2021 Rapid Response Microgrants
Supporting food councils in creating food equity and resilience
NC Food Council Network

QUESTIONS: Please reach out to Joyce Yao at jyao8@ncsu.edu.
2021 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES:
- 2021 Shared Gifting Microgrants:
We will be offering a small number of 2021 microgrants through Shared Gifting in the fall. Applications will be due in the summer. Stay tuned!
2021 Applications Open for Food Councils Apply for Rapid Response Microgrants
Read below for requirements and eligibility.
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our communities, Community Food Strategies is offering microgrants of approximately $1000 per food council to support immediate and long-term relief efforts. We will be distributing up to $25,000 total. To receive the funding, each food council must meet the eligibility requirements, agree to the awardee responsibilities, and submit a short application by May 7th.
ELIGIBILITY:
- Applicants are food councils – cross sector groups of people working towards equitable food-related outcomes. See full definition on application.
- Applicants are engaged with the network of local food councils in North Carolina. See engagement opportunities on the application.
- Applicants are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization or have a secured entity (fiscal agent, community organization, 501(c)3 org, etc) that can receive and disburse the funds.
2021 TIMELINE:
- May 7 – Applications due to jyao8@ncsu.edu.
- May 14 – Applicants will be notified of acceptance by this date or possibly sooner.
- May 21 – All administrative paperwork, including W-9 forms, direct deposit information, and invoices are due.
- June 30 – Applicants can expect to receive funds by this date. Funds should be received within 3-5 weeks of finalizing administrative paperwork.
- December 1 – A summary including a brief evaluation of the project, a description of how the funds were used, and a photo or video of the project should be shared with Community Food Strategies by this date. Our team will follow up with recipients with a reminder.
SELECTION CRITERIA: Grant awards will be based on eligibility and the following criteria:
- Community Involvement. Applicants are expected to engage community leadership in decision making and planning.
- Alignment with Taking Action on Racial Justice principles in your work.
AWARDEE RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Submit a completed application on time: A team of two or more people representing the food council, preferably a multi-racial team, submits a completed application by 11:59pm on Friday, May 7, 2021.
- Complete a short evaluation: The awardee completes a brief summary of the project by Wednesday, December 1, 2021. The final report should take no more than 30 minutes to complete and includes a brief evaluation of the project, a description of how the funds were used, and a photo or video of the project.
- Engage with the network: Awardees will continue to engage with the food council network by participating in relevant peer-to-peer engagement opportunities offered throughout the year to maintain connections and to share learnings.
TO APPLY: Please submit this completed word document or pdf to Joyce Yao at jyao8@ncsu.edu by 11:59pm on Friday, May 7, 2021.
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 request any other necessary information.
New grant recipient – New grant recipients will need to complete a W9 form and ACH form. These forms will be shared using Sharebase, a safe online platform for sharing sensitive information. We will ask you to complete and upload the forms along with a voided check or blank direct deposit authorization form to your Sharebase folder. 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.