Food Systems Grants

A food desert as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an area without ready access to fresh, healthy and affordable food. Of the 55 food deserts identified in Maricopa County, there are 43 in Phoenix, that encompass nearly half the Phoenix population. The people most vulnerable in Phoenix often have limited time to cook, live far distances from grocers, and are on a tight budget. In today’s urban fast-food culture, food insecurity often means a lack of nutritious food. Despite our agricultural capacity and national leadership in food production, our food system is not working for many people in Phoenix, especially low-income, ethnic minorities, seniors, and children.

This grant intends to support projects at the community-level that foster a just, equitable, and resilient local food system and improve food access by helping Phoenix residents to grow, access, cook, share, and eat healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant food.

Eligible entities and activities:

• Organizations that have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
• Community groups that have a *fiscal sponsor with 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
• Locally owned businesses, social enterprises, and/or cooperative enterprises with less than 50 employees
• Educational Institutions (community colleges, universities, public and/or charter schools)
• Entities must be operating within the City of Phoenix boundaries to be eligible for funding through the Food Systems Grant.
• Project activities must take place within the City of Phoenix boundaries.
• Project activities must be accessible and benefit people who live, learn, and work in Phoenix.
• Project activities must focus on contributing to a just, equitable, and resilient local food system.

Ineligible entities and activities:

• Entities or individuals awarded an OEP grant within the last five years (2022 - 2026).
• Prior OEP grant awardees submitting duplicate or substantially similar projects previously funded by an OEP grant program.
• Entities or individuals not meeting eligibility criteria outlined in this document (e.g., geographic restrictions, organizational type).
• Organizations or individuals with outstanding reports, unresolved compliance issues, or unpaid obligations from prior OEP grants or to the City of Phoenix.
• Projects primarily benefiting private interests rather than the broader community.
• Applicants seeking retroactive funding for expenses incurred before the award date.
• Projects that do not align with the program’s stated goals and objectives.

• Identifies a specific demonstrated need in the local food system, especially in historically underserved or marginalized areas.
• Advances justice, equity, and access to healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant food within the local food system.
• Enhances food and nutrition security and promotes community health.
• Increases understanding of the local food system, food literacy, and community food resources.
• Advances economic opportunities in the food system for urban growers, new and existing food businesses, and others to sell their food locally and creates opportunity for residents to affordably and easily acquire healthy food.
• Improves access to healthy food (farmer’s markets, CSAs, healthy food retailers, neighborhood produce stands, mobile markets and food delivery projects) for the most vulnerable.
• Adopts new and/or expands existing sustainable practices to produce, process, cook, transport, sell food, and/or prevent food loss and waste to create a strong community food network.

Funding and Duration:

• Total available Grant funding for 2025 is $100,000.
• The maximum Grant request is $20,000. The minimum Grant request is $5,000.
• The time period for the grant is maximum 12 months.
• Funds will be paid on a monthly reimbursement basis. The City may consider one advance payment per grantee of no more than 20 percent of the total grant request, based on demonstrated need.
• All funds awarded through this grant opportunity must be expended within 12 months. Any funds that are not spent at expiration of the Agreement, must be returned to the City.

Allowable Expenses:

• The majority of the budget costs should go toward direct services to Phoenix residents.
• All budget costs need to be clearly tied to project activities and goals.
• Liability insurance is required for the duration of the grant period, costs associated may be included in the budget.

Non-allowable expenses

• Expenses made before the organization is under contract
• Lodging or hotel expenses
• Organization’s overhead/indirect costs unrelated to the Food Systems Grant
• Projects not easily accessible by the public
• Purchase of land or buildings
• Purchase of a vehicle
• Capital project or physical improvements on a private residence

Advance Payment

• The City may consider one advance payment per grantee of no more than 20 percent of the total grant request, based on demonstrated need. The following specific criteria must be met to receive the advance:
• The grantee must provide written justification demonstrating the need for an advance payment and state how the advance will be spent.
• The advanced amount must be expended within 60 days.
• The grantee is required to submit documentation verifying the expenditure, along with supporting materials such as photos (e.g., if funds were used for supplies or equipment).
• Once the documentation is approved, the project will transition to a monthly reimbursement process for subsequent expenses.
• If the advance is not fully spent within 60 days and/or the required documentation is not provided, the grant will be terminated, and the grantee must repay the full amount of the advance payment.

Project Title: Advancing equity for adults that are Blind or Visually Impaired (BVI), DeafBlind (DB), or living with combined vision and hearing loss (CVHL).

Project Description: ACBVI serves adults who are Blind or Visually Impaired, DeafBlind, or living with combined vision and hearing loss due to accident, illness, or trauma. Food insecurity disproportionately impacts this population due to transportation, accessibility, and fixed-income barriers. ACBVI provides 3 meals per day, Monday-Friday, ensuring consistent access to nutritious meals in a fully accessible environment, as well as access to a food pantry so clients have food when they are not at the center. In 2025, ACBVI served more than 17,000 free meals. This project improves food and nutrition security and advances equitable access to food for a historically underserved population.Through this program ACBVI addresses the gaps in support systems to empower individuals that are blind to regain independence, re-enter the workforce, and address their health.

Learn more about ACBVI here.

Project title: Las Cuatro Milpas Community Care Garden & Food Forest

Project description: This grant will support the expansion of the Cuatro Milpas Community Care Garden and Food Forest. This is a sustainable foodways project in central Phoenix with 2,200 sq ft of garden space that offers educational classes, including growing practices, seed saving, culturally relevant medicinal plant workshops, and food sovereignty education. The Cuatro Milpas Community Care Garden represents the four directions and the four elements essential to sustainable land care, and each of othe gardens is dedicated to a specific food-growing or land-based project.

Project title: The Food is Medicina Intergenerational Connection Project (FMICP)

Project description: The Food is Medicina Intergenerational Connection Project (FMICP) brings together the CPLC Healthy Aging Program at Casa Primavera Senior Center and CPLC Community Center Youth Programming. Serving Phoenix’s Latino community in Phoenix, the project strengthens intergenerational understanding of food as medicine through culturally responsive education and shared meals. Older adults and youth engage in interactive learning, exchange traditions, and explore practical ways to apply food-as-medicine principles at home. FMICP promotes nutritional wellness while fostering youth empowerment, cultural preservation, and stronger social connections rooted in Latino values.

Learn more about CPLC here.

Project title: Espiritu Global Roots Leadership Garden

Project description: The Espiritu Global Roots Leadership Garden will improve the existing school garden at NFL YET College Prep Academy in South Phoenix. It will feature water-efficient irrigation, composting, shade structures, and culturally relevant plants. The program will offer sustainable gardening, nutrition, cooking courses, and entrepreneurship training. It mainly targets students and South Phoenix residents, including low-income families. Expected outcomes include better food access, health behaviors, cultural pride, and community resilience, with 50–200 students gaining skills and 1,000 pounds of fresh produce distributed to 100 households.

Project title: 11th Street Community Food Project

Project description: This project will transform underused common land owned by the 11th Street Villas Homeowners Association into a community food forest and garden serving the 7th Street–VA Hospital area of central Phoenix. Located on 11th Street and Indian School, the neighborhood has extremely limited access to fresh food, relying primarily on convenience stores and a dollar store, with the nearest full grocery store over a mile away. The area is predominantly low-income, with adjacent blocks where over 60% of households earn below 50% of area median income.. Residents report weak social connections and dissatisfaction with water-intensive landscaping that provides no community benefit. Working directly with residents, the project will replace unused grassy and vacant areas with desert-adapted fruit trees, edible plants, and shared garden space open to the public during the day.

Project title: Cultivating Youth Leadership in Local Food Systems

Project description: RE:Frame will strengthen the local food system through paid leadership training for young leaders 16 to 24 years old to understand the current food system and build better practices for their community. Train leaders will support other youth 14 to 24 and their families in South Phoenix and other underserved communities in the Phoenix Metro Area through youth-led Community Family Garden Days, and Wellness Wednesdays Food Distribution and Meal Services.

Learn more about RE:Frame here.

Project title: Improving Food Access in South Phoenix through Community Health Programs

Project description: This grant will enhance Unlimited Potential’s existing programs, which serve over 400 families annually, by expanding access to fresh, locally sourced produce for program participants. Food distribution will reach approximately 520 South Phoenix households in neighborhoods with limited access to affordable, healthy food. In addition, the project will offer nine bilingual, interactive cooking workshops featuring culturally relevant, beginner-friendly recipes. These workshops respond directly to community-identified needs for nutrition education that respects cultural traditions and supports families in preparing healthy meals at home.

Project title: YMCA Food Pantries& Distribution

Project description: The Valley of the Sun YMCA is expanding food distribution at three Phoenix sites—the Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA, Watts Family Maryvale YMCA, and Y Academy at Monterey Park. Weekly distribution will increase from 3,000–5,000 pounds to 10,000–13,000 pounds. Each location offers free food boxes and pantry access, with Maryvale providing a dignified “choice pantry.” Nutrition education and recipe cards support healthy eating. Serving low-income residents in central and west Phoenix, the program addresses high food insecurity in USDA-designated food deserts by leveraging trusted YMCA centers to improve access to healthy food.

Learn more about Valley of the Sun YMCA here.

Project title: Nutrition Education for Children and Families

Project Description: Valleywise Health proposes a multi-faceted strategy to improve food literacy, health eating habits, and long-term health outcomes for families and children in the Phoenix area: 1) provide NutriMiniKids education program at all our Phoenix-based FRC locations; 2) enhance our onsite food pantries with health food options; and, 3) provide vouchers for the Farm Express Mobile Market to families who attend FRC programming, classes, and activities.

Project Title: Thrive and Grow Solar Canopy

Project Description: Creighton Community Foundation will install a solar-powered shade canopy at its Thrive & Grow site to enable off-grid cooling, water pumping, and food storage, expanding sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and community access to fresh food.

Learn more about Creighton Community Foundation here.

Project title: Symbiotic Innovation: Regenerative Farming through Science, Conservation, and Community

Project description: At Diemer Dream Crops Farm, I lead regenerative agriculture initiatives that improve soil health, conserve water, reduce environmental impact, and expand access to fresh, nutrient-dense food for Phoenix communities experiencing food insecurity. My efforts are rooted in a deep commitment to honoring God’s principles of stewardship, restoration, and faithful care for the land by cultivating healthy soil, sustainable food systems, and stronger, healthier communities. I specialize in compost production, strengthening the soil food web, cover cropping, precision irrigation, and reduced tillage methods that increase long-term farm resilience, productivity, and ecological balance. In addition, I provide educational outreach through workshops, farmers markets, and on-site demonstrations that equip gardeners and beginning farmers with practical skills and hands-on experience in regenerative agriculture. This initiative supports the City of Phoenix Food Action Plan and Climate Action Plan by increasing local food production, reducing waste, promoting environmental responsibility, and improving community well-being for future generations.

Project title: Sustainable Greenhouse Install & Preserving the Harvest

Project description: The project proposes an installation of sustainable greenhouse to extend tomato growing season and invest in the processing infrastructure to preserve excess produce for long-term storage.

Learn more about Garden Hoes Local Farm Goods here.

Project title: Scaling Regenerative Resilience: Climate-Adaptive Systems for Urban Herbal Agriculture

Project description: This project aims to enhance our farm’s capacity to withstand extreme heat, drought, and soil degradation through innovative infrastructure, water efficiency, and renewable energy systems. Our partnership with the City of Phoenix has supported Emerald Roots Farm Collective to become a model of regenerative, resilient food production adapted to the realities of urban heat, drought, and climate change.

Project title: Healthy Roots Garden:Supporting an Urban Agriculture Network in South Phoenix

Project description: This is an urban ag model addressing the socio-economic/environmental issues in south Phoenix designed for climate-smart, arid-adapted agriculture while building urban food systems to service Phoenix’s cultural diversity in a food desert.

Learn morea about Orchard Community Learning Center here.

Project title: Shamba AZ Agrivoltaics: Feeding Phoenix with the sun

Project description: Shamba AZ, an urban farm operating in Phoenix since March 2022, seeks funding to install an agrivoltaics system. This system will integrate photovoltaic (PV) panels to supply power for our indoor microgreen cultivation and shade outdoor crops.

Learn more about Shamba AZ here.

Project title: Earthwise Moringa: Phase One of Arizona’s First Climate-Resilient, Regenerative Multi-Layer Farming System from Canopy to Root

Project description: Arizona’s first Multi-Layer Farming system, focusing on Moringa as the primary canopy layer and cover crops to enrich soil and promote biodiversity. Rooted in permaculture, it integrates water efficiency and natural pest resistance.

Project title: Rooted in Sustainability: Improving Infrastructure for Local Farmers

Project description: Space of Opportunity is improving community-driven spaces for farmers with compost stations, two shaded seedling tunnels, and upgraded food washing water stations to support local farmers.

Learn more about Spaces of Opportunity here.