 15%, expanding trails, and adding educational signage. The habitat land project will be implemented by purchasing a skid steer with attachments and plants native to oak/hickory forest and prairie.

View Douglas-Hart Nature Center's Website

American Rivers

Awarded $40,000.00

To further the Illinois Floodplains Work Program – a public-private framework for multi-benefit floodplain development projects to address flood-related climate disruption, social and racial injustice, and biodiversity loss in a holistic way.

View American Rivers's Website

The Nature Conservancy

Awarded $50,000.00

To fund implementation of the Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition's (IL GLC) Illinois Regenerative Grazing Roadmap, which identified opportunities and challenges for regenerative grazing in Illinois and developed a set of nine recommendations for increasing the number of acres in the state under regenerative grazing management with the goal of transitioning 40,000 acres of Illinois farmland by 2025.

View The Nature Conservancy's Website

Faith in Place

Awarded $70,000.00

To engage houses of worship and other faith-based organizations throughout East Central Illinois (ECI) to implement nature-based climate action (NBCA) projects such as tree planting and prairie restoration on their properties and increase community education, awareness, and support for nature-based climate solutions.

View Faith in Place's Website

The Land Institute

Awarded $20,000.00

To explore opportunities to help Illinois farmer collaborators leverage native nitrogen-fixing legumes and prairie grasses as perennial cover crops to provide permanent soil cover and erosion protection.

View The Land Institute's Website

Funders of Regenerative Agriculture (FORA)

Awarded $20,000.00

To support the organization's core work engaging its network to provide introductory pathways for funders to learn about regenerative agriculture, and centering the pursuit of strategic initiatives in a collaborative way, where members learn, act, and invest together.

View Funders of Regenerative Agriculture (FORA)'s Website

Charleston High School - Charleston Community Unit School District #1

Awarded $15,000.00

To fund the landscaping restoration and improvement at the district's seven facilities through the purchase of new trees, shrubs, and native grasses.

View Charleston High School - Charleston Community Unit School District #1's Website

Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever

Awarded $25,000.00

To assist with funding a Precision Ag Conservationist (PAC) Position in East Central Illinois to develop solutions that will encourage producers to adopt new practices that will improve their environmental impact.

View Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever's Website

City of Mattoon

Awarded $20,000.00

For the continued beautification of Mattoon streets and greenspaces by planting new trees and replacing boulevard trees removed in the past year from residential areas. The City of Mattoon Tree Commission will coordinate the program.

View City of Mattoon's Website

Re-AMP Network (fiscal sponsor, The Minneapolis Foundation)

Awarded $20,000.00

In contribution to the funding collaborative tackling climate change through ongoing systems analysis to identify and align impactful strategies across eight states to equitably eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in the Midwest by 2050.

View Re-AMP Network (fiscal sponsor, The Minneapolis Foundation)'s Website

Evergreen Climate Innovations

Awarded $100,000.00

For continuing support of the expansion of Evergreen Climate Innovation's 501vc® Platform, which catalyzes climate innovations by finding, funding, and growing startups in the Greater Midwest that are commercializing impactful solutions for clean energy, decarbonization, and environmental sustainability.

View Evergreen Climate Innovations's Website

The Land Institute

Awarded $96,000.00

To explore opportunities to help Illinois growers leverage native nitrogen-fixing legumes, like Illinois bundleflower, and prairie grasses as perennial groundcovers (i.e., perennial cover crops), which do not need to be replanted each year and provide permanent soil cover and protection.

Fresh Taste (fiscal agent Forefront)

Awarded $20,000.00

To build leadership capacity in Regenerative Agriculture at the University of Illinois by catalyzing collaboration among units on campus with relevant, complementary expertise. Additional $20K for educational outreach coordinator position.

Global Philanthropy Partnership/Artisan Grain Collaborative

Awarded $25,000.00

For the "Take a Shot at Climate Change" marketing and branding campaign concept that invites regional brewers and distillers to be part of advancing carbon sequestration on the landscape in East Central Illinois.

Savanna Institute

Awarded $20,000.00

To establish and maintain 250 acres of agroforestry in Champaign and Piatt Counties. Project will focus on alley cropping and windbreaks, two of nature-based climate solutions, and will be implemented across 2-3 privately owned farms under long-term leases by the Savanna Institute.

Faith in Place

Awarded $65,000.00

To increase faith-community-owned acreage used for nature-based climate solutions as well as increase the project’s educational outreach to houses of worship so as to expand public awareness and support for climate action.

Prairie Rivers Network

Awarded $20,000.00

To expand the monitoring of herbicide drift on forests, prairies, and public lands as well as train farmers, land managers and agency staff on symptom identification.

University of Illinois Springfield

Awarded $35,000.00

To enable small Illinois communities to collect and analyze community needs and priorities, then access a resource network to address local high priority projects related to water, energy, and climate change resilience.

Clean Energy Trust

Awarded $100,000.00

To support the expansion of CET’s 501vc® Platform, which catalyzes climate innovations by finding, funding, and growing startups in the Greater Midwest that are commercializing impactful solutions for clean energy, decarbonization, and environmental sustainability.

Friends of Williamsville Public Library

Awarded $4,000.00

To lead a community project called Trees for Tomorrow aimed at engaging the public to plant trees as nature-based tools to fight climate change.

American Rivers

Awarded $40,000.00

To further the Illinois Floodplains Work Program – a public-private framework for multi-benefit floodplain development projects to address flood-related climate disruption, social and racial injustice, and biodiversity loss in a holistic way. 

Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever

Awarded $30,000.00

To assist with funding a Precision Ag Conservationist (PAC) Position in East Central Illinois to develop solutions that will encourage producers to adopt new practices that will improve their environmental impact.

Savanna Institute

Awarded $170,000.00

To establish and maintain 250 acres of agroforestry in Champaign and Piatt Counties. The plantings will focus on alley cropping and windbreaks, two of the top nature-based climate solutions identified for the US. Implementation will occur across 2-3 privately owned farms under long-term leases by the Savanna Institute.

City of Mattoon

Awarded $32,500.00

To plant 100 trees in 2021 and 2022 (50 trees per year) on City boulevards.  Tree replacements will be offered to residents who have had boulevard trees removed in the past year with plans to make the project an annual event. The City of Mattoon Tree Commission will coordinate the program.

Urban Forest Carbon Registry/City Forest Credits

Awarded $95,000.00

To create a carbon credit program for small communities and landowners in Central IL – something possible but never done before. CFC brings to this project the knowledge and national experience, carbon protocols, and carbon registry to build out the project framework to issue credits to projects in smaller communities and landowners.

Delta Institute

Awarded $25,000.00

To advance agroforestry goals at Zumwalt Acres by developing a nursery for fruit shrubs and nut trees, which will ultimately be transplanted into an agroforest with wind breaks, alley cropping, and multi-story cropping. And to build upon Zumwalt's current production of biochar--a form of carbonized organic material that helps sequester carbon and increase soil fertility--by integrating it with compost and basalt rock to create a carbon-capturing soil amendment. 

City of Urbana

Awarded $37,000.00

To build upon past work and expand their portfolio of Nature & Urban Biodiversity efforts, including the Lumpkin Family Foundation funded Midwest Grows Green program. To understand where gaps exist in the street tree specific canopy and the total community canopy. Additionally, the City seeks to understand where vacant tree sites co-occur with urban heat concentrations as determined by satellite thermal imaging. Finally, the City seeks to understand where vacant tree sites and/or urban heat co-occur with Environmental Justice (EJ) Zones as determined by Illinois Solar For All program. Tree plantings will be determined in accordance with study findings.

Greenleaf Communities

Awarded $20,000.00

To build a network of farmers in central Illinois connected to others in the Midwest who practice regenerative agriculture to generate productive yields while sequestering carbon.

Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund

Awarded $25,000.00

To amplify the voice of partners in East Central Illinois and beyond to promote local ordinances which allow citizens greater autonomy in converting portions of their properties into natural landscapes. IECEF’s Conservation Program demonstrates to decision makers the value of natural areas as a strong mitigation tool in the fight against the impacts of climate change and utilizes our robust communications platforms and local media to share impactful stories to protect our planet and improve the health of East Central Illinois.

North Lake Community Development

Awarded $84,000.00

To begin the first phases of Project Green Tree: to partner with a conservation engineer to generate a plan for native plantings around and on the banks of Asa Creek to reduce agricultural runoff and improve the quality of water draining into Asa Creek, part of the Kaskaskia River watershed; to develop a 10-acre native tree nursery on a City-owned area currently in row crops which will be taken out of production; and to add prairie grass/pollinator plantings and educational signage to the developing trail and wildlife corridor around Asa Creek.

The Conservation Fund

Awarded $150,000.00

To collaborate with Delta Institute to engage farmers in East-Central Illinois in carbon drawdown through nature-based agricultural practices. The elements include a carefully designed outreach strategy in partnership with Soil and Water Conservation Districts; an incentive payment framework using science from the new Soil Enrichment Protocol; and quantification of soil carbon sequestered.

Faith in Place

Awarded $50,000.00

To engage houses of worship throughout East Central Illinois to implement nature-based climate action, e.g., tree planting and prairie restoration. In addition to increasing faith-community-owned acreage for nature-based climate action purposes, this project’s educational outreach to houses of worship offers strong potential for ripple-effect outcomes, e.g., faith community (congregation) members adopting nature-based strategies on their private properties as well as expanded public awareness and support for climate action.

Chicago Horticultural Society

Awarded $50,000.00

This grant will support the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Windy City Harvest (WCH) requests for critical upgrades to the point-of-sale system at its North Lawndale headquarters, the Farm on Ogden (FOO). These upgrades respond to growing demand at FOO, alleviating wait times and improving overall customer experience. This investment and additional efforts by the Farm on Ogden team will steadily enhance and increase North Lawndale customer participation.

View Chicago Horticultural Society's Website

North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council (Fiscal Sponsor, New Covenant Development Corporation)

Awarded $672,000.00

To support the NLCCC Food Collaborative's expansion of healthy food options for community residents and build the North Lawndale economy through food-related enterprises by expanding a successful food distribution initiative (with Top Box Foods) and supporting Black-owned, local grocery businesses. NLCCC member organizations include Boxing Out Negativity, Firehouse Community Arts Center, Foundation for Homan Square, Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, North Lawndale Employment Network and Sweet Beginnings LLC, and Sinai Chicago, among others.

View North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council (Fiscal Sponsor, New Covenant Development Corporation)'s Website

Young Men's Educational Network (YMEN)

Awarded $500,000.00

This grant will support the North Lawndale Garden to Table Pipeline, which creates a sustainable food system that connects proven community organizations to combine locally grown, nutrient rich food with available food. Prepared meals and food packages will be distributed in community settings and delivered to elderly and isolated.

View Young Men's Educational Network (YMEN)'s Website