Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF) is accepting nominations for three positions on the Board of Directors for three-year terms beginning December 1, 2020. See a description of board responsibilities below. The Nominating Committee seeks candidates who will help ensure a diversity of perspectives representing race, culture, ethnicity, gender, geographic location, life experience, political ideology, professional skills, and organization

Members of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders have, over the years, looked for ways SAFSF might facilitate stronger relationships with leaders in the food system space outside of philanthropy—specifically with the goal of finding, amplifying the reach of, and developing leadership opportunities for new voices in philanthropy. SAFSF has offered our member organizations the opportunity to invite a Food System Partner to attend

No More Excuses: SAFSF Commitment to Racial Justice Published June 3, 2020 The murder of George Floyd is clearly unjust and egregious. We mourn, along with the nation, for his life lost and for his family. Mr. Floyd is the latest in a long legacy of unjust deaths of black and brown people in America. He and others whose names have been tragically seared into our consciousness are only the tip of this iceberg. Far too many others remain unnamed,

  SAFSF Farm and Food Systems Lenders and Investors Group   REGISTER Deadline of June 19   In response to ongoing member interest in substantive engagement at the intersection of impact investing and sustainable agriculture and food systems, we are excited to invite registration for the SAFSF Farm and Food Systems Lenders and Investors Group. Over the year, this cohort of investing practitioners will gather to: Share and sharpen

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 (Note: This joint PSO statement was the basis for a Letter to the Editor published in The Chronicle of Philanthropy on 3/19/20) In a recent opinion in The Chronicle of Philanthropy (How to Help the Most Vulnerable Through the Pandemic, 3/11/2020), FSG’s Lauren A. Smith made an important point about a focus on equity in philanthropy’s response to the coronavirus. She encourages funders to pay specific attention to communities

Dear SAFSF Network, Like all of you, we at SAFSF are doing our best to remain both calm and vigilant as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds around us. While we are deep in preparations for our June 2020 SAFSF Forum, we are actively monitoring and assessing the situation as new information becomes available and will make a decision about how to move forward within the next 30 days. Please know that we are mindful of the health and safety of potential

Pittsburgh Grows Urban Gardens in the Fight Against Gentrification published by Civil Eats discusses how urban ag groups and organizers are fighting food apartheid and building economic self-sufficiency and resilience in their communities. This story was inspired by the 2019 SAFSF Forum site visit Community-Led Change in the Homewood Neighborhood in Pittsburgh, PA. The site visit was made possible with support from Bridgeway Capital, The Heinz Endowment,

  SAFSF is excited to announce its new Special Project on Sustainable Fibers and Textiles We are excited to announce the launch of SAFSF's new Special Project on Sustainable Fibers and Textiles. Over the past 6 years, SAFSF has played a leading role in the development of funder interest and information-sharing in the area of sustainable fibers and textiles, with program offerings including webinars, Forum workshops and a funder in-depth session,

Amplifying Our Impact Together We are pleased to present our 2018 Year-End Report, Amplifying Our Impact Together, now available on our website. Take a look at what we accomplished through our network last year, and discover ongoing ways to engage that advance the collective impact of philanthropic investments in sustainable agriculture and food systems. SAFSF members may contact Member and Strategic Partnerships Director Renee Catacalos ([email protected])

Written by Tamela Luce, senior program officer, HealthSpark Foundation and planning committee member of the 17th Annual SAFSF Forum, held in Pittsburgh PA, June 18-20, 2019. At the end of three long days of learning and connecting with my colleagues in this food and ag systems work, I’m always drained and wondering if I should hide in my room to recuperate rather than do one more thing. But since I served on the planning committee for the Forum,