Funding Sources for World Hunger Ministries

In your search for funding sources, do not overlook local people, businesses, civic or service organizations, foundations, and community agencies. Develop relationships through community networks and professional office visits to explain your presence in the community (not to ask for money--yet). Participate in the local speakers' bureau by presenting programs for civic, religious, service, or professional organizations such as Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, Professional Business Women, Lions, 4-H Clubs, or any other community invested groups.

Sell who you are and what you do for the community target population (those you serve). DO NOT provide just statistics. Tell anecdotal and success stories. Invite their members to volunteer and learn more from a hands-on perspective. Have a wish list of items or per person costs in case someone asks how they can help. Friend-raising for your program and not strictly fund-raising results in the best long-term benefits.

One advantage to local networking is the opportunity for personal contact. Visit the grocery stores, warehouses, and wholesalers to ask for information about their community relations or charitable guidelines. If you are a novice in funding nonprofit programs, begin locally and develop success before tackling large national foundations or federal grants. Be alert to the phrases or buzz words of the grantors. Right now, for example, “faith- and community-based organizations” are magic phrases for funds. However, DO NOT realign your program to fit the current words. Churches have been serving communities for many years with a variety of terms besides faith-based.

When you grow into searching the Internet or other resources to find granting opportunities, be sure to check the geographic area(s) where funders offer grants. If you are interested in foundations or grantmaking nonprofits, you can learn to whom they give and how much by looking at their 990 tax forms. An excellent source for that information is http://tfcny.fdncenter.org/990s/990search/esearch.php .

Following are links to funding sources.  Red font indicates funders only accept proposals from specific geographic locations.

http://www.albertsons.com/abs_inthecommunity/  Albertsons believe in being a good neighbor by contributing to the quality of life in the diverse communities we serve. They own and operate distribution centers located throughout a 31-state operating area. Areas of charitable giving include Hunger Relief and Health and Nutrition.

https://www.allenfoundation.org/default.asp  Allen Foundation, Inc. supports four main programs: (1) the education and training of mothers during pregnancy and after the birth of their children, so good nutritional habits can be formed at an early age; (2) the training of persons to work as educators and demonstrators of good nutritional practices; (3) the dissemination of information regarding healthful nutritional practices and habits; and (4) in limited situations they will consider making grants to help solve immediate emergency hunger and malnutrition problems.

http://www.brothersbrother.org/ The Brother’s Brother Foundation (BBF) mission is to promote international health and education in 40 countries through the efficient and effective distribution and provision of donated medical, educational, agricultural, and other resources. All BBF programs are designed to fulfill its mission by connecting people’s resources with people’s needs.

http://www.cargill.com/about/citizenship/giving.htm Cargill Foundation provides direct grants to ensure a safe, nutritious, accessible food supply, to promote innovation in education and to demonstrate responsible stewardship of natural resources. Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services.

http://www.foodsecurity.org/funding.html  The Community Food Projects (CFP) program is administered by the Cooperative State Research Extension and Education Services of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. CFP projects are designed to increase food security in communities by bringing the whole food system together to assess strengths, establish linkages, and create systems that improve the self-reliance of community members. These grants are intended to help eligible private non-profit entities that need a one-time infusion of federal assistance to establish and carry out multi-purpose community food projects. Applicants may request up to $300,000 for a duration of three years. These are one-time grants that require a dollar for dollar match in resources. Electronic submission of proposals is required.

http://investor.conagrafoods.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=202310&p=foundation  The ConAgra Foods Foundation awards grants to qualified charitable organizations in three funding categories: National Strategic Partnerships, Local Strategic Partnerships and an employee-driven grantmaking program, Nourish Our Community Grants. The Foundation pursues sustainable solutions to end child hunger and teach kids about nutrition.

http://www.hhs.gov/grantsnet/  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides the GrantsNet site as an access portal to current funding opportunities within HHS agencies, grants policies and regulations, and additional grant resources.

http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Poverty-Ministries/Domestic-Hunger-Grants.aspx and http://archive.elca.org/hunger/default.asp  Under the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) the Domestic Hunger Program is a part of the World Hunger Program, both address chronic hunger and poverty.

http://feedingamerica.org/  Feeding America (former Second Harvest) has a network of more than 200 regional food banks and food-rescue organizations and serves all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico by distributing food and grocery products to more than 70,000 local charitable food programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, women's shelters, Kids Cafes, Community Kitchens, and other organizations that provide emergency food assistance. Check your area for an affiliate of the network to discuss a partnership.

http://www.feinsteinfoundation.org/  The Feinstein Foundation seeks to end hunger in America through educational programs, political advocacy, and an annual challenge to end hunger. While the foundation does not accept grant proposals, every spring a $1,000,000 challenge is offered to all organizations that want to participate and earn funds. Visit the Web site to learn how you use the foundation’s money to fight hunger. Participate in the Feinstein Challenge.

http://www.foodforall.org/index.html  FOOD FOR ALL provides grants for anti-hunger programs in the United States and around the world. Check the website for specific locations in at least 44 states and several international sites.

http://www.giantfood.com/about_us/community/hunger/index.htm Giant Food focuses its corporate giving hunger, assisting local food banks, and providing food for people in need. On the left menu bar, click on Donation Request for more information.

http://www.thekrogerco.com/corpnews/corpnewsinfo_charitablegiving.htm Kroger Company's Family of Stores has three giving opportunities for hunger and health-related issues depending on what stores serve your area. This site links to The Kroger Co. Foundation, The Fred Meyer Foundation, and The Ralphs/Food 4 Less Foundation.

http://www.mazon.org MAZON is principally a response to hunger in America. About six percent of its funds are granted to organizations in Israel and poor countries. Some MAZON grants provide assistance to charitable food programs serving hungry people, but the largest grants support efforts that go beyond immediate provision of food and work to provide long-term solutions, improve the reach and effectiveness of government food assistance programs (food stamps, WIC, etc.), and that provide counseling, assistance, and training to increase the self-reliance of low-income people.

http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/2wrldrel.htm  Michigan State University Libraries' Web site offers a compilation of Web pages and books of potential interest to nonprofit organizations seeking funding opportunities relevant to human and social justice issues. On the left menu bar at the site, the select "World Relief" for potential funding sources for hunger related services.

http://www.yhunger.org/  National Hunger Clearinghouse is an excellent resource for information, as well as referrals to food donors, volunteers, potential funders, and individuals seeking food for local organizations that are in their database. The Clearinghouse acts as a liaison between government agencies and people working at the grassroots level by communicating information on upcoming legislation and federal funding opportunities to database members.

Joining the NHC database is free.  Members' organizations can potentially be referred when filling requests from funders.  Members also receive a monthly newsletter, What's Moo, which details additional funding opportunities, upcoming conferences and pending legislation.

http://www.nutrition.gov/  Nutrition.gov offers funding source information for Community Food and Nutrition Programs. Click on the Food Assistance Programs.

http://www.ob.org/programs/hunger_relief/index.asp Operation Blessing addresses the hunger crisis in the USA by being the critical link between food producers and its hungry neighbors. Using a fleet of Hunger Strike Force trucks and a huge network of local helping agencies they deliver goods and other essentials to keep pantries and food kitchens. Internationally they provide nutritious meals to orphans, the elderly, and others facing food shortages. In addition they look for the best ways to avert hunger in the future like helping provide vegetable seed and livestock to ensure secure food sources for people in the months and years to come. This is an excellent networking resource.

http://www.pcusa.org/hunger/  The Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP) provides grants to programs addressing hunger and its causes around the world. Grants support efforts in five PHP program areas: Direct Hunger Relief, Development Assistance, Public Policy Advocacy, Lifestyle Integrity, and Hunger Education. Direct grants are not limited to Presbyterian congregations, and this offers an excellent partnering opportunity.

http://www.saraleefoundation.org/funding/focus.cfm  The Sara Lee Foundation focuses its giving on organizations dealing with women, hunger, homelessness and affordable housing, and job training primarily in the Chicago area.

http://www.endhunger.org  Society of St. Andrew Gleaning America's Fields ~ Feeding America's Hungry is an ecumenical Christian ministry that feeds the hungry all year long by saving fresh, nutritious produce that would otherwise go to waste due to market reasons and giving it to the needy. The Society of St. Andrew is a Christian ministry, which adheres to Christian principles of good stewardship. Therefore, more than 96 % of all funds raised by the Society of St. Andrew are spent on direct delivery of food and services to the hungry. The food received is donated, costs are basically for transportation and packaging, volunteers donate labor, and the program is operated in conjunction with existing food distribution organizations such as food banks. Over the last several years deliveries totaled more than 355 million pounds of food to the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia.

Geographical Links for Specific Information on Food Banks and Centers

Examples in United States
Alaska:  http://www.foodbankofalaska.org/
Arizona:  http://www.azfoodbanks.org/ 
California:  http://www.cafoodbanks.org/ 
Hawaii:  http://www.hawaiifoodbank.org/ 
Massachusetts:  http://www.projectbread.org/
Michigan:  http://www.fbcmich.org/
Missouri:  http://www.centralmofoodbank.org and http://www.harvesters.org
New Hampshire:  http://www.nhfoodbank.org/
North Carolina:  http://www.foodbanknc.org/  
Oregon:  http://www.oregonfoodbank.org/
Pennsylvania:  http://www.pahunger.org/
Utah:  http://csc-ut.org/ 

Canada  http://www.cafb-acba.ca/

Europe http://www.foodsecuritynetwork.org/resources/foodsecurity.html  Europe (food security network of the European Commission)
 

International Networking for Collaborations, if not funding

http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/  Action Against Hunger (ACF International Network) Recognized worldwide as a leader in the fight against hunger, Action Against Hunger delivers emergency aid and long-term assistance to people in more than 40 countries, specializing in emergency situations of war, conflict, and natural disaster. The organization's ultimate goal is to help vulnerable populations regain self-sufficiency for long term sustainability. Action Against Hunger's approach integrates nutrition, water and sanitation, food security, and health programs.