Announcing the 2011 Seed Fund Grantees!
May 23, 2011
by Catherine Covington
“Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”
- Henry David Thoreau
In April, 5 members of the RSF staff volunteered hours of their time to review and discuss the 80+ proposals we received for the RSF Seed Fund this year, a record number! We were so inspired by the interest in the Seed Fund and the quality of the applications that we all lamented the fact that we did not have more money to grant out! The Seed Fund provides small grants ($500 to $5,000) to help support new initiatives that align with RSF’s mission and address issues in one or more of our three focus areas (Food & Agriculture, Education & the Arts, and Ecological Stewardship). Since RSF is not an endowed foundation, the Seed Fund is supported by donations from our donor and client community. If you would like to contribute to the Seed Fund so that we may continue to provide support to innovative projects like the ones below, please visit the donations section of our website.
2011 Seed Fund Grantees:
Bay Area Community Exchange Timebank (BACE) – BACE is located in San Francisco and operates as a community of reciprocal exchange that aims to create a resilient web of relationships between individuals and with community service organizations. The Seed Fund grant will support its orientation gatherings, membership outreach, and a website upgrade.
B-Line Urban Delivery - B-Line is located in Portland, OR, and has a mission to make communities more livable. It uses unique electric-assist cargo trikes to offer eco-friendly, efficient delivery to downtown Portland. The Seed Fund grant will support its meal delivery program that has a goal to deliver 60,000 meals (78,000 pounds of food) in 2011 to people experiencing hunger.
Community CROPS – Located in Lincoln, NE, Community CROPS (Combining Resources, Opportunities, and People for Sustainability) helps people work together to grow healthy food and live sustainably. The Seed Fund grant will support the pilot Growing Common Ground ELL farming introduction program, which will provide farming-specific English language instruction and appropriately paced hands-on training in farming and marketing skills.
Growing Gardens of Boulder County – Based in Boulder, CO, the mission of Growing Gardens is to enrich the lives of Boulder County residents through environmentally sustainable gardening programs that empower people to experience a direct and deep connection with plants, the land and each other. The Seed Fund grant will support its Local Farm Project, which has the goal to create a Boulder County food hub and education center for sustainable gardening and farming.
Land Conservation and Advocacy Trust (LCAT)- The mission of LCAT, located in Framingham, MA, is to preserve, defend and promote land conservation and smart-growth principles through swift, pragmatic action. The Seed Fund grant will support two of its programs, the Community Food System Project and the Neighborhood Revitalization Program.
The Pfeiffer Center – Located in Chestnut Ridge, NY, the mission of the Pfeiffer Center is to teach and spread awareness of the biodynamic method, which takes agriculture and land care beyond conventional notions of “sustainability” to demonstrate actual improvements in soil vitality and in the taste and nutritional quality of produce. The Seed Fund grant will support its Neighbor to Neighbor Gardening Program that pairs high-school students with middle-school students in a mentor-mentee capacity.
Shining Rivers Waldorf School - Shining Rivers is a K through 5 Waldorf School located in Saint Louis, MO. The Seed Fund will support its Gardens Keeper, who is responsible for maintenance of all vegetable beds, facilitating the CSA, and coordinating curriculum with the classroom teachers.
Catherine Covington is Program Associate, Philanthropic Services at RSF Social Finance.
- Published by Jillian McCoy
- Categories: Blog, Seed Fund
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