Is your nonprofit organization thinking about applying for a grant from Farm Aid? Carefully read all of the information below and contact grants@farmaid.org if you have any additional questions.

Overview

Each year, proceeds from Farm Aid’s annual concert and our generous community of donors are granted to IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations working to strengthen family farm agriculture in the United States. Since our first concert in 1985, we’ve granted nearly $24 million to over 300 organizations nationwide. Farm Aid’s grantees are critical on-the-ground partners in the movement to keep family farmers on the land, producing good food for all.

Click here to see a list of our current grantees.

Per IRS regulations, we are unable to provide grants or loans to individual farmers for the commercial operation of their farms. If you are a farmer looking for funding or other resources, please click here to explore appropriate opportunities for you and your farm.

What We Fund

Farm Aid’s grantmaking is focused on work that enhances the viability of family farm agriculture in the United States. We issue grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations that serve family farmers in one of three funding areas:

GROWING THE GOOD FOOD MOVEMENT: This funding area supports efforts that build local and regional food systems and connect family farmers directly with consumers.

HELPING FARMERS THRIVE: This funding area supports efforts that provide family farmers with support and resources to start farming, transition to more sustainable farming practices, and/or continue farming in the face of financial crises and natural disasters.

TAKING ACTION TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM: This funding area supports efforts that promote fair farm policies and organize grassroots campaigns to defend and bolster family farm agriculture on a local, regional or national level.

We fund nonprofits all over the country that address these funding areas through a variety of approaches. We are especially interested in work that addresses the following priorities, which cut across all three funding areas:

Confronting the Farm Crisis:

• Programs that provide crisis support to farmers in the form of farm advocates, legal support, mental health & social services, hotlines, emergency funds, and more;
• Work that builds farmer power to advance policy solutions like supply management, fair pricing, fair access to credit, and anti-trust policies.

Farmer-Led Solutions to Climate Change:

• Programs that develop resilient systems of agriculture and drive forward on-farm climate mitigation and adaption practices;
• Work that advances farm-based solutions to climate change in state and federal policy

Building Power: 

• Rural organizing and community-building strategies
• Work to dismantle corporate control in agriculture
• Programs supporting democratic cooperative development or other market-based power-building for farmers

Empowering & Serving Socially Disadvantaged Farmers & Communities: 

• Organizations or programs led by and/or serving farmers of color, Native American farmers, or women farmers;
• Programs dedicated to supporting socially disadvantaged rural or urban communities;
• Organizations or programs that include socially disadvantaged farmers in decision-making and leadership structures.

To better understand the type of work we fund, click here to see a list of our current grantees.

What We Don’t Fund

The following activities are ineligible for Farm Aid grant funding:

• Grants or loans to individuals
• Grants or loans for the commercial operation of a farm
• Grants to nonprofits that do not have IRS 501(c)(3) status (or do not have a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)(3) status)
• Production of book, film, television or radio projects
• Projects located outside the United States
• Projects directed or substantially funded by federal, state or local government entities
• Legal defense funds
• Capital campaigns, land or equipment purchases, endowments or deficit financing
• Historic preservation of farmland or buildings
• Conferences or academic research projects, unless they are directly connected to ongoing program activities

To better understand the type of work we fund, click here to see a list of our current grantees.

How to Apply for A Grant

NEW APPLICANTS AND NON-RECENT GRANTEES: Farm Aid’s grant program is currently at capacity. As a result, we are not accepting letters of inquiry or proposals from new applicants or non-recent grantees for the 2019 grant cycle.

FOR CURRENT OR RECENT GRANTEES: If your organization last received a grant from us in 2016, 2017, or 2018, then we invite you to submit a cover sheet and mail us a full proposal by August 1, 2019.

Download the Farm Aid 2019 Grant Proposal Template. Fill out a cover sheet here, and mail your completed proposal to: Farm Aid, Attn: Grant Program, 501 Cambridge Street, Third Floor, Cambridge, MA, 02141. We only accept proposals that have submitted a cover sheet. See below for more details on our grantmaking timeline.

We do not accept unsolicited proposals or any proposals submitted via email.

Guidance for All Applicants

Our applicant pool is extremely competitive. Each year we find ourselves in the difficult position of having more qualified applicants than available funding. The most competitive proposals are the ones that clearly demonstrate how their work positively impacts family farmers through approaches that emphasize collaboration with others, as well as strive for diversity, equity and inclusion within the farmer population served.

Funding requests may be for general operating support or for specific projects. In either case, remember to identify which funding area your organization is applying to (Growing the Good Food Movement, Helping Farmers Thrive, or Taking Action to Change the System).

Funds are typically awarded near the end of the calendar year (November-December). Given that, applicants should base their funding request on work that will be accomplished in the upcoming year (January and beyond).

Farm Aid grants generally range from $5,000 to $10,000, with $5,000 being the most commonly granted amount to an organization. Applicants are strongly encouraged to base their request on this funding range.

Farm Aid can only grant to IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organizations. Applicants are required to submit a copy of their IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt verification letter or include the IRS 501(c)(3) letter and authorization from an organization acting as their fiscal agent.

Timeline for Grant Applications

By August 1, 2019:

Full proposal due via postal mail from current and recent grantees (last received a Farm Aid grant in 2016, 2017, or 2018). Mail your completed proposal to:

Farm Aid
Attn: Grant Program
501 Cambridge Street, Third Floor
Cambridge, MA, 02141

We do not accept unsolicited proposals or any proposals submitted via email.

August – December 2019:

Farm Aid reviews all proposals.

By December 15, 2019:

Farm Aid communicates proposal decisions to applicants via email.

By December 31, 2019:

Farm Aid mails grant agreements and checks to the applicants selected for funding.

Farm Aid’s grant program is a proud participant in Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funders and the Environmental Grantmakers Association.

Questions? Contact grants@farmaid.org.