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Celebrating $5.7M+ Awarded to 51 Organizations Supporting Food Justice for Children

Oct 21, 2025

Grants
Indigenous Food Justice
Nutrition Education & School Food

Grow Dat Youth Farm. Photo by Claire Bangser.

Newman’s Own Foundation is proud to announce $5.7M+ to 51 nonprofits advancing Indigenous food justice, nutrition education, and school food programs for youth!

This includes: 

  • 26 nonprofits working to ensure all children can access, learn about, and engage with nutritious food at school and in communities.
  • 25 nonprofits, Tribes, and schools working to strengthen food sovereignty and reconnect Indigenous children with traditional food systems and cultural practices to promote health and well-being.

This diverse group of grantee partners represent dynamic efforts at local, state, and national levels to support food justice for children. Each is leading transformative, community-driven initiatives in issue areas including: school meal access and quality; farm to school and garden learning; culturally relevant nutrition education; youth leadership; and Buffalo rematriation. 

Grantee partner spotlight

Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike

Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike’s mission is to provide Hāna’s youth with ways to learn that builds their self-esteem and shows them they have the power to shape their future. Youth engage in culturally relevant, hands-on garden and agricultural education at the Hāna School gardens and Mahele Farm, as well as daily cultural culinary classes. 

2024-2025 Impact:

  • 94% of youth reported possessing new culinary skills that they will be able to use in the future.
  • 92% of youth reported a more positive cultural identity as a result of their participation in this project.
Children in a Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike garden program

Photo courtesy of Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike

Grantee partner spotlight

Food Research & Action Center

Food Research & Action Center leads a nationwide movement to ensure all students have access to free school meals. By convening the Healthy School Meals for All Coalition and providing support to local and state advocates, they help advance policies that provide free, healthy school meals for all children.

2024-2025 Impact:

  • Worked with fellow Newman’s Own Foundation grantee partner Community Food Advocates and other coalition partners, contributing to the passage of New York’s Universal School Meals policy in May 2025.
  • Published a Healthy School Meals for All State Advocacy Guide building on lessons from New York and eight other states to disseminate strategies for coalition-building, youth engagement messaging, and implementation.

Courtesy of Food Research & Action Center.

Our Process

Application and Evaluation

Working together with existing grantee partners, Newman’s Own Foundation collected feedback to inform and design the application process. Next, we held information sessions with grantee partners and shared the following application evaluation criteria:  

  • Evidence of Impact:  To what extent did the organization make progress in achieving its desired outcomes during the prior year?
  • Alignment:  To what extent does the organization align with the priority program area of Nutrition Education & School Food or Indigenous Food Justice and our broader mission?
  • Community Power: To what extent is the organization led by, collaborating with, and building power within the communities it seeks to serve?
  • Potential for Growth: Does the organization have the potential to grow and deepen its impact?
  • Ease of Implementation: Does the organization have a realistic plan with clearly defined objectives, adequate resources, the right stakeholder engagement, and a clear path to progress? 

Newman’s Own Foundation is committed to transparent grant processes and feedback is available to grantee partners upon request regardless of application outcome.

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