Building Food Systems

Photo by Luna Anna Archey / Special to The Colorado Trust
Overview
The Colorado Trust is committed to increasing food security by addressing systemic barriers that impact communities across Colorado. This initiative focuses on funding organizations working to create broader, sustainable changes in food systems. By collaborating with multiple entities across the food supply chain and addressing structural issues like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits, these organizations aim to impact entire communities rather than just individuals. Through the Building Food Systems initiative, The Colorado Trust is funding 15 organizations to create lasting solutions that strengthen food access and equity across the state.
Grantees
Colorado Food Cluster, Inc.
Support for expanding meal delivery, diversifying program offerings (food sponsors of child care centers, family child care homes and afterschool programs), piloting new programs (providing meals to online learners), and delivering meals to those on Medicaid with Home and Community-Based Services waivers.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $353,968
Food to Power
Support for addressing barriers to fresh food access in four communities in El Paso County through delivery of healthy meal kits, Fresh Move Market, Southeast Soil Cyclers, community fridge, Black Foodways Research Project, food distribution and delivery, compost expansion, and urban farm expansion.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $353,457
Fresh Food Connect
Support for operating a mobile app that allows for local growers to donate homegrown produce. The project aims to expand access to fresh, homegrown produce to 50% of all Colorado zip codes.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $317,400
FrontLine Farming
Support to maintain subsidized and free community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares for high-need community members; expand no-cost grocery and healing foods programs; offer vocational training to develop skilled farmers who sustainably produce nutritious food and are well-versed in food justice advocacy; deliver classes on topics related to home- and community-scale food cultivation; and coordinate delivery and localized pickup sites to customers and partners including food banks, nonprofits and CSA customers.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $355,000
Good Food Collective
Support for introducing healthy food options in retail sites, increasing access to nutritious foods in institutional food programs, strengthening the middle of the supply chain, and strengthening the regional food system in southwest Colorado.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $354,874
Healthy Archuleta
Support for implementing a social marketing campaign to shift perceptions of growing and eating more fresh and local foods, engaging the community and creating systems and policies to help increase access to nutritious food, increase economic stability for those experiencing food insecurity, and promote healthy eating.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $355,000
Project Protect Food Systems Workers
Support for the Project Protect Promotora Network to deliver boxes of nutritious food and educational materials to rural community members and Colorado’s agricultural worker communities.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $355,000
Re:Vision
Support for expanding food security work in southwest Denver by creating an urban garden for local residents, distributing community-supported agriculture boxes at Denver Health community health centers and at Re:Vision’s weekly no-cost grocery store, delivering an intergenerational food security and nutrition curriculum, and enrolling residents into benefits programs.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $355,000
Rocky Mountain SER/Jobs for Progress, Inc.
Support for integrating the organization’s network of food pantries, governmental assistance programs and food distribution strategies; operating a grocery delivery service, food pantry and distribution support for clients; providing education and community engagement; and implementing farm-to-consumer initiatives.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $352,963
San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition
Support for increasing access to nutritious and locally grown food by conducting community action planning and implementing action items that arise as priorities, and other projects.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $355,000
Solid Rock Community Development Corporation
Support for increasing food distribution days, farmer’s markets, and outreach to homebound residents; increasing food education programs; establishing and managing an AquaPonic Farm in southeast Colorado Springs; providing education on growing food; and strengthening the Southeast Colorado Springs Food Security Coalition.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $350,000
Spirit of the Sun
Support for teaching traditional agricultural practices, coordinating food distribution programs, conducting nutrition and cooking classes for Native youth within the Denver metro area, and establishing an Indigenous seed library.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $336,841
Summit County Family Resource Center
Support for creating a community-based collaborative that will collectively lead and coordinate food relief work in Summit County, leveraging different approaches to diminish the stigma associated with food assistance, enhancing public awareness and understanding of food insecurity, and creating a sustainability plan to continue the work.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $355,000
The Northern Colorado Foodshed Project
Support for the “Veg Van,” a partnership-driven, access-focused venture to provide local producers a mobile market to sell their products, and a resource for providing food access to Larimer County communities.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $323,388
The Small Town Project
Support for addressing transportation as a barrier to accessing food by implementing a food ordering and delivery system in three southeastern Colorado counties.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Grant amount: $354,990