The work of food systems organizations in southwestern Pennsylvania has strengthened the region’s food system and increased access to fresh, healthy food for people experiencing or at risk of food insecurity.
We have been grateful for the opportunity to partner with many of these organizations to advance their work, which has helped so many of our neighbors.
The Heinz Endowments’ commitment to expanding access to healthy food stretches back decades— including support for food banks, school nutrition programs and urban farms.
In 2020, we formalized Food Systems work into a single grantmaking initiative to emphasize strengthening southwestern Pennsylvania’s food systems in response to residents’ struggles during the pandemic. This initiative was intended to be time-limited but continued as new challenges arose, including changes in federal support for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid assistance.
With the conclusion of the current active grants, our consolidated Food Systems initiative will sunset. Our grantmaking strategies are reviewed on a cyclical basis to allow us to refine our areas of focus. We do not anticipate making additional grants through this program.
While our formal Food Systems initiative has ended, we will remain attentive and responsive to urgent systems-level issues as they arise
The Endowments’ Food Systems grantmaking has totaled $9.33 million since 2020. These investments have supported efforts to improve access to and production of fresh, healthy food; expand food assistance and distribution programs; promote food-as-health care efforts; and increase policy advocacy network building.
We thank the following grantees for inviting our partnership into their work. Through their efforts to provide food, improve health and make systems changes, they contribute to an exemplary and sustainable region where everyone prospers and belongs:
- 412 Food Rescue
- Allegheny Land Trust
- Bellevue Initiative for Growth & Revitalization
- Community Foundation for the Alleghenies
- Community Partnership Inc.
- Congregation of Passionist Mission St Paul’s Monastery
- East End Cooperative Ministry
- Farm to Table Buy Local
- Fayette County Community Action Agency
- Feed Our Students
- Feeding the Flock Ministries
- Fishes And Loaves Cooperative Ministries
- Food Helpers
- Garfield Community Farm
- Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania
- Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
- Greater Wilkinsburg Community Advancement Association
- Grow Pittsburgh
- Highmark Health dba: Allegheny Health Network
- Hilltop Urban Farm
- McKeesport Agape Center
- Millvale Borough Development Corporation
- Mission: Agape
- Mwanakuche Farm
- National Young Farmers Coalition
- New Sun Rising
- Nonprofit Partners
- North Hills Community Outreach
- Operation Better Block
- Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
- Pennsylvania Association of Regional Food Banks
- Pittsburgh Food Policy Council
- POISE Foundation
- Sand County Foundation
- Sankofa Village Projects Inc.
- Sojourner House
- The Food Trust
- The Rotary District 7300 Foundation
- The Salvation Army
- Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
- Wilkinsburg Community Ministry