Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund

Purpose: Provides grants to organic business owners and farmers affected by hardships of all kinds, including wildfires, natural disasters, and pandemics (e.g., COVID-19).

Geographic Scope: United States, with particular focus on California's Central Coast and North Coast regions. CCOF certifies over 700 organic businesses in these regions.

Eligibility:

• CCOF-certified organic business owners and farmers
• Applicants experiencing extreme hardships such as:
  • Wildfires
  • Natural disasters (drought, hurricanes, floods, etc.)
  • Invasive pest losses
  • Pandemic-related losses
  • Other documented hardships

Award Information:

• Specific award amounts vary based on need and number of applications
• Historical example: 2012 awards ranged around $6,000+ distributed to eight operations
• As of 2020, the fund had distributed $210,000 total since 2007
• 100% of donations to the fund go directly to organic farmers and business owners

Application Deadlines: Multiple cycles throughout the year.

Contact & More Information:

• Website: www.ccof.org/bricmont
• www.ccof.org/donate
• Address: 877 Cedar Street, Suite 248, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Application Process

Application Timeline:

• Multiple application cycles per year
• Example deadline documented: November 20, 2020

Selection Criteria:

• Applications reviewed by committee of CCOF board members and staff
• Awards based on demonstrated need and number of requests received
• Partial offset of certification costs for those experiencing extreme hardship

Required Materials:

• Documentation of hardship (specific requirements not detailed in provided content)
• Certification status verification (must be CCOF-certified)

Note: Detailed application form requirements and narrative questions not provided in available website content.