Fair Food Network Receives $600,000 Grant From Newman’s Own Foundation

Fair Food Network Included as Part of Innovative Nutrition Cohort to Help Improve Nutrition Access and Education

 

ANN ARBOR, MI – November 19, 2014: Fair Food Network has been awarded a three-year $600,000 grant from Newman’s Own Foundation, the independent foundation created by the late actor and philanthropist, Paul Newman. The funding supports Fair Food Network’s participation in a special Nutrition Cohort, a group of six nonprofits and one research organization that will each bring distinctive expertise and programming to collaborate and collectively pursue greater impact.

 

Watch video highlighting work of this new cohort!

 

 

The Cohort is being developed by Newman’s Own Foundation to help improve health among children and families in underserved communities through fresh food access and nutrition education. It is an innovative approach that creates a network of peers, each with unique and complementary knowledge and experience, to share best practices and collectively accelerate systems change on a national level. 

 

The grant to Fair Food Network will be used to support the rapid growth of its signature program, Double Up Food Bucks, which has become a national model for healthy food incentives. 

 

“We are honored to join this innovative nutrition cohort,” said Oran B. Hesterman, President and CEO of Fair Food Network. “Newman’s Own Foundation’s commitment to this work is making an important difference in improving fresh food access in underserved communities.” 

 

Fair Food Network is a national nonprofit dedicated to growing the good for a more just and sustainable food system. With a diverse network of partners, it pioneers win/win/win solutions that support farmers, strengthen local economies, and increase access to healthy food—especially in underserved communities. 

 

“There is tremendous potential in combining the knowledge, experience, and national networks of these organizations to accelerate the impact of improving nutrition in urban and rural communities,” said Lisa Walker, Managing Director, Newman’s Own Foundation. “We are inspired by the early progress being made by Fair Food Network, and we are excited about bringing several organizations together through the Cohort.”

 

The other five Nutrition Cohort organizations are: FoodCorps, Inc. (New York, NY), Food Trust (Philadelphia, PA), National Farm to School Network (Chicago, IL), Wellness in the Schools (New York, NY), and Wholesome Wave (Bridgeport, CT. Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition (North Grafton, MA) will provide research assistance to lend expertise in nutrition and evaluate the Cohort’s impact. 

 

Newman’s Own Foundation will work with the Nutrition Cohort over a three-year period to coordinate efforts and brainstorm ideas for improving nutrition.

 

The Foundation is providing $4.5 million in grants for the Cohort program as part of its overall $10 million support of nonprofits that increase fresh food access and nutrition education in underserved communities. Other funding has been allocated to 29 nonprofits across the country that are focused on nutrition initiatives.

 

Dig Deeper

Learn more about the Nutrition Cohort at  newmansownfoundation.org

 

Dig into Fair Food Network's Double Up Food Bucks 5-Year Report and listen to recent NPR story on history of SNAP incentives spotlighting Michigan program