Now entering our eighth year of awarding grants, The FruitGuys Community Fund is on track to help support even more farms during our 2020 grant cycle. Each year, we provide funding to small farms and nonprofits that allows them to complete projects focused on environmental and economic health, community engagement, as well as projects and advocacy that support sustainable agriculture.
Give & Grow Good 2020 Campaign
Each year, we have received more requests for funding than we can fulfill. At the end of last year, we had hoped to raise $5,000 in added funding through our Give and Grow Good Campaign, enabling us to support two additional farms. Thanks to our generous supporters, the campaign was a huge success. We raised $9,587 to help fund more small farms across the U.S. This outpouring of support allowed us to increase our overall 2020 grant-making budget to approximately $60,000.
2020 Applicant Data
Thrilled to be heading into the 2020 grant cycle with our generously grown budget, our window of acceptance for letters of intent closed on Friday, January 10th. We received a whopping 258 complete proposals for 2020, giving us a bounty of small farms and agricultural nonprofits to learn about and choose from for the next step in our application process.
The FruitGuys Community Fund 2020 Grant Review
A volunteer review committee made up of 16 participants has begun going over project proposals, with the goal of selecting 20-25 semi-finalists. These will then be recommended to our advisory board, and of the chosen finalists, we hope to fund 15-20 small farms this year.
Brief backgrounds of Reviewers
The 2020 review team represents a handful of locations, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, South San Francisco, San Diego, Marin county, Chicago, Florida, and Colorado. Eight of our volunteers are also returning FruitGuys Community Fund reviewers. Hereโs our intrepid team:
- Sheila Cassani, a returning reviewer, is The FruitGuys (TFG) Manager of Mission Engagement and The FruitGuys Community Fund program;
- Rosalinda Almanza is TFG GoodWorks project coordinator;
- returning reviewer Lauren Kolb is an experienced grant writer, reviewer, and former farmer;
- Diana Donlon is an experienced grant writer and reviewer, with a background in regenerative agriculture;
- Sarah Ahern is a returning reviewer, an experienced grant writer, and a FGCF board member;
- Lynn Molnar is an experienced grant writer, reviewer, and manager;
- Joy Padilla is a member of TFG accounting team;
- Rachel Hettler is a member of TFG customer experience team and is knowledgeable about farming;
- returning reviewer Rachael Wirth is a TFG operations team member. She has a background in sustainable agriculture and business;
- Andrew Edwards is a member of TFG IT team;
- Rebecca North is another returning reviewer. She leads TFG produce buying team and knows tons of farmers;
- Stephanie Barnes is an experienced grant writer, farmer, wildlife biologist, and conservationist;
- returning reviewer Pia Hinckle leads The FruitGuys Magazine and is a FGCF board member;
- Erin Giordano is another returning reviewer and is part of TFG marketing team. Sheโs also a beekeeper;
- Rosemary Musacchio is a returning reviewer and member of TFG marketing team; and
- Rosie Blackburn has a degree in environmental studies and works with nonprofits.
Selected semi-finalists will have outlined sustainability projects that are aligned with one or more of the core ideals detailed in our Sustainable Farming Manifesto.
These small farms will represent a diverse portfolio, in terms of
- regional location;
- diversity of project focus area and/or impact;
- years in operation;
- size and setting;
- ownership diversity (women-owned/co-owned, person-of-color-owned, etc.);
- community impact; and
- type of farming.
All applicants will be notified by Monday, February 10, 2020, and finalist farms will be asked to complete an application. The finalistsโ applications are due by Friday, February 28, 2020, 11:59 p.m. PST.
We are ever grateful for all of the supporters and volunteers who are making the 2020 grant cycle possible!
