INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
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Announcement from our CEO
Dear Colleagues & Community Partners:
Each year for the past several years the Board of Directors of the Regional Food Bank has evaluated our year end financials and disbursed significant funds to local pantries and agency partners. In 2023, $1 million was awarded to 1,143 Food Bank partner agencies of all sizes throughout our 23-county service area in the form of a Gratitude Grant to help assist pantries with acquisition of food and food related costs, and other household items in our inventory. While we can’t promise these funds will always be available, we certainly hope that this continues. We know how much this funding means to all of you, especially smaller agencies.
I am so pleased to announce that we have created a new fund this year aimed at supporting Regional Food Bank partners to encourage innovation, increase capacity, and enhance the effectiveness of their operations in addressing food insecurity. We are calling this grant program “FoodForward.”
The grant will provide funding of up to $75,000 for each selected partner organization.
• There will be two separate applicant group considerations:
• Agencies with budgets exceeding 500k.
• Agencies with budgets under 500k.
Applicants must submit a detailed proposal outlining their innovative idea or project aimed at improving food distribution, storage, or access for individuals facing food insecurity. Proposals must show a clear plan for utilizing the grant funds to enhance the organization’s ability to serve its community. Applicants must explain how their proposed innovation can reduce food insecurity and improve food distribution efficiency.
We will be releasing more specific details in the coming weeks, and our aim is to disburse funding this fall (hopefully by October). This funding is approved by our Board and enhanced from other awards from foundations and corporations we solicited to make this possible.
Our Programs team, led by our Chief Program Officer Michael-Aaron Poindexter and our new Director of Partner Capacity & Strategy Stacy Dedring, have developed a process that is equitable, fair and simple. We don’t want to put too much strain on valuable resources already stretched to the max.
All of us at the Regional Food Bank care deeply about our agency partners. We respect your tireless work in your communities. We want to be an active partner so we can reach more neighbors in need. We are excited to hear and support grassroots innovation.
We are all stronger together!
Thank you for all you do!
In service, I am
Tom Nardacci
CEO