In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Food Strategies is offering block grants up to $1000 each to food councils in our network to support immediate and long-term relief efforts. To receive the funding, each council must meet the following eligibility criteria and complete a short application form. 

ELIGIBILITY:

• Applicants are food councils. 
• Applicants are part of the network of local food councils in North Carolina.
• Applicants are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization or have a fiscal agent that can receive and disburse the funds.

HOW TO APPLY:

Community Food Strategies team region leads will send an email invitation to food council leaders within the network with the block grant application form.  Food council leaders should complete the short application and respond to their region lead with any logistic questions. 

Application questions include:

• Contact information
• Fiscal agent information
• How much money are you requesting (up to $1000)?
• How do you expect these funds will be used?
• How can we support your council and this project?

TIMELINE:

• May 1, 2020 – Applications due.
• May 5, 2020 – All award letters sent to grant recipients. Applications will start being processed immediately upon submission, and award letters may arrive sooner.
• May 8, 2020 – Deadline for all grant recipients to complete vendor setup paperwork. 
• June 12, 2020 – All funds distributed to grantees.
• October 2020 – Follow up email with a short survey will be sent to grantees.

Councils can expect to receive funds within 3-5 weeks of finalizing administrative paperwork. 

GRANTEE PAPERWORK:

Past grant recipient – If your food council is a past recipient of a Community Food Strategies microgrants or block grants, we will confirm that the information we have on record is accurate and begin processing the block grant immediately. 

New grant recipient – New grant recipients will need to complete a W9 form and ACH form. Please complete, sign, and return the forms along with a voided check or blank direct deposit authorization form to Dallas Goodnight, dlgoodni@ncsu.edu. These forms should reflect the organization that will receive and disburse the funds, which is your food council if you are a 501(c)3 organization or your fiscal agent. As soon as we receive the documents, we will begin the vendor setup approval process.  

Payments can be expected within 30 days after the vendor setup is complete.

FOLLOW-UP:

Please let us know how we can continue to support your work.  

Grantees will receive a short survey of 3-5 questions in October requesting feedback on how the food council used the block grant and whether the funds were helpful for your council.