Community Food Grants available for food pantries
August 15, 2024
Colorado’s new Community Food Grants support all qualifying emergency food assistance providers with funding, specifically the procurement and distribution of healthy, culturally relevant foods in communities, while also championing local agriculture. The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger administers the grant program, in partnership with the Colorado Department of Human Services.
Both food pantries and food banks are key partners in addressing hunger across Colorado. With these funds, food pantries can acquire and distribute food directly to individuals and families as aligned with community needs and priorities. Similarly, food banks can buy food in bulk and distribute the entirety of their grant purchases to the 1,200 food pantries in their agency networks.
The 2024 - 2025 funding application cycle is open only to food pantries; the Blueprint has already awarded food banks their portion of funding that they will divide amongst themselves. Requests for food pantries can range from $5,000 - $50,000, with a total of $1 million available.
The online application opens at 11 a.m. MST on Thursday, August 15, and closes on Friday, September 6, at 5 p.m. MST. We intend to notify applicants about funding decisions by Tuesday, October 15.
Have questions or need help with your grant application? Join us for an optional Zoom session on Tuesday, August 20, from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. MST, which will be recorded. You also can view our FAQ.
Become a community grant reviewer!
The Blueprint seeks 40 community members and other collaborators in Colorado to review grant applications and decide on funding for the 2024 - 2025 Community Food Grants.
Community reviewers can be English-speaking only, Spanish-speaking only, or bilingual (Spanish/English). The estimated time commitment is approximately 10 hours, which includes the reviewer orientation, grant application review, and decision-making meetings. As a token of gratitude and to honor your time, a stipend of $400 is available for anyone participating outside of their regular job.
If interested, complete the online interest form by Wednesday, August 28.