The Salt Lake City Sustainability Department has created the SLC Food Equity Microgrant Program as a funding opportunity intended to support resident- and community-led projects that address food inequity and increase access to fresh, healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant food in Salt Lake City.
Donor Name: Salt Lake City
State: Utah
City: Salt Lake
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/05/2022
Size of the Grant: up to $5,000
Details:
The purpose of the SLC Food Equity Microgrant Program is to build an inclusive community around healthy food choices where individuals living in Salt Lake City have many opportunities to shape, participate in, and enjoy a sustainable, equitable, and resilient local food environment.
Food Equity Microgrant goals:
By providing funds to start or continue community-led projects focused on food equity and accessibility, the SLC Food Equity Microgrant aims to achieve the following broad goals:
- Foster resilient, diverse, and inclusive healthy neighborhood food environments.
- Support multiple pathways for traditionally marginalized individuals and neighborhoods to consistently access and grow fresh, affordable, healthy, and culturally relevant food.
- Enhance community and individual agency and self-reliance by reducing barriers and creating opportunities for people to access what they need to grow and prepare their own food.
- Increase the availability and accessibility of food information and resources.
- Create opportunities for residents to affordably and easily acquire food that is relevant to cultural and personal identity, individual health and wellbeing, religious and spiritual life, and personal taste.
There are two categories of funding:
- Home Food Production Grants provide $250 for individual residents
- Community Grants provide up to $5,000 for community groups, organizations, or small businesses
Funding Priorities
Any food related projects that connect with the purpose and goals of this grant will be considered for funding. The four main categories of prioritized projects include:
- Growing Food – projects that support expanding opportunities and access to growing more food locally
- Inclusive Outreach & Communications – projects that support accessibility and availability of information about food resources to groups that experience challenges with traditional informational outlets
- Dignified Food Access – projects that support improving access to healthy and relevant food opportunities that center and respect the agency and choice of individuals
- Healthy Food Environments – projects that support the availability and accessibility of healthy, fresh foods and enhance the quality and character of the food environments near where people live
Projects led by and serving those who identify as members of groups that have been most negatively impacted by the food system will be prioritized for funding. Priority peoples and communities include:
- Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
- Historically marginalized or under-resourced people and neighborhoods, including neighborhoods on the Westside of Salt Lake City
- People and households living in poverty or with low- or moderate-incomes
- Unsheltered or informally sheltered people
- LGBTQI+ individuals and communities
- People with disabilities
- People with specific health needs
- Veterans
- Adults 65+
- Youth
- Nontraditional students
- People of differing legal status
- Immigrants and the newly arrived
- Formerly incarcerated
- People with deep cultural food relationships
- Groups for whom other funding opportunities are or historically have been limited
Eligibility Criteria
Residents, community organizations, and local businesses may apply for small grants to fund food equity projects in their communities. Projects must be located in Salt Lake City.
For more information, visit Food Equity Microgrant.
