We’re amping up for our 2020 grant cycle! In 2019, The FruitGuys Community Fund awarded $53,471.96 in grants to 15 small farms and agricultural nonprofits across the United States. These grants fund sustainability projects that help farmers preserve farmland and provide their communities with nutritious food. Projects are completed in line with our Farming Manifesto and include practices, like preserving heirloom varieties, good water management, and climate-change mitigation.
Our Annual Grant Review Committee
Each year we host a participatory grantmaking review process, including a volunteer review committee to help us evaluate farm-grantee applications. We believe that community participation in grantmaking is one of the core building blocks of the movement that connects people with their food system, communities, and the land.
Our grant reviewers are made up of The FruitGuys’ clients, employees, The FruitGuys Community Fund alumni grantees, and food systems and farming advocates. Want to be part of this exciting process? We’re currently seeking up to twenty volunteers to join our 2020 grant review, January to March of 2020. It’s about a 15-20 hour total commitment, and all participation is virtual, via conference calls. Volunteers help by:
- reviewing project proposals via an online portal;
- scoring them according to our criteria;
- collaborating with other review committee members;
- finalizing the award recommendations sent to our advisory board for approval.
The Detailed Grant Review Schedule
Below is the detailed grant review schedule including required conference calls and deadlines for completing a review of assigned applications.
Letter of intent (LOI) submissions from farm applicants are due by Friday, January 10, 2020, 11:59 p.m. PST.
Stage 1: LOI Review
Three conference calls:
- Thursday, January 23rd, 1-2pm PST; Orientation/Reviewer Training;
- Thursday, January 30th, 12–2pm PST; to share and discuss finalist suggestions;
- Thursday, February 6th, 1–2pm PST; to make final selections.
*Deadline: LOI reviews due by Tuesday, January 28, 2020.
Finalist farms will be notified by Monday, February 10, 2020.
Finalists’ applications are due by Friday, February 28, 2020 11:59 p.m. PST
Stage 2: Finalist Application Review
We will review the finalists applications and discuss on three conference calls in March 2020, 1–2pm PST:
- Wednesday, March 4th, 1–2pm PST; Orientation Finalist Phase
- Wednesday, March 18th, 1–2pm PST; Presenting Data & Beginning discussion
- Wednesday, March 25th, 1–2pm PST; Closing discussions & final suggestions
*Deadline: Finalist Reviews due by Wednesday March 11, 2020
The Board will be sent final suggestions by Friday, March 27th. The Board will then meet for 2020 grantee approval Wednesday, April 1 2020.
The 2020 grantees will be notified by Friday, April 10th and & announced publicly.
To apply for our grant review committee, please fill out our volunteer questionnaire. Or, if you have additional questions, contact us at volunteer@fruitguyscommunityfund.org.
