About the Grant
Healthy Food Access Grant
As a result of the increased need for food assistance services across Oakland County, the Pontiac Community Foundation (PCF), in partnership with Oakland County, has established the Healthy Food Access Grant Program.
This program provides one-time operational and programmatic grants to organizations providing critical food assistance services to residents and communities across Oakland County.
In order to meet the growing demand for healthy food, and increase overall accessibility to Oakland County food resources, Oakland County will provide $300,000 to organizations serving residents of Oakland County through a competitive grant award process administered by the Pontiac Community Foundation.
Please read the following information carefully for details pertaining to grant timeline, compliance requirements and funding priorities, eligibility and award types, application information, scoring rubric, and FAQs.
Timeline
| October 3, 2022 | Open Grant Portal |
| October 6, 2022 | Grantee Webinar |
| October 19, 2022 | Question Submission Deadline |
| October 21, 2022 | Close Grant Portal |
| October 21 – November 10, 2022 | Grant Committee Reviews Grant Applications |
| November 14, 2022 | Announce Grant Recipients |
| November 2022 | Distribute Grant Funding |
| November 2022 – May 2023 | Grantees Use Grant Funding |
| June 2023 | Final Grant Funding Report Due |
Grant Types
Organizations that meet the basic eligibility requirements may apply for one of two different types of grant funding: a Programmatic Grant of up to $25,000 or an Operational Grant of up to $50,000. Organizations will be expected to provide specific examples of how they intend to use their funding to either strategically expand, or continue the operation of, their current food assistance services in order to meet the increased demand throughout Oakland County.
Award Type #1: Programmatic Grants
Funding Range: Up to $25,000
Award Description: Programmatic grants of up to $25,000 may be awarded to organizations that meet basic eligibility criteria and need funds to maintain currently offered food assistance services or expand upon existing food-based programming.
Examples of what programmatic grants may be used for include: expanding an existing program that serves a targeted population in Oakland County, personnel needs to serve the community as a result of an increased need for food-related services, or purchasing food to meet the increased demand for services throughout the county, including but not limited too, providing emergency food-based services.
Award Type #2: Operational Grants
Funding Range: Up to $50,000
Award Description: Operational grants of up to $50,000 may be awarded to organizations addressing food accessibility that meet basic eligibility criteria and need funds to increase the long-term sustainability and growth of their current operations due to increased need for food assistance services.
Examples of what operational grants may be used for include: staffing costs related to increasing long-term operational sustainability, system and/or technology-based upgrades to maintain and/or increase food services operations, technology purchases that align with long-term program expansion and/or sustainability, or purchasing food to meet the increased demand for services throughout the county.
How to Apply
Applications for the Healthy Food Access Grant Program will be accepted via Google Forms. The link to the application form will be included on this web page starting on October 3, 2022. We have included a PDF outline of the questions, located below, to assist applicants with reviewing the questions prior to the official application opening.
If you require additional assistance navigating the grant application system or are unable to submit your grant application materials via Google Forms, please contact Program Operations Manager, Sarah Niskanen, at sarah@pontiaccommunityfoundation.org for assistance or alternative submission options. Email is the preferred method of contact.
