Kathy Underhill Scholarship Award

The Kathy Underhill Scholarship Award was created by Hunger Free Colorado's board of directors to honor the legacy of Kathy Underhill, founding CEO and nationally recognized leader in solving hunger and food policy. The award recognizes an individual leading change in advocacy or health equity as it relates to hunger and healthy food access.

Award Amount: $1,000 scholarship for professional development or personal capacity building related to the awardee's career and work within the hunger space.

Intended Uses of Funds:

• Receiving coaching
• Attending a conference
• Taking a class or training
• Investing in materials or technology needed to further career

Geographic Scope: Colorado statewide

Eligibility Criteria:

• Demonstrating progress towards real solutions at the systems or community-serving level within the hunger space in recent years
• Work should be centered within hunger, though vocation need not be
• Making an impact in their community through a lens of social justice or health equity
• Making a contribution in alignment with Hunger Free Colorado's core values (nutrition, innovation, partnership, community, equity) and core belief that hunger is solvable, unnecessary, and unjust
• Has lived in Colorado for at least one year
• At any stage of professional career (though by design intended to assist individuals who could benefit from capacity or opportunity this type of scholarship could provide)

Ineligibility:

• Staff and board of Hunger Free Colorado and their relatives
• Self-nominations
• Posthumous nominations
• Nominations for standing elected officials

Selection Committee: Composed of Hunger Free Colorado board members, community advocates, and the award namesake Kathy Underhill

Additional Notes: Hunger Free Colorado strongly encourages nominations for candidates from underserved communities, including people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, LGBTQ people, and members of other underserved communities.

Nomination Process

1. Submit Nomination Online: Nominations must be submitted online by the deadline (most recent: September 13)
2. Who Can Nominate: Nominations may be made by individuals or organizations
3. Multiple Nominations:
   • Candidates may be nominated by more than one individual or organization
   • Organizations may provide more than one nomination, but only one per candidate
   • Individual nominators are allowed one nomination
4. Selection: A selection committee will choose the winning nomination in early October
5. Notification: The awardee will be contacted soon after in hopes they will attend the Hungry for Change Summit and accept the award in person

Nominee Criteria to Address:

• Demonstrating progress towards real solutions at systems or community-serving level within hunger space in recent years
• Impact in community through lens of social justice or health equity
• Contribution aligned with Hunger Free Colorado's core values
• Colorado residency for at least one year