Learn More - Better Food Policy Fund

How We Got Here

We recognize that how things are done really matters – not just what is done. This is why we took time to involve food policy council stakeholders as we developed this Fund. Through highly relational engagement we built a loosely knit group of 350+ stakeholders, which continues to grow.

By intentionally involving stakeholders in meaningful ways, we have already begun supporting food policy councils in indirect ways. We have observed:

Reciprocal learning between different food policy councils
Sense of validation among food policy councils that their work is important
Best practices have emerged from collective sense-making
Sense of connection for those who work in relative isolation from other councils
Renewed willingness to address difficult challenges

Read about our co-development process for setting Fund strategy and governance.

Timeline: Co-Developing the Food Policy Fund for better food policy through civic collaboration. We're at Fundraising and Participatory Grantmaking Program.

Things We’ve Co-Created Along the Way

Through interactions with food policy council stakeholders, we have co-developed several products during the Fund development process.

Landscape Analysis

Identified internal and external forces affecting
food policy councils

Examples of Great Work

Crowdsourcing surfaced three dozen
councils to showcase in case studies

Fund Direction

Direction for both fund strategy and governance,
as well as the Fund name

Selection Criteria

Factors to consider
when selecting grantee finalists

Communications Project

Spin-off communications effort to develop materials that make the case for food policy councils

Funder Webinar

Funders-only webinar raising awareness of
the importance of food policy councils

Things We’ve Learned

We’ve learned A LOT thus far. Not just about food policy councils, but about how this Fund might operate best serve these groups and what it takes to fully engage in participatory grantmaking. We’ve been keeping a log of those “a-ha” moments that surprise us along the way; here are a few that stand out.

Allow Space for Complexity

Complexity combined with insufficient resources can make it difficult to maintain forward motion
Don’t get stuck – find things that are good enough for now and safe enough to try
Resist the urge to pick between equally-strong positions – try to find ways to bridge both

Expect to Engage Differently

Conventional patterns of philanthropy are deeply ingrained in our thinking
Groundwork to build trust is essential when navigating power dynamics
Readiness to seek out and engage difference – in many dimensions – requires deep personal work and introspection

Start by Assuming Worthiness

Selecting semi-finalists by random chance makes it easier psychologically
Energy levels increase when looking to confirm (rather than justify) finalists
It took less than a third of the time to select a highly satisfactory slate of councils to feature in case studies

Resources That Enhance Our Learning

About Food Policy Councils

Food Policy Networks Project – at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, including Pivoting Policy, Programs and Partnerships: Food Policy Councils’ Responses to the Crises of 2020
Milan Urban Food Policy Pact and Monitoring Framework; webinar The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact: Opportunities for Cities in North America
Changing the Text – Modeling Council Capacity to Produce Institutionalized Change
Food Policy Council Self-Assessment Tool

About Participatory Grantmaking

About Systems Change

Governance for System Change
Acumen Academy Systems Practice