Park Foundation: School Food and Nutrition Grants

Park Foundation: School Food and Nutrition Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Park Foundation, Inc.
Last Updated: January 07, 2026

Summary

The Park Foundation Grants for School Food and Nutrition aim to ensure that all Tompkins County students have access to nutritious meals in schools. With a focus on social justice, the Foundation collaborates with local school districts to improve food security and promote healthy eating habits among students. Their strategies include partnerships with specific districts and support for initiatives that enhance the quality of school food programs, ensuring that adequate nutrition is a priority for every student.

Overview

NOTE: Prospective applicants may want to consider submitting a Letter of Inquiry as a preliminary step before submitting a full proposal.  Letters of Inquiry (LOI) are accepted at any time. Once an LOI is submitted, please do not submit a full proposal unless contacted by a staff member. If you have recently (within the last year or two) received a grant from Park Foundation, it is not necessary to submit an LOI before submitting a renewal proposal.All school-based projects (programming during the school day or at a school) must involve relevant school district personnel in planning, design, implementation, and evaluation. Mission Statement Park Foundation is a family foundation dedicated to advancing a more just, equitable, and sustainable society and environment, both nationally and in our local Ithaca community. We are principled, strategic and fearless in our grantmaking, collaborative with our partners, and nimble and innovative in our approach. We are committed to challenging the powers that threaten an independent media, a robust democracy, and the future of our planet. Our Funding Priorities The Park Foundation funds a variety of non-profit partners, from local Tompkins County grassroots programs to initiatives with national impact. EnvironmentCivic ParticipationMediaDemocracyCommunity NeedsSustainable IthacaAnimal WelfareSchool Food & Nutrition School Food and Nutrition The vision for the School Food and Nutrition Special Project area is that all Tompkins County residents will have adequate nutritional security to support their health, growth, and well-being. In particular, the Park Foundation has set a goal of ensuring that every student in Tompkins County has access to and is choosing to eat nutritious and appealing food in school. The Foundation views this work through a social justice lens. This includes the understanding that access to adequate, healthful food is a human right and closely linked with an individual’s or family’s ability to focus on higher-order priorities such as employment, education, participation in public life and caring for family and community. Currently, the Foundation is pursuing two strategies to achieve this goal: Single District Strategy:The Single District Strategy involves a close multi-year partnership with one Tompkins County School District focused on advancing the district’s and community’s goals regarding school food, nutrition and nutrition education. The Foundation has selected the Groton Community and the Groton Central School District for its pilot partnership.Tompkins County Opportunity Strategy:The Tompkins County Opportunity Strategy seeks to develop relationships, skills, and ideas in support of quality school food and nutrition at Tompkins County public schools. This is envisioned as grant making in support of discrete programs requiring technical assistance, planning, or training that will advance the overall project goal of ensuring that every student in Tompkins County has access to and is choosing to eat nutritious and appealing food in school.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Eligible organizations must be classified under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.Unless you have a fiscal sponsor, your organization must be recognized as a 501(c)3 or 509(a)2 under IRS guidelines. In addition, as a private foundation, we may not grant to an organization for a total of more than two-thirds of its annual budget (see "public support test" under IRS guidelines). Grant decisions will be guided by the following parameters:All projects should generally address opportunities or shortfalls identified in the Needs and Asset Assessment of Child Nutrition in Tompkins County.Projects and interventions must be developed in partnership with the populations the project is intended to benefit. All school-based projects (programming during the school day or at a school) must involve relevant school district personnel in planning, design, implementation, and evaluation. Grant proposals should address school-year, school-day nutrition in one or more Tompkins County public school(s). Equipment purchases will be limited to items essential to advancing the goals of proposed projects.

Ineligibility

On-going operating funds for such projects is not available.Requests for projects outside Tompkins County will not be considered.