The purpose of the Food Justice Fund (FJF) is to increase public investment in a just, equitable, and sustainable food system that supports Pittsburgh neighborhoods, our local economy, and the environment.

The FJF was established by City Council in July 2023 in response to community advocates with the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council organizing to build food sovereignty and end food apartheid in their neighborhoods.

The FJF aims to support grassroot creative efforts by increasing opportunities to grow, learn about, and eat healthy, affordable, and culturally-relevant foods. Funding selections will prioritize projects serving City of Pittsburgh communities of higher need, with strong connections to the communities they serve. Primary funding for the FJF came from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Food Justice Fund grant applications open May 5th! Deadline 11:59 PM on Tuesday, June 30th, 2026.

Grassroots Grants up to $25K for distributing free food, improving community farms/gardens, offering education about food or nutrition, or a combination of these services. Also, mini-grants up to three-thousand dollars for community gardens. Applicants may only apply to one option, either Grassroots Grants or Garden Mini-grants, not both. The online application, eligibility guidelines, and budget template on this page include both options. The City expects to select grantees in Fall 2026, with project activities happening in 2027.

Applicants must be:

• A 501(c)3 non-profit or represented by a fiscal sponsor.

• Located within Pittsburgh city limits. Fiscal sponsors may be located anywhere in Allegheny County, but the applicants themselves must be located within Pittsburgh city limits.

• Have an annual operating budget of half-a-million dollars or less.

Requirements have changed since last year’s application. Before starting your application

• Review the eligibility guidelines document, required budget template, and FAQ on this page. The eligibility guidelines are linked in the document library section of this page.

• Read the application, it includes multiple specific questions with character limits. Your answers can be brief, simple, and straightforward. The most important thing is to be clear about what you plan to do with FJF grant funding.

• Applicants represented by a fiscal sponsor must include a signed fiscal sponsorship agreement with their application. Applicants will need to find their own fiscal sponsor independently – the City does not provide fiscal sponsorship.

• Projects on community farms/gardens will need written permission from the landowner. Projects located on city-owned property will still need to obtain approval from the relevant City department by the time of application. Projects on Adopt-A-Lot sites will need their lease to be up to date by the grant application deadline. Applicants renewing their Adopt-A-Lot leases or applying for a new Adopt-A-Lot lease will need to submit their leasing documents to City Planning at least one month prior to the grant application deadline. Contact oss@pittsburghpa.gov for questions about Adopt-A-Lot leases and approved activities.

• Projects including repairs or renovations to food distribution facilities must have written permission from the property owner.

• Review the insurance requirements in the eligibility guidelines document.
• Projects on community farms/gardens should review this map of median income for Pittsburgh census tracts. Farm/garden sites applying for the full $25K Grassroots Grants must be located in low-income, moderate-income, or under-reported census tracts. Gardens applying for mini-grants up to three-thousand dollars can be located in any census tract, and census tract median income will be used as one of multiple scoring criteria. Map of census tract median income in Pittsburgh.

Submit a question for the online FAQ:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=F3n09QTJaEORINMnzxdVkWTGXisv-ipBheBxx4dDj2xUOFY…

Online application form for Grassroots Grants and Garden Mini-grants:

https://us.openforms.com/Form/904557d6-0f7b-4a99-85e4-da38f9bf320c

The City will host two optional webinars to review the grant requirements and answer questions. Both sessions will have similar content.

• May 14th, 1 PM FJF Info Webinar registration
• May 26th, 6 PM FJF Info Webinar registration

Phase two funding of the Food Justice Fund prioritized grassroots organizations. A total of $1.5 million in grant awards were distributed to a total of 30 local food justice nonprofit organizations that serve Pittsburgh residents.

Phase two projects must provide one or more of the following services:

• Distributing free food/meals
• Supporting community gardens and non-profit urban agriculture
• Enrolling residents in public benefits (Ex. SNAP, WIC, Allegheny Go)
• Operating farmers markets (indoors or outdoors) or farm stands
• Offering educational programming about growing, cooking, or preserving food, nutrition, healthy living, or composting
• Addressing issues in food waste through composting or other environmental efforts
• Job training or youth employment in fields related to the food system

For a full list of phase two grant recipients along with a brief project description for each awardee, visit the "document library" section on this page.

Phase one funding of the Food Justice Fund focused on large-scale investments in the Pittsburgh food system. The city awarded a total of $1.1 million in late 2024 after an extensive RFP process.

Phase one grant recipients along with their outlined deliverables include:

• Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will distribute food to small food pantries across the city.
• Grow Pittsburgh will strengthen urban agriculture around the city, including urban farms and produce distributions, a farmers market, support for dozens of community gardens, and collaborations with Freeman Family Farm and Greenhouse, Mwanakuche Farm, Oasis Farm and Fishery, Operation Better Block, and Sankofa Village Community Garden,
• Just Harvest will enhance their Food Bucks program at city-run farmers markets, doubling the purchasing power of shoppers using SNAP (food stamps) while also supporting local growers.
• Jasmine Nyree Homes will start a daily meal program for seniors, children, and people with disabilities at their campus in the West End neighborhood of Sheraden.