Community Food Security Project Grant

The Community Food Security Project Grant is a targeted funding initiative operated under the County of Hawai‘i’s Improving Community Food Security Program. This program is administered by The Food Basket and is supported by State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) allocated through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The overall goal of this initiative is to enhance food security and economic resilience across the County of Hawai‘i by identifying and supporting community-based solutions, strengthening existing services, and fostering long-term sustainability. A total of $500,000 in grant funding is available for the 2025–2026 cycle. Initial allocations of $50,000 will be made to each of the nine districts in the county: North Kohala, South Kohala, Hāmākua, North Hilo, South Hilo, Puna, Ka‘ū, North Kona, and South Kona. An additional $50,000 will be distributed through a General Pool, available to applicants from any district. Grants may be awarded to individual nonprofit organizations or to collaborative partnerships involving multiple entities. For individual applicants, the maximum grant award is $25,000. Collaborative proposals may request up to $50,000, contingent on the number of partner organizations and fulfillment of specific criteria. Funding must be used to respond to negative public health impacts of COVID-19 by enhancing the capacity and resilience of community food security programs. The grant prioritizes the acquisition of physical assets, such as cold, dry, and freezer storage units or equipment and supplies that will be used for food security programming. All funded items must serve long-term community benefit, enhance current services, and be maintained beyond the project period. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations that have been active since at least March 1, 2020, certain tax-exempt religious organizations, and unincorporated groups or households fiscally sponsored by an eligible nonprofit. All applicants must demonstrate their ability to execute the proposed project and maintain assets purchased with grant funds. Partnerships must show an existing and active collaboration and propose a shared use of resources that benefits all involved parties. Applications are due by 11:59 PM HST on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. A required progress report is due by March 15, 2026, and a final report is due by June 30, 2026. All awarded funds must be fully expended by June 30, 2026, with any unused funds returned to The Food Basket. Funds will be disbursed in full upon contract execution. For questions about the grant, applicants may contact Audrey Metzman, Community Food Security Project Coordinator at The Food Basket, via email at audrey@hawaiifoodbasket.org or by phone at 808-933-6030. An informational webinar will be held on Monday, September 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM HST.

Applicants are encouraged to attend the September 15 webinar.