The City of Milwaukee is seeking proposals for its Fresh Food Access Fund (FFAF) to enhance fresh food availability by assisting both for‐ profit businesses and registered not‐for‐profit organizations to implement food access projects.
Donor Name: City of Milwaukee
State: Wisconsin
City: Milwaukee
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/12/2023
Size of the Grant: $5,000-$25,000
Grant Duration: 12 months
Details:
The City of Milwaukee is seeking solutions to heighten access to fresh affordable high‐quality food options for Milwaukee neighborhoods. The Fresh Food Access Fund (FFAF) is a grant program dedicated to the financial support of healthy food initiatives in underserved communities with limited food choices.
The Milwaukee Fresh Food Access Report (MFFAR) estimated that 1 out of 3 people in Milwaukee are more than 1 mile from a grocery store. The MFFAR also identified action items to address the lack of healthy fresh food. Among the recommendations:
- Attract grocery stores to underserved neighborhoods
- Develop other retail outlets as sources of fresh food
- Increase the stock of fresh food in corner stores
- Increase the amount of locally grown food
- Improve transportation to grocery stores and farmer’s markets.
Goals
The Milwaukee Fresh Food Access Fund (FFAF) aims to financially support activities that increase the access of underserved communities to healthy food choices, partner with community organizations, businesses, and other government entities with a fresh food component.
Funding Information
- The minimum grant award amount is $5,000, while the maximum is $25,000
- Grant term will be approximately 12 months, with extensions considered on a case-by-case basis.
Uses of funds
FFAF grants may only be used for capital expenditures related to the establishment, expansion, or improvement of a food-related business that increases access to fresh, healthy food for underserved residents. For example, the following could be considered eligible uses:
- Purchase of equipment to store and/or prepare healthy food
- Purchase of furniture, fixtures, and start-up inventory for a healthy food business
- Build-out of space to house or expand a food retail or production operation
- Purchase of vehicles to transport healthy food
- Improvements to the exterior and signage of a fresh food retail operation
- Construction or equipment activities related to community gardens
- Soft costs that are specifically necessary to carry out another eligible use of funds.
Eligible Projects
The FFAF provides 1:1 matching grants to projects that advance one or more of the following strategies:
- Attract grocery stores and mobile market stops to underserved neighborhoods
- Develop other retail outlets in underserved neighborhoods as sources of fresh foods
- Increase the stock of fresh foods in corner stores
- Increase the amount of locally grown food that is available to Milwaukee consumers
- Meet the fresh food needs of populations with special dietary requirements
- Improve transportation to grocery stores and farmer’s markets for individuals who live in underserved areas.
Eligibility Criteria
Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organizations with current 501-c-3 registration with the US Internal Revenue Service, and for-profit businesses. Other types of entities may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
For more information, visit City of Milwaukee.
