Researchers at Johns Hopkins University developed Healthy Food Priority Areas (HFPA) as a way to measure an area's access to healthy food that considers distance to food stores, vehicle ownership, income, and diet-related health indicators. Learn more at our 2020 FeedPGH report and the HFPA Dashboard.

According to City data from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 in 5 Pittsburghers were identified as food insecure. The number of food insecure households and individuals have almost certainly increased because of the pandemic, supply chain issues, and inflation. Food insecurity means a household cannot adequately provide enough food for all members to lead an active, healthy life; and has adverse impacts on overall health and well being, education, and other areas. In order to create a Pittsburgh that works for all, every resident needs reliable access to fresh, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods.

No, funds cannot be used to purchase land or real estate.

FJF funds cannot be used to provide financial assistance to small businesses

Awardees can pay businesses for goods and services, and are encouraged to source goods and services from local food system businesses. In their application, applicants may choose to describe their plans to work with specific vendors, such as a food pantry purchasing food from a local grower.

Yes, commercial refrigerators or freezers could be eligible expenses for food distribution projects. These must be stand-alone units, not walk-ins, and cost less than five-thousand dollars ($5,000) per unit. Applicants should clearly describe how refrigerators/freezers are related to their food distribution deliverables and will increase capacity to serve city residents.

FJF funds cannot be used for any activities that require a building permit. Activities requiring zoning approval may be eligible, applicants are encouraged to ask questions about their specific project ideas. See a list of work not requiring a building permit at work not requiring a permit.

Most individuals or groups represented by a fiscal sponsor pay their fiscal sponsor a percentage of their revenue to cover costs of providing fiscal sponsorship services, typically called “admin fees”. These admin fees would be part of the agreement between applicants and their fiscal sponsor, not something required by the city. For example, an awardee receiving $10,000 from the FJF might need to pay their fiscal sponsor a ten percent admin fee of $1,000 in order to accept and manage those funds on their behalf.

The FJF has very limited funds available for fiscal sponsor admin fees, and applicants are encouraged to seek alternate sources of funding for any admin fees required for their project budget. For example, an applicant requesting $10,000 from the FJF might plan to pay their fiscal sponsor a ten percent admin fee of $1,000 using money they already have in their bank account or from a private donor.
Applicants may request funds from the FJF to cover fiscal sponsor admin fees as part of their project budget. However, the city can only award a maximum of $16,500 (Sixteen thousand and five hundred dollars) for fiscal sponsor admin fees out of the entire $1.5Million in funds to be awarded. So, while there is no limit on the number of applicants who can apply using a fiscal sponsor, there is a limit on the amount of funds that can be distributed to applicants requiring FJF funds to pay admin fees to their fiscal sponsor.
When submitting their application, applicants represented by a fiscal sponsor will need to choose whether they are requesting funds from the FJF to cover fiscal sponsorship admin fees or they are using alternate sources of funds to cover their admin fees.

No, these are not grants for general operating support. Applicants will need to include a specific project budget with their application, regularly report on actual expenses, and return any unspent funds to the city at the end of the award period.

Organizations applying for FJF grants do not need to be located within the City of Pittsburgh, but projects must serve city residents and all activities and services must be delivered within the City of Pittsburgh municipal boundaries. For example, an organization with

offices outside the city could operate a food pantry located inside a City of Pittsburgh neighborhood and that would be eligible, but a food pantry located outside the city limits would not be eligible for funding even if city residents sometimes traveled there for services.

A summary of the City of Pittsburgh’s urban agriculture zoning rules is at Urban Agriculture Handout - New Legislation

No, for-profit businesses can not apply for FJF grants directly or by being represented by a fiscal sponsor.

Yes

Yes. Meal distribution projects should also be designed to address food security.

Yes, urban-agriculture projects may use FJF funds for raising chickens or keeping bees, including building chicken coops or beehives, purchasing chickens or bees, and supplies. FJF funds cannot be used for anything requiring a building permit. Beekeeping and raising chickens must comply with city zoning code. Note that beehives and chicken coops may not be installed on adopt-a-lot sites.

Summary of city zoning for urban-ag Urban_Agriculture_Handout_New_Legislation_Version.pdf
City zoning code City of Pittsburgh, PA Primary Uses

Yes, funds may be used for urban agriculture projects, including greenhouses, that do not require a building permit. Note that additional restrictions on adopt-a-lot sites are listed in the eligibility guidelines document on the Food Justice Fund engage page.

Yes, and other tools or light equipment may also be eligible. Applicants should describe how these expenses are related to their project deliverables.

Yes, awardees may prepare food with their own staff or volunteers, or contract businesses or non-profits to prepare food for distribution. Food distribution programs should be designed to address food insecurity. Awardees may also contract other organizations to deliver food, or deliver it with their own staff or volunteers.

No

Storage space rental could be eligible if it was clearly connected to project deliverables.

Yes.

Yes, electricity and other utilities could be eligible expenses if the entire utility bill is related to the project. For example, if a food pantry operation uses all of a small storefront space for food distribution, that would be eligible, but hosting a food pantry in one room would not justify funding utility costs for an entire community center. Also, funds cannot cover utility costs on adopt-a-lot sites.

Yes.

Purchasing a stove could be an eligible expense for a project preparing meals for distribution to food insecure people. Applicants should describe how the stove is related to their project deliverables. Purchasing a stove to replace a broken unit in an otherwise functional kitchen so that meals can be served throughout the project would probably be eligible, but purchasing a stove as part of a larger ongoing renovation project would not be eligible.

Purchasing a stove could be an eligible expense for a project providing cooking education. Applicants need to clearly demonstrate that this expense is necessary for their project deliverables and that their organization has the capacity and long-term plan to continue this educational programming after the ARPA funding period. Also, to be eligible, purchasing the stove must be a “turn-key” installation that restores functionality to an otherwise functional kitchen, not part of a larger renovation project. Purchasing a stove to replace a broken unit in an otherwise functional kitchen so that meals can be served throughout the project would probably be eligible, but purchasing a stove as part of a larger ongoing renovation project would not be eligible. Applicants should also describe how they plan to continue

No, funds cannot be used to pay stipends to volunteers. However, funds can be used to pay wages to temporary, part-time workers.

No, all expenses and related activities must be completed by June 30th, 2026.

Yes.

Education projects can provide participants with some small items, but not appliances like air-fryers or blenders. Examples of take-home items include a potted seedling or sample ingredients.

Yes.

Hydroponic equipment could be an eligible expense. Applicants should be able to describe how these expenses are related to serving residents and their capacity for long-term planning in how this equipment would be used.

Yes, this could be eligible if it’s clearly designed to address food security and primarily serving food insecure residents. Individual means-testing is not required.

No, a fiscally sponsored project led by an individual cannot submit a budget that includes paying the business that they work for or own.

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