SAFSF On the Road Recap: Atlanta
Earlier this month, we continued our SAFSF On The Road series in Atlanta, Georgia! A group of 27 SAFSF members, diverse capital partners, community advocates, and local nonprofit leaders joined us for an evening dinner, complete with Southern cuisine from Marcus Bar + Grille and a discussion with food justice advocates. Since early 2024, SAFSF has convened a cohort of funders and leaders at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to explore ways to unlock more investment for historically underserved producers and communities in the South, a critical region to catalyze food systems change. What started as an avenue to…
Q&A with Bill Green, Executive Director of The Common Market Southeast
Bill explains how the USDA’s Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) positively impacted The Common Market Southeast and its ecosystem of family farmers and community partners. While the programs are ending, they helped catalyze the local food distributor’s mission of building small farmer capacity. How was Common Market Southeast using LFPA and/or LFS funding? Were there specific programs you were able to create or expand? The LFPA and LFS programs have had a catalytic effect on The Common Market’s mission in the Southeast, and as proof of concept of how intentional investment in…
Your Leadership Matters Right Now—Response to Federal Funding Freeze
As we face destabilizing times in our nation – and in the non-profit sector – we call for leadership from philanthropy and investors. Each day we receive emails from non-profit and field leaders who are worried they won’t be able to make payroll in the coming months. At SAFSF, we are braiding together many threads of resources, actions, and responses from funders, partners, and grantees. Please keep sending us your questions, resources, and calls to action. We will keep weaving and coordinating funders in food and agriculture to contribute to the collective intelligence and well-being of the entire ecosystem. Additionally,…
Job Announcement: Membership and Engagement Director
The application period for this position has closed. Position Overview Sustainable Agriculture and Food System Funders (SAFSF) is seeking a Membership and Engagement Director to develop and execute strategies to cultivate, attract, retain, and engage diverse capital partners as members of SAFSF. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Membership and Engagement Director is responsible for increasing net membership and retention while driving revenue growth from membership dues. They will oversee membership engagement events and initiatives, track and evaluate member engagement, serve as a connector and thought partner for members, and steward an overall welcoming and inspiring member experience. A successful…
Member Moments: Dirt Capital Partners
Dirt Capital Partners joined SAFSF in 2023, and since then their staff have been active members and leaders of our community, hear their stories below. “I attended the SAFSF conference in Pittsburgh in 2019 without really knowing much about the organization, and I was impressed by the open and equity-oriented community with a lot of thought leadership. Since founding Dirt Capital Partners in 2014, we have tested out models and worked with countless farmers to inform the work we do all across the US today. Participating in SAFSF’s Indigenous Food Systems Community of Practice in 2022 and recommending Amanda to participate…
SAFSF On the Road Recap: Detroit
Earlier this month, SAFSF and Detroit Black Food Sovereignty Network (DBCFSN) co-hosted a powerful one-day event focused on transformative food justice initiatives. Funders, community leaders, and advocates gathered at the Detroit Food Commons, a community-owned co-operative grocery store and multi-use facility developed by DBCFSN—to explore the intersection of health equity, sustainable economic growth, and community self-determination. The event highlighted the transformative potential of community-led food systems in addressing systemic inequities. Attendees engaged with critical themes, such as health and wealth disparities impacting frontline communities, the importance of community-driven solutions, and the essential role funders must play in driving long-term, systemic…
Member Moments: Fabiola Greenawalt
I serve as The Russell Family Foundation’s Senior Program Officer, based in Gig Harbor, Washington. Our foundation’s vision is ‘a thriving, equitable, and sustainable Earth.’ Guided by this vision, we invest in people and places to advance environmental sustainability and address the climate crisis. As part of our vision, we launched the Food for Climate Solutions grantmaking program in 2023. This program is designed to address the negative impacts of climate change while fostering a thriving local and regional food system and more equitable access to local, healthy, and sustainable grown food. Throughout the developmental phase of this program, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems…
Digging Deeper: Q&A on Industry Consolidation with Claire Kelloway
Dig Deeper with Digging In! Digging In is SAFSF’s first documentary film, produced by Nathan.works and underwritten by the Vatheuer Family Foundation, and was designed as a tool for funders and their grantees to explore the wide-ranging challenges of land access, consolidation and concentration, and climate change on U.S. agriculture. The film uplifts on-the-ground perspectives and solutions across the country. Claire Kelloway, Open Markets Institute, joined SAFSF and the broader food systems community for a deep dive into meat and poultry consolidation through a recent installment of Digging Deeper, our lunchtime condensed documentary screening series. Featured in the film, Claire is a renowned thought leader and writer on market…
SAFSF’s Election Response
The evening of Election Day, I stepped outside in time to witness a sky full of birds returning to their nesting place for the evening. The sky was stunning, showing off the best of LA sunset colors, and filled with bird flight. That night, I paused with recognition that no matter who is elected president, the birds will keep gliding to and fro with the movements of the sun. Our relationship with land shows us the abundant ecosystems that nurture and sustain us, across time and space. As Daniel Hunter wrote in his excellent article in Waging Nonviolence, “On the days when I can’t sense…
Hurricane Helene & Milton Response
As we’ve seen in the news, devastating hurricanes have swept the East Coast, leaving communities in the wake of destruction, with more tropical storms predicted on the horizon. In the face of the challenging circumstances, private philanthropy and community groups are stepping up to aid in recovery and resilience. In response, our team has put together a resource page on our website collecting all the outlets for supporting hurricane relief right now. Please contact Communications Director, Maggie Mosley, if you have anything to add to this list. Federal Support and Shared Resources Applying for Disaster Assistance: People in designated counties…
