Applications due May 26

Everyone should have access to fresh, affordable food. Unfortunately, they don’t. Poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and systemic racism make it difficult for many people to buy and eat healthy, nutritious food.

The Philadelphia Food Justice Initiative (PFJI) is working to change that. PFJI provides funding to innovative, community-led projects that strengthen Philadelphia’s food assets and opportunities for individual and collective action to further food justice. PFJI prioritizes projects led by Black, brown and indigenous people, immigrants, people living with disabilities, and people who have lived experience with health injustice. To date, PFJI has awarded grants to 18 organizations. Sixteen of those organizations are owned or led by Black, brown and indigenous people and 11 are owned or led by women.

Now in its fourth round of funding, PFJI is seeking innovative proposals for community-led projects that build food justice in Philadelphia. For this round, $500,000 in funding is available for innovative projects aimed at creating more healthy food options in Philadelphia. Non-profit organizations, businesses, cooperatives and collectives working on food justice are eligible to apply for up to $100,000 for their projects. Applications are due by May 26 and there is no minimum grant award.

If you have been feeding your community and need support to grow, we want to hear from you. If you are involved in community organizing and capacity building and see a clear way to include healthy food in your work, we want to hear from you. If you are a budding entrepreneur with a fresh idea, we want to hear from you. If you make, grow, cook or sell food, we want to hear from you. Learn more about how to apply, review the info session recording, and view frequently asked questions (PDF).

PFJI is a partnership of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention (CDIP), also known as Get Healthy Philly, and the Reinvestment Fund, funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant. Additional support comes from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Wells Fargo Open for Business Fund.

Check out the Reinvestment Fund’s website for reports highlighting previous grantees.