The Food Justice Fund (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. All funding for the FJF came from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

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

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.

Questions?

Contact Food Justice Fund Coordinator Gabbi McMorland at gabriel.mcmorland@pittsburghpa.gov.

Online applications for FJF grassroots grants are now open and have a deadline of Monday, April 14th, 2025. The program will be distributing a total of $1.5 Million in grants up to $75,000 each. Awardees will be selected in Fall 2025, and project funds must be spent by June 30th, 2026.

The online application is now live! Please use the link below to apply.

Projects must provide one or more of these 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

Applicants for this second round of funding must be 501C3 non-profits or people represented by a fiscal sponsor, and have an annual budget of half-a-million dollars or less.

FJF funds may not be used to provide direct financial assistance to businesses. Applicants can pay businesses as vendors providing goods and services and may specify their choice of local food system vendors in their application, such as a food pantry purchasing produce from a local for-profit farm.

Project budgets must be between two thousand dollars and seventy-five thousand dollars, and any additional funds needed for the project must be secured by the time of application.”

The first round of funding awarded a total of $1.1 million in late 2024 through the city’s RFP process. The city issued an RFP for large-scale investments in Pittsburgh’s food system with project budgets up to half-a-million dollars. Awardees were selected by a committee of city staff, as required by the RFP procurement process. You can view the RFP at this Project overview

A total of $1.1Million was awarded to four organizations

• 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.

Before applying, review guidelines for eligibility and the scoring criteria: https://engage.pittsburghpa.gov/download_file/view/10831/1383

All applications must use this budget template and upload their budget in XLS format, not as a PDF: https://engage.pittsburghpa.gov/download_file/view/10800/1383

For reference, you may download this PDF copy of the online application questions: https://engage.pittsburghpa.gov/download_file/view/10801/1383

Schedule a virtual meeting for one-on-one technical assistance with your application” https://info.paramountpursuits.com/fjf-technical-a...

Attend virtual office hours anytime on Tuesdays and Thursday from 2 PM – 6 PM during the application period.” https://share.hsforms.com/1v_dFSK94TQO3o2ziahZS5An...

You can also ask questions through online chat: https://info.paramountpursuits.com/fjf-live-chat

The City of Pittsburgh has selected 15 community members to join the Food Justice Fund (FJF) Governance Committee, which will recommend FJF grant awards for approval by City Council.

The FJF committee is intended as a way to share power with and learn from the experience of communities affected by food apartheid, food insecurity, and lack of access to resources. Each Committee member brings their own food systems expertise, lived experience, and community connections.

The FJF Governance Committee will review the grassroots funding applications for projects with budgets up to $75K and select projects for funding with City Council approval.

The Committee selections are as follows:

• Alyson McAtee (she/her; Garfield): Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, Garfield Community Farm
• Angela Williams (she/her; Perry South): Pittsburgh Community Services, Inc. Board Vice-Chair, Northside Leadership Conference Board Member, Charles Street Area Corporation Executive Director
• Councilwoman Deb Gross (she/her; Highland Park) City of Pittsburgh Councilwoman for District 7
• Darius Wallace (he/him; Marshall-Shadeland): Office of Mayor Ed Gainey
• Dina “Free” Blackwell (she/her; Homewood): House of Manna, Homewood Renaissance Association Founder, Freedom Foods CO-OP Market Founding Organizer
• Dr. Noble Maseru (he/they; Friendship): Professor, Public Health Practice and Director, Social Justice Equity and Faculty Engagement at the University of Pittsburgh
• James Reid (he/him; Westwood): Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, Invest PGH
• Jordan Shoenberger (he/him; Brookline): Abiding Missions Executive Director, Hilltop Food Access Collective Chair
• Lisa Freeman, MSW, MPA (she/her; Manchester): Freeman Family Farm & Greenhouse Owner
• Loukeisa Denise Edwards (she/her; Allentown): Triple Moon Alchemy Owner, Grow Pittsburgh Education & Outreach Coordinator
• Merecedes J. Williams (she/her; East Hills): Pittsburgh Public Schools Director of Communications/Stakeholder Engagement, 412 Food Rescue Hero
• Pastor Lutual M. Love, Sr. (he/him; Hazelwood): Pastor of Praise Temple Deliverance Church, Greater Hazelwood Coalition Against Racial and Ethnic Disparities (GHCARED) Founder

• Stephen O’Brion (he/him; Downtown): Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Advocacy Coordinator, Pittsburgh Food Policy Council Board Member
• Win Nunley (they/all pronouns; East Liberty): Black Dream Escape Co-Founder