The Organic Valley is accepting letters of interest for its 2023 Farmers Advocating for Organic (FAFO) Grant Program to address the long-term needs of the organic marketplace and the future of organic agriculture by supporting the development of long-term solutions.
Donor Name: Organic Valley
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/01/2023
Size of the Grant: $5,000-$50,00
Details:
Through combining resources, Organic Valley farmers are able to invest in projects that affect the livelihoods of organic farmers across the country.
Farmers Advocating for Organic (FAFO) began with the 2002 Farm Bill, which included an exemption for organic farmers from contributing to national promotion programs (e.g., “Got Milk?” and “Pork: The Other White Meat”). In response, Organic Valley devised a way for farmers to pool their exemptions into an organic-focused granting fund that would promote and advance organic farming.
Farmers Advocating for Organic (FAFO) is a grant program funded entirely by annual, voluntary contributions from Organic Valley farmers. It’s the largest farmer-funded grant program in the U.S. and one of the few focused solely on organic.
Grants are awarded to research, education and advocacy projects that advance FAFO’s mission: to protect and promote the organic industry and the livelihood of organic farmers.
- Research
- Projects that conduct credible scientific research related to organic farmers, organic farming practices, and organic food
- Education
- Projects that provide organic agricultural education for farmers, or educate consumers and other key stakeholders on the benefits of organic food and farming
- Advocacy
- Policy or consumer advocacy projects meant to protect organic integrity, organic standards, the organic marketplace, or the livelihood of organic farmers
Within the context of these categories, FAFO puts on emphasis on:
- Projects that benefit family farmers who produce organic dairy, eggs, meat, produce, and grain/forage
- Projects that focus on organic soil health and biology
- Projects that strengthen CROPP Cooperative
Funding Information
- One-time grants are awarded in the amounts of $5,000-$50,000, with an average grant award of $20,000 and the size of the award corresponding to the scope and impact of the project.
Eligibility Criteria
Check if your organization and project meet the following criteria before applying:
- Non-profit or academic/research institution
- Advances FAFO’s mission of protecting and promoting the organic industry or the livelihood of organic farmers (with an explicit focus on organic)
- Category of research, education, or advocacy
- Aligned with FAFO’s strategic priorities (optional, but projects meeting this criteria will be prioritized)
- Organization’s impact reaches beyond local community
- One-time grant requested in the amount of $5,000-$50,000, corresponding to scope and impact of project
- Administrative overhead does not exceed 5% of amount requested
The FAFO Committee is not currently funding:
- Local/regional beginner farmer training programs that do not have a broad national impact
- Videos that are not entirely educational / fact-based (i.e. videos that include emotional appeals) and cannot be viewed in their entirety by the FAFO Committee in advance of being released
For more information, visit Organic Valley.
