The Growing Justice Fund is a collaborative effort aimed at advancing equity in the food system by investing in efforts to solidify the leadership, dignity, and power of Tribal, Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, and immigrant people to identify and drive solutions that expand the market for good food purchasing.
Donor Name: Growing Justice Fund
State: All States
County: All Counties
Territory: Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/06/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The Growing Justice Fund offers grants ranging from $25,000 to $250,000 to support community-led initiatives that advance equitable food purchasing. These grants empower Tribal, Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, and immigrant communities engaged in food markets to secure institutional contracts and gain economic viability. Through large-scale purchasing opportunities with community-serving institutions—such as schools, hospitals, and elder care centers—these grants foster equitable access to food buying revenue and help build wealth in historically marginalized communities.
- Planning Grants (up to $25,000) help organizations in the early stages of project development by funding strategic research, stakeholder engagement, partnership building, and project planning. These grants lay the groundwork for future implementation by strengthening leadership and preparing for sustainable initiatives.
- Implementation Grants (ranging from $50,000 to $250,000) are designed for fully developed projects ready to scale. These grants focus on building infrastructure for equitable food purchasing, supporting diverse good food producers, food hubs, cooperatives, and policy and organizing advocates, ensuring that these communities thrive as key players in institutional markets.
Types of Projects
- Building Infrastructure for good food procurement
- Building policy action through grassroots organizing and advocacy for good food procurement
- Cultivating Traditional Food Pathways to build community wealth within Tribal Nations.
Grant Period
Growing Justice Fund grants can be issued for 1-2 years for implementation grants and up to one year for planning grants.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicants include community-led organizations, community-based organizations, Tribal Nations, or the instrumentalities of Tribal Nations, and other leaders that are:
- Actively engaged in a community coalition and/or partnerships to advance good food purchasing practices and policies with institutions in the community
- Actively engaged in the food chain with values aligned with the Fund and
- Committed to transforming the food system by:
- Working together with other organizations in the food chain or
- Seeking to build partnerships with other organizations in the food chain.
- Please note that only 501(c)(3) organizations, or those with a fiscal sponsor that holds a 501(c)(3) status, will be eligible to receive funding through the Growing Justice Fund.
- The Fund seeks to support organizations that have been active in the food chain for at least the past two years and organizations that have existing partnerships or aspire to build partnerships with others in the food chain.
Limitations
Please note that the Growing Justice Fund is not currently funding the following types of organizations:
- Organizations primarily working on school gardens or community gardens as a source of direct-to-consumer food production.
- Organizations whose primary function is operating a food pantry, food bank, or emergency food distribution program (e.g., distributing food boxes directly to individuals or households) are not eligible for this opportunity. Organizations that leverage charitable food infrastructure (e.g., storage, trucking) to support community-serving institutional purchasing efforts–such as with schools or early childcare providers–may still be eligible and are encouraged to apply.
- Projects that do not actively work to advance good food procurement through institutions or Tribal government.
- Organizations that are NOT registered as 501(c)(3) nonprofit or government equivalent. Eligible applicants must be recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3), government equivalent, or fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity. Collaborations between 501(c)(3) or equivalent entities and non 501(c)(3) entities are encouraged. Such partners may participate as partners or sub-contractors within a project, as long as the lead applicant is an eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit or government equivalent.
- Organizations that are NOT based in and work in the United States, U.S. territories (e.g., Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands), or on Native land recognized as part of a sovereign Tribal Nation.
- Organizations looking to distribute mini-grants to grantees.
For more information, visit Growing Justice Fund.
