Food for Thought Grant Program

Through the lens of artists and educators

Educators and the arts and cultural community play a significant role in lifting up issues. This program seeks to bring together artists, educators, community members, and food system stakeholders to raise awareness about the importance of just and sustainable food systems. The program encourages creative expression and collaboration to spark social change. Organizations are invited to submit proposals for projects that use the arts and/or education to uplift opportunities or inform on issues related to the food system.

Projects should be designed to widen community participation, promote collaboration and dialogue, and to engage and empower the community at large.

Convenings and Connections

WNY Foundation believes in the power of convening and its potential to lead to more informed decision-making processes, effective coalition building and collaboration, and stronger results for solution-based inquiry. This grant program promotes knowledge sharing and collaboration among food system actors.

The program also supports the facilitation and exchange of learnings, insights, and expertise related to the food system that serves to inform the public-at-large. Learning agendas should be focused on sharing practical knowledge, raising awareness, and inspiring action to create a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable food system.

Applicants are encouraged to employ creative and interactive approaches that might include TedX style conferences, panel discussions, interviews with persons with lived experience who directly impacted by food system disparities, and live Q&A sessions to make the learning agendas more informative, dynamic, and participatory.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

• This grant program is open to all organizations interested in submitting a project.
  • If an organization is not a 501(c)(3), they must have a fiscal sponsor or use a 501(c)(3) as a pass-through.
• Grant applications are welcome from organizations whose work aligns with our mission and priority areas.
• For all grant programs, this includes a focus on our local and regional food systems.
• Organizations applying for grants must be headquartered within the 7 counties of WNY:
  • Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, and Wyoming.

Ineligibility

• We do not award grants to individuals, unless otherwise specified; religious organizations for religious purposes; political organizations, campaigns, and candidates; and municipal and government.
• We do not award grants for endowments; scholarships; capital campaigns; or operating expenses.