CFF CHAMPIONS AWARD

Bee on sunflower

The Community Food Funders Champions Award recognizes the organizations empowering food system change in our region. Each year the Award will:

  • Promote the work of an outstanding organization that is working towards the transition of our food system to one that pursues a true triple bottom line: a system that honors and values people, the environment, and sustainable economic models
  • Present the awardee with a $10,000 grant to support their work

The awardee will be invited to:

  • Present their work to a group of funders and philanthropists at the Community Food Funders Annual Gathering 
  • Share quarterly updates on their work with the Community Food Funders network
  • Design a “Champion’s Briefing” sponsored by CFF on the content of their choosing
  • Join the committee that will select awardees the following year

CLICK TO MEET THE 2023 CHAMPION

Criteria

Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations located and operating in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut. Organizations of all size are welcome, with an emphasis on new or smaller organizations who can most benefit from the $10,000 prize. The awardee will be chosen based on their demonstrated commitment to a food system that is equitable, ecologically sound, and economically robust. The selected organization will also have a strong racial justice analysis that informs their work, and leadership that is representative of the population they serve.

  • Equitable for everyone along the food chain, from growers, workers, and processors, to distributors, retailers, consumers, and waste handlers. Some examples include access to land and economic justice for farmers; safe conditions and a living wage for workers; access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally-relevant food; providing means for greater levels of self-determination over one’s food production, distribution, preparation and waste systems; involving multi-cultural and multi-generational constituencies; uplifting the food heritage, knowledge, and expertise of low-income, people of color, immigrant, and LGBTQ communities; and more. In your answer, please demonstrate how a racial justice analysis specifically informs the work, and the extent to which leadership of the organization is reflective of the community being served.
  • Ecologically sound so that food is produced, transported, and consumed in a way that eliminates or minimizes the use of toxic chemicals and fossil fuels and is regenerative and sustainable in its production
  • Economically robust supporting a multiplicity of ownership models for enterprises along the food supply chain, without disproportionate control or influence by large corporations, and without barriers to entry. Examples include food or farming cooperatives, food hubs and other entities that bolster the local food supply, or organizations committed to increasing the diversity of farmers and providing technical assistance for their ongoing viability

How to submit?

Nominations may come from anyone, and organizations are allowed to nominate themselves. You may nominate one or more organizations and do not need to be connected to their work in order to nominate them. Click here for the nomination form. Nomination deadline is May 12, 2023.

Selection Process

Starting in 2022, all previous winners are invited to participate in the selection committee. They will then choose as a group whether or not to include funders as part of the committee.


How has the award changed?

In 2022, Community Food Funders will be announcing the sixth recipient of the annual CFF Champions Award. We made some changes this year, to better align the award with its intended purpose and with our values as a network. The CFF Steering Committee made these changes after a series of racial equity training workshops we participated in together in 2021. They are part of ongoing conversations about equity within our network. Read about the reasons behind these changes here.

  • Award amount doubled to $10,000
  • Different make-up of our selection committee
  • New nominating form with emphasis on racial justice
  • Groups may nominate themselves
  • Individuals no longer qualify

Previous Winners