The Food Trust
The Food Trust is a Philadelphia-based public charity founded in 1992. It works to improve access to nutritious food through programs involving food access, affordability, education and public policy, and it administers financing initiatives for healthy food retailers.
The Food Trust at a glance
In short: The Food Trust gave $850K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $61K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 93% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $850,000
- +71.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- -26.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $60,714
- +133.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $47,500
- Total assets
- $8,592,484
- +34.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 93% first-time grantees (13 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Food Trust
- How to Apply
-
The initiative’s materials direct applicants to review the program materials and submit an application. The website-listed deadline of September 15, 2026, has passed.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1617 John F Kennedy Blvd 900, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 575-0444
Website: https://thefoodtrust.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Food Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was FGV Foods ($150K). Together the top 10 received $695K.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 74 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Food Trust’s website describes work across the country. Its Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative operates statewide, and its 2025 grants were reported entirely to recipients in Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Food Trust open to new grantees?
93%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 14 grantees (93%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $62K; repeat grants $50K. How we count
Medians: $45K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 0% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−5%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2022–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $495K (2024) to $922K (2023). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $850K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| FGV Foods Easton, PA | To support renovations that will allow retail store to sell fresh fruits and vegetables. | $150,000 |
| Dylamato's Market Pittsburgh, PA | To support renovations that will allow retail store to sell fresh fruits and vegetables. | $110,000 |
| Farm Store Pottsville Schuylkill Haven, PA | To support renovations that will allow retail store to sell fresh fruits and vegetables. | $100,000 |
| Grow Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | To support renovations that will allow organization to sell fresh fruits and vegetables. | $50,000 |
| Farmer Girl Eb LLC Pittsburgh, PA | To support renovations that will allow retail store to sell fresh fruits and vegetables. | $50,000 |
| Palace Life Supermarket Erie, PA | To support renovations that will allow retail store to sell fresh fruits and vegetables. | $50,000 |
| Fawzi & Son Market Philadelphia, PA | To support renovations that will allow retail store to sell fresh fruits and vegetables. | $50,000 |
| The Best Route Gilbertsville, PA | To support renovations that will allow retail store to sell fresh fruits and vegetables. | $45,000 |
| DAT Place Convenience Store Aliquippa, PA | To support renovations that will allow retail store to sell fresh fruits and vegetables. | $45,000 |
| Almadina Supermarket Erie, PA | To support renovations that will allow retail store to sell fresh fruits and vegetables. | $45,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Food Trust?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $8,592,484 | $12,298,890 | $11,564,651 | $850,000 | 14 | $13,341 |
| 2024 | $6,368,712 | $10,108,085 | $10,434,466 | $494,837 | 19 | $14,312 |
| 2023 | $6,156,166 | $9,424,879 | $8,919,224 | $921,650 | 26 | $21,144 |
| 2022 | $2,940,568 | $8,677,230 | $8,285,310 | $895,000 | 15 | $2,986 |
| 2021 | $3,706,781 | $7,625,866 | $8,350,035 | — | — | $3,731 |
| 2020 | $4,030,269 | $7,600,315 | $7,217,882 | — | — | $5,496 |
| 2019 | $3,780,998 | $7,920,119 | $9,379,399 | — | — | $8,348 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission is “Delicious, nutritious food for all.” Its website describes work with neighborhoods, institutions, retailers, farmers and policymakers, including nutrition education, food-access initiatives and policy advocacy.
The Food Trust’s healthy food financing work supports new or expanding grocery stores and other fresh-food retailers in low-access, low- to moderate-income communities. Its Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative provides grants and loans, along with technical assistance, to eligible nonprofit, for-profit and cooperative food businesses. The initiative’s stated objectives include increasing access to fresh foods, supporting economic opportunities and strengthening the local food system.
One 2025 grantee, Grow Pittsburgh, received $50,000; the organization describes its mission as “to demonstrate, teach and promote responsible urban food production.”
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, The Food Trust reported 14 grants totaling $850,000. Individual grants ranged from $35,000 to $150,000, with a median of $47,500. The listed grants supported Pennsylvania recipients, with many described as funding renovations that would allow retail stores to sell fresh fruits and vegetables.
Notable grants included $150,000 to FGV Foods in Easton, $110,000 to Dylamato’s Market in Pittsburgh, and $100,000 to Farm Store Pottsville in Schuylkill Haven. Grow Pittsburgh received $50,000. The listed grant purposes for these recipients specify support for renovations to sell fresh fruits and vegetables; Grow Pittsburgh’s stated purpose was to allow the organization to sell fresh fruits and vegetables.
The Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative website describes grant awards of $5,000 to $200,000 and links to a Request for Applications and other program materials. The 2024 program guidelines list eligible applicants as for-profit, nonprofit or cooperative entities, and eligible projects include development, renovation and expansion of qualifying food retail outlets. The 2024 application materials describe a four- to six-month process from application deadline to funding.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mark Edwards as President & CEO; Regine Metellus as VP - Finance; Jessica Borger as VP - Development & Impact; Heidi Gorniok as VP - Programs; and Kristofer Mitchell as Controller. It lists Angel Rodriguez as Chair, Catherine Faulk as Secretary, Sajan Philip as Treasurer, and Ronnie Allan and Anthony Antonelli as members.
The Food Trust is led by Mark Edwards, President & CEO on every filing since 2021; 5 of 20 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mark Edwards
President & CEO
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$29K (2021) → $200K (2025)
Angel Rodriguez
Chair
Chair → President, 2021
President → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Borger
Vice President - Development & Impact
Director of Development → Vice President - Programs & Development, 2022
Vice President - Programs & Development → Vice President - Development & Impact, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$106K (2020) → $139K (2025)
Heidi Gorniok
Vice President - Programs
Director of Community Nutrition → Director of Community Nutr, 2022
Director of Community Nutr → Vice President - Programs, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$100K (2021) → $122K (2025)
Regine Metellus
Vice President - Finance
Vice President - Finance - Started July → Vice President - Finance, 2023
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$62K (2022) → $146K (2025)
Kristofer Mitchell
Controller
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$107K (2025)
Ash Hanson
Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sajan Philip
Treasurer
Member → Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Faulk
Secretary
Member → Secretary & Member, 2024
Secretary & Member → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ronnie Allan
Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sangeeta Chhugani
Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Ferrenz
Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anthony Salter
Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chad Leyden
Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Harris
Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Senbagam Virudachalam
Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Buehler
Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anthony Antonelli
Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dave Donald
Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Seema Betigeri
Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (20)
- Former: Barbara Gold MD (2019–2024) — Member
- Former: Deborah Cohen (2019–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: Lucinda Ayers (2019–2024) — Member
- Former: Mary Kate Harkins (2019–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Brian Lang (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Gary V. Gordon MD (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Suzanne McHenry CPA (2019–2021) — Member -
- Former: Aaron Felder (2020–2021) — Executive Director
- Former: Dwayne Wharton (2019–2020) — Director of External Affairs
- Former: Loren Robinson MD (2019–2020) — Member - Left Feb
- Former: Olakunle Ekundare (2019–2020) — Vice Chair - Left Feb
- Former: William McKinney (2019–2020) — Executive Vice President
- Former: Yael Lehmann (2019–2020) — Former President & Ceo:left Sep
- Former: Sandy Sherman (2020) — Nutrition Advisor
- Former: Carolyn Latimore PhD (2019) — Chair
- Former: John Weidman (2019) — Executive Vice President
- Former: Karen Shore (2019) — Director
- Former: Thomas J. Lewis (2019) — Member
- Former: Tricia Dressel (2019) — Director of Human Resources
- Former: William George (2019) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $200K, to Mark Edwards (President & CEO). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Food Trust
How much does The Food Trust give each year?
The Food Trust gave $850K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $495K across 19 grants.
What is The Food Trust's typical grant size?
The Food Trust's median grant in 2025 was $47,500, and its average grant was $60,714, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Food Trust that year got $62K on average.
Where does The Food Trust give grants?
The Food Trust gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Erie, PA (4 grants) and Pittsburgh, PA (3 grants).
Does The Food Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on The Food Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Food Trust's largest grantees?
The Food Trust's largest 2025 grantees include FGV Foods ($150,000), Dylamato's Market ($110,000) and Farm Store Pottsville ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Food Trust?
The Food Trust reported $8.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $12.3M.
What does The Food Trust fund?
The organization’s mission is “Delicious, nutritious food for all.” Its website describes work with neighborhoods, institutions, retailers, farmers and policymakers, including nutrition education, food-access initiatives and policy advocacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Food Trust?
The initiative’s materials direct applicants to review the program materials and submit an application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Food Trust's EIN?
The Food Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-2678383. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 15, 2026)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 25, 2021)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Food Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Food Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-food-trust-morg_cd1ed1c2c6b44900997255d8637c65cf
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_232678383_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Food Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-food-trust-morg_cd1ed1c2c6b44900997255d8637c65cf},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Food Trust's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
The Food Trust down — hundreds of funders to go?