The Seeds of Sustainability Grant Program provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations that would like to improve their capacity to achieve their mission and do transformative work within the food system.
Donor Name: Western New York Foundation
State: New York
County: Allegany County (NY), Cattaraugus County (NY), Chautauqua County (NY), Erie County (NY), Genesee County (NY), Niagara County (NY), Wyoming County (NY)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/28/2026
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
This program provides financial assistance to help the organization develop the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to enhance their operations and achieve sustainable growth. They support a range of activities and support services tailored to the specific needs of the organization. These may include:
- Support Strategic Leadership: to develop strong board and staff leadership and assist grantees in implementing strategic priorities during critical periods of growth and revitalization.
- Foster Collaboration: to strengthen community engagement and support collaborative and strategic relationship efforts that will result in stronger and expanded services.
- Strengthen Communications: to support communications efforts that raise awareness about an organization’s mission and attract attention and resources to the organization’s cause.
- Expand Resources and Stabilize Financials: to develop financial stability by increasing the ability of the nonprofit to develop necessary resources and plan for longer-term sustainability.
- Promote Programming Excellence: to enhance the provision of services by strengthening the nonprofit’s ability to program and evaluate its work.
- Enhance Operational Effectiveness: to improve day-to-day operational productivity and enhance nonprofit functioning in areas such as administration, grant management, finance, human resources, technology, and facility management.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant must be a non-profit organization who has obtained tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Code.
- Applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment to driving transformative change in the local or regional food system, with at least 90% of their organizational work dedicated to food systems efforts.
- Applicant must have three years of 990 filings. Please note that postcard filings do not meet eligibility criteria.
- Applicant must be a small to mid-size organization.
- Applicant must be a small to mid-size organization. Small to mid-size being defined as organizations with budgets between $100,000 and $6,000,000.
- Organizations applying for grants must be headquartered within the 7 counties of WNY: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, and Wyoming.
For more information, visit WNYF.
