The Colorado Food Pantry Assistance Grant Program helps food pantries and food banks purchase critical meat, dairy and fresh produce from local Colorado farmers and ranchers.
%
of food pantries want to continue participating in the grant
Background
In 2018, the grant awarded $451,250 to 94 food pantries (including all 5 food banks in the state), serving all 64 counties and more than 86,000 clients. These food pantries bought 449,185 pounds of food from 130 local farmers.
In 2020, during a special session, we secured $5 Million for the Food Pantry Assistance Grant to substantially increase the capacity of food pantries and food banks to respond to COVID-19. Total requests for assistance topped $9 Million.
%
of food pantries increased the availability of fresh food in their pantries
Farmers receive only 14.6 cents for every dollar spent on food. This is the smallest portion of the American food dollar since the USDA began reporting on this in 1993. Colorado State University reported, in 2015, that approximately 22,500 of the smallest farming operations made up over 60 percent of Colorado’s farms and ranches. However, altogether, they accounted for only one percent of total agricultural sales.
The Farm to Food Pantry model recognizes the connections in these challenges. It seeks to support and fairly compensate local producers while harnessing the distribution power of the charitable food system with the result of better meeting the needs of our vulnerable communities.
Urgent: New Funding Opportunity Opens April 26th
To ensure ongoing access to food for community members, particularly those impacted by the end of SNAP emergency allotments, state lawmakers and the Governor’s Office have allocated additional funding to be released quickly to community organizations who provide charitable food. The State of Colorado has provided $14 million in funding for food banks and food pantries in 2023.
To get funding to food pantries quickly and efficiently, the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger will distribute $4.05 million to food pantries through its existing Food Pantry Assistance Grant pipeline. This is likely the only round of FPAG funding for the 2023 – 2024 cycle.
The Food Pantry Assistance Grant (FPAG) was created to support organizations working directly in their communities to ensure that everyone has access to healthy food options near where they live. The new FPAG funding is intended to help meet increased need in Colorado communities as SNAP benefits have decreased significantly for families and individuals. Specifically, the new grants hope to aid food pantries in the purchase and distribution of Colorado-grown produce, products and nutrient-dense foods and to expand access to culturally relevant and nutritionally appropriate foods. It cannot supplant other current or future funds, such as existing rent costs, repair expenses, or general overhead. This focus will ensure that the charitable food system is grounded in equity and responsive to existing community needs.
This grant opportunity is open to all food pantries in Colorado, including:
- Current FPAG grantees for 2022 – 2023 who would like additional funding for the next year
- Past grantees and those who have never applied before who seek funding for 2023 – 2024
The application will open at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 26, and close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10. Individual food pantries can request $2,500 – $50,000, and groups can request $51,000 – $100,000.
For those interested in applying: The application should only take about 30 minutes to complete for new applicants and past recipients. Current FPAG grantees may be eligible for an expedited award process if they choose to apply for the same grant amount as awarded for 2022 – 2023. This grant cannot supplant other current or future funds, such as existing rent costs, repair expenses, or general overhead.
Awards will be announced on May 22, 2023.
To learn more and to access the application when it opens, please visit the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger’s website HERE.
Get Involved
If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about the Colorado Food Pantry Assistance Grant, please email our Community Food Systems Manager.