Food Justice for Kids Prize
Up to $1M in total funding available for nonprofits, public schools, and tribes working to advance food justice for children in the U.S.
Thank you for your interest in the Food Justice for Kids Prize. The application period closed on June 11, 2024, at 1:00 pm ET. Be sure to sign up for Radically Good News to hear about the virtual Pitch Event (to determine final grant awards), future funding opportunities, and much more!
Is your organization working towards food justice for kids in the United States? If so, this is your chance to receive up to $100,000 in grant funding over the next 2 years and deepen your impact! Apply by June 11, 2024, at one of the links below.
We’re seeking applications from organizations working in two priority program areas:
(1) Indigenous Food Justice (Apply here) and
(2) Nutrition Education and School Food (Apply here)
We welcome applications from all eligible organizations, and in particular seek to be inclusive of organizations led by and/or representing historically marginalized and under-represented groups, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
Keep reading for more info and FAQS.
Prize rules available here.
Why Food Justice for Kids
In the United States, more than 1 in 6 children (13.4 million) live in households where they do not have enough nutritious food to eat or know where their next meal may come from. This rate is significantly higher for some populations. For example, 1 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native households are food insecure. We know what can work, as increased funding for nutrition assistance programs during the pandemic led to a significant decrease in childhood hunger. However, much of that progress was lost starting in 2022, with the termination of those benefits.
Food insecurity is associated with several adverse outcomes, including delayed development, chronic diseases (such as asthma and anemia), and increased anxiety and depression. Such outcomes can limit children’s ability to live healthful lifestyles, thrive, and realize their full potential.
Newman’s Own Foundation envisions the United States as a country where all children have access to nutritious, culturally relevant foods; learn about healthy foods and sustainable food systems; and have opportunities to grow, gather, and cook food and be nourished physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
To help nourish and transform the lives of children who face adversity in the U.S., Newman’s Own Foundation is launching the Food Justice for Kids Prize, focused on two priority program areas: (1) Indigenous Food Justice and (2) Nutrition Education and School Food.
Read our Food Justice for Kids Roundtable as four food justice leaders (and Newman’s Own Foundation grantee partners) share what a just food system looks like for children and how we can get there by working together.
About the Prize
Up to $1M in total funding (over two years) is available for nonprofits, public schools, and tribes working to advance food justice for kids in the United States and its territories.
Eligible organizations can apply via the common application portal JustFund.Us for one of our two priority program areas:
- Indigenous Food Justice
- Scroll down to learn about this priority program area
- Application period closed as of June 11, 2024
- Nutrition Education and School Food
- Scroll down to learn about this priority program area
- Application period closed as of June 11, 2024
As many as 10 applicants (5 for each of our priority program areas) will receive up to $50,000 each in 2024, with the opportunity for an additional grant of up to $50,000 each in 2025. In 2026 and beyond, these grantee partners may be eligible for further funding.
Applicants who reach the finalist stage may also be considered for a $10,000 grant awarded through the Newman’s Own Foundation Community Choice Award. Voting will open in the Newman’s Own Community Fund after the finalists have been announced at the end of July. (Join the Community Fund—donations are welcome but not required.)
Applications for all grants will be initially screened internally and then reviewed by Newman’s Own Foundation Advisory Council members, Foundation staff, and other Foundation-selected reviewers (see criteria for evaluation in FAQs). For each program priority area, a selection of potential finalists will be vetted. Following successful vetting, finalists will be invited to join the Virtual Finalist Pitch Event, after which the 2024 Food Justice for Kids grant recipients will be announced.
In addition to receiving a grant of up to $50,000, the Food Justice for Kids grantee partners will have the opportunity to participate in a learning cohort, meeting periodically throughout the year (virtually) to network, share best practices, and engage in activities that can be leveraged for greater growth and impact. Grantee partners will then have an opportunity in 2025 to apply for an additional grant of up to $50,000.
Key Dates
| March 20, 2024 (8:00 am ET) | Application period opens |
| April 9, 2024 (3:00 pm ET) | Q&A webinar #1 for organizations, watch the recording here |
| May 6, 2024 (4:00 pm ET) | Q&A webinar #2 for organizations, watch the recording here |
| June 11, 2024 (1:00 pm ET) | Application period closed |
| End of July 2024 | Finalists announced/notified |
| September 10, 2024 | Finalist Pitch Event, Final Deliberations, and Winners Announced (virtual, open to public, save the date!) |
| September 2024 | Applicable agreements signed |
| October/November 2024 | Grant funds are disbursed |
Apply before June 11, 2024, to be considered for the Food Justice for Kids Prize!
Priority Program Areas
Indigenous Food Justice
Indigenous people have a long history of growing nourishing, sustainable foods. The seizing of Indigenous lands in the United States over the course of several centuries disrupted the communities’ knowledge and cultivation of culturally specific foods and food systems. Adding to this injury, many Indigenous children now live in remote regions with limited access to fresh foods. In American Indian and Alaska Native communities, 1 in 5 households are food insecure, meaning they do not have enough nutritious food to eat or know where their next meal may come from. These conditions have contributed to increased risks for a variety of chronic diseases, including obesity and Type 2 diabetes, for Native American adolescents.
Indigenous people have long been working to reclaim their traditional food practices and systems to enable Indigenous children to learn about, grow, gather, and cook Native foods. Such efforts are key for increased physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, and for allowing Indigenous children to thrive and reach their full potential.
Through the Food Justice for Kids Prize, Newman’s Own Foundation invites applications from eligible organizations with innovative projects that support community-based direct service, ecosystem and community power building, and/or sustainable practices that drive food justice for Indigenous children.
We encourage you to apply if your organization is implementing a project that:
- Supports access to, advancement of, and rematriation of traditional, nutritious, and affordable foods;
- Shifts control and stewardship of food resources to Indigenous communities to benefit children;
- Enhances the ability of Indigenous children to respond to their needs for healthy, culturally relevant Indigenous foods; and/or
- In any one of a number of ways, helps your community create new pathways to support food justice for Indigenous children.
Nutrition Education and School Food
The foods children eat and encounter early in life, whether at home or in school, set the stage for their preferences and habits as they grow up. Yet over half of children in the United States fail to meet the recommended intake of key food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. There are large gaps between what we know will help children thrive and what is available to them both in and out of school.
Across the United States, forward-thinking schools, community-based nonprofits, and policy-makers are working to transform the school food system so that children can eat free, healthy, and culturally relevant meals. Innovative organizations from Appalachia to Arizona’s White Mountain Apache Reservation and beyond are working tirelessly to give children opportunities to learn about, grow, gather, and cook food themselves, and create good habits to last a lifetime.
Through the Food Justice for Kids Prize, Newman’s Own Foundation invites applications from eligible organizations with innovative projects that support community-based direct service, ecosystem and community power building, and/or sustainable practices that drive enhanced nutrition education and/or nutritious school food.
We encourage you to apply if your organization is implementing a project that:
- Supports children learning about, growing, gathering, or cooking healthy, nutritious, culturally relevant foods;
- Shifts school policy, practices, and/or systems so that children have access to healthy school meals; and/or
- Supports nutrition education and/or nutritious food in schools in any one of a number of ways.
Eligibility
The following types of organizations are eligible to apply:
- 501c3 Public Charities
- Federally recognized tribes
- Federally recognized Urban Indian Organizations
- Indian tribal governments (IRS, section 7871)
- U.S. Public Schools and School Districts
- U.S. governmental entities or affiliated organizations that are eligible to receive 501c3 funding
- You may also apply via a 501c3 Public Charity Fiscal Sponsor
Please note, Newman’s Own Foundation does not fund:
- Organizations that discriminate on the basis of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, political beliefs, disabilities, or any other protected categories
- Lobbying or political activities
- Major research projects
- Any commercial business
- Any litigation that is underway, contemplated, or completed, or organizations that use litigation as a primary tool to carry out their mission
- Other private foundations, Type III supporting organizations, or other organizations that require expenditure responsibility by the Foundation
- Direct grants to individuals
- Organizations that do not comply with all laws and regulations, including those related to the USA Patriot Act, Executive Order 13224, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury Anti-Terrorist Financing Guidelines: Voluntary Best Practices for U.S. Based Charities. In this regard, the USA Patriot Act prohibits willfully providing funds for terrorism.
- Specific religious activities or beliefs or organizations that require adherence to a specific religion or belief
- Any other organization that does not meet the IRS funding requirements for a private foundation
Eligible programs must serve and/or benefit children under 18.
Projects that focus on youth across a mix of ages, for example 16-24, should specify the number or percentage of children under 18 who are taking part in the project. (Projects that serve a majority of stakeholders over the age of 18 are likely to receive less favorable consideration.)
Initiatives serving children ages 0-5 are eligible for this opportunity if they align with either the Indigenous Food Justice or Nutrition Education and School Food program areas.
No. However, projects at or beyond pilot stage will be considered.
And if your proposal is mainly focused on an expansion or scaling of a program that is already in process (and is therefore beyond ideation and pilot stages but has new elements or features not yet implemented), please be sure to reference the existing effort(s) and how you are building off them.
Current grantees are not eligible for the Food Justice for Kids Prize, as they will be considered for funding during our annual grant application process. We do welcome past recipients of Newman’s Own Foundation grants to apply.
Yes! You are welcome to apply if your program is aligned with the Food Justice for Kids Prize and is being implemented in any number of communities (1 or more) in any part(s) of the United States and/or U.S. territories.
Yes. In this situation, please make clear how the proposed effort will ultimately benefit children and is in alignment with one of the two priority program areas.
For the purposes of this application, “Indigenous people” refers to those who are American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or otherwise Indigenous in the United States or its territories.
Application Process
We are sorry, but the application period is now closed.
JustFund is an equity-centered, common grant application platform that gives grant seekers access to multiple funding opportunities. It is free to use (https://justfund.us), and it is where you will submit your application for the Food Justice for Kids Prize.
For any questions or issues relating to the application, please reach out to our application portal partner, JustFund, at info@justfund.us. Learn more about JustFund or sign up for their information session (offered once a month).
For any questions or issues relating to the application, please reach out to our application portal partner, JustFund.Us at info@justfund.us. Learn more about JustFund.Us or sign up for an informational session (offered once a month).
In addition, Newman’s Own Foundation is hosting an informational webinar on two different dates for anyone interested in learning more about this grant opportunity. Recordings of the sessions will be posted here afterwards.
You will first need to create an organizational profile on JustFund.Us to apply (free to register). Next, you will be guided through a set of questions for their common application, followed by three questions from Newman’s Own Foundation and a request for your project budget and optional attachments. (The questions are the same whether you are applying for Indigenous Food Justice or Nutrition Education and School Food priority program areas.) Newman’s Own Foundation’s questions are as follows:
- Please describe how the proposed work is innovative compared to the status quo in your community.
How does your project offer a solution or approach in your community that shows promise to improve the status quo? Innovative can but does not necessarily mean a new technology or a new approach…on the contrary! Whether rooted in traditional knowledge or borrowed from successful models in other communities, any unique aspect of your approach and its potential impact is of interest to us.
- Project Goals:
Please include 1-3 SMARTIE Goals for your application to be completed within the 12-month grant period. “SMARTIE Goals” (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Inclusive, and Equitable) are a strategic way to plan and achieve your objectives. Please see the Management Center’s resources for further explanation.
- Community Power:
How is your organization and/or project led by, collaborating with, and building power within your communities? For example, how are children, caregivers, school leadership, and/or community leader voices and agency part of your organization and/or project?
A Project Budget is also required. See sample budget template here or use your own.
You will also have the opportunity to include optional materials:
- A link to a video or audio file (max. 3 minutes) in support of your written answers; and/or
- A supplemental attachment of your choosing in support of your application (e.g., an existing annual report or case study).
We value diversity and accessibility in communication. We know that some people are better able to express themselves orally than in writing, and are thus including an opportunity to submit an optional video or audio file as part of the organization’s application.
If you do choose to include a video or audio file, rest assured that technical quality doesn’t matter and please do not expend significant financial resources to create something with high production value. Think mobile phone or webcam recording vs. hiring a videographer or going to a studio. We just want to see and/or hear you authentically, so come as you are. Click the “Add URL” button in JustFund.Us to add the link to your video or audio file from the platform of your choosing (e.g., Vimeo, YouTube, etc.).
If you have technical questions, please contact JustFund.Us at info@justfund.us for assistance.
You may use this budget template or any other format of your choosing to create a budget. There is no specific formula for using the grant funding; we encourage organizations to allocate funds in a way that maximizes impact in alignment with the application.
No. Only one grant application will be accepted per organization for this opportunity.
The Newman’s Own Foundation Community Choice Award is an exciting opportunity for the public to have a say in recognizing outstanding projects that have reached the finalist stage of the Food Justice for Kids Prize. Voting will be open in the Newman’s Own Community Fund after finalists have been announced at the end of July. There will be one $10,000 recipient from each of the two priority program areas, Indigenous Food Justice and Nutrition Education and School Food.
Sign up for Radically Good News, our monthly newsletter, to be the first to hear about upcoming grant cycles, as well as other opportunities, inspiring news, thought pieces, and ways to get involved!
No. We regret we are unable to provide feedback or advice on your application.
The event will be hosted online via a webinar platform and open to the public to watch. Members of the Newman’s Own Foundation team and Advisory Council will host a conversation with finalists (one at a time) to learn more about their teams, programs, and communities. Finalists will not be asked to prepare any formal videos or materials for this event. Following these brief conversations, the Foundation and Advisory Council members will convene to select the winners.
Timelines and Milestones
The duration for this grant is one year from the date funding is received—expected in October 2024. However, we do not have a “spend by” date for the funding once awarded.
Newman’s Own Foundation aims to provide equitable and straightforward reporting processes. Selected grantees will be asked to provide updates on their work based on their grant applications. In other words, the grant application may be used as the basis for reporting, in addition to brief updates on progress. Grant reporting will take place no more than twice per year, and reporting materials will be made available in advance to grantees.
Expenditures and Budgets
Yes, the funding may be used as a general operating grant (i.e., unrestricted) provided the funds are used in alignment with your grant application and are directly related to the program supported by the Food Justice for Kids Prize. We want to offer as much flexibility as possible for our grantee partners.
There is no limit if your organization is a 501(c)(3) or other eligible entity—with the exception of fees charged by a fiscal sponsor, in which case the limit is 15% of the total grant amount.
The intent of the Prize is to advance food justice for kids in one of the priority program areas. If your program is aligned with the intent of the Prize and involves adults or other groups (for example, non-Indigenous youth when you are applying for the Indigenous Food Justice priority program area), we invite you to explain this in greater detail. For example, how do the adults in your program play a role that directly advances food justice for kids in some way? A program that does not make it clear how it supports children under 18 in alignment with one of the priority program areas will likely receive less favorable consideration.
Evaluation of Applications
After the application deadline of June 11, 2024, applications will first be screened by Newman’s Own Foundation staff for eligibility and to validate alignment with the Newman’s Own Foundation mission. Each application will then be reviewed by the Advisory Council, Foundation staff, and additional Foundation-selected reviewers using the following criteria, scored 0-20:
- Alignment: To what extent does the organization/project align with the selected priority program area (Indigenous Food Justice or Nutrition Education and School Food)?
- Evidence of Impact: To what extent does the organization/project have demonstrable evidence of past impact and/or potential for future impact, in regard to food justice for kids and the selected priority program area?
- Innovative Approach: To what extent does the organization/project offer a new solution or approach that could improve the status quo with regard to food justice for kids?
- Community Power: To what extent is the organization/project led by, collaborating with, and building power within the communities it seeks to serve?
- Ease of Implementation: To what extent does the organization/project have a realistic plan with clearly defined objectives, adequate resources, the right stakeholder engagement, and a clear path to progress?
Click here to view the list.
For the purposes of the Food Justice for Kids Prize, “innovation” is framed as changing the status quo for the better in your community. We welcome learning about the change your program is supporting in your proposal!
Other
Please contact JustFund.Us at info@justfund.us with questions related to your submission. They are generally available Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET.
In addition, Newman’s Own Foundation is hosting two informational webinars for anyone interested in learning more about this grant opportunity. Recordings of the sessions will be posted here afterwards.
- Click here to watch a recording of the session from Tuesday, April 9.
- Click here to register for the session on Monday, May 6, from 4:00-5:00 pm ET.
If you still have unanswered questions, e-mail grants@newmansown.org. Please note that we are unable to comment on individual grant applications.
