Introduction:

The goal of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders is to provide networking opportunities for funders to assist in creating a vibrant, healthy food system. As such, we encourage funders to contact each other to exchange ideas, ask questions, and collaborate on issues of common interest.

We strongly encourage SAFSF members and other environmental funders to submit a funder profile for inclusion on this website to help colleagues learn about their work and work towards common goals. You may choose to make your profile visible to all visitors to this site, which will help grantseekers become familiar with your issue areas and geographical focus points.

Benefits and Responsibilities of SAFSF Membership

Benefits of Membership

• Networking, knowledge-sharing and collaboration with SAFSF peers.
• Access to an audience of other funders and NGOs.
• Ability to help shape the SAFSF agenda and work plan.
• Eligibility to participate on the Steering Committee.
• Discounted registration fees for SAFSF forums and events.

Responsibilities of Membership

• Share perspectives and expertise with SAFSF colleagues.
• Serve as ambassadors for SAFSF.
• Provide financial support for SAFSF, its programs and initiatives.
• Conduct outreach to other potential funders, speakers, and resources.
• Participate in SAFSF activities.
• Contribute to SAFSF's mission of cultivating sustainable food and agriculture systems.
• Promote and support the sourcing of food for meetings, conferences, workshops and other events from local and sustainable sources.

Members may not use their participation in SAFSF for promotional purposes or for private gain.

BENEFIT	MEMBERS	OTHERS
Listserve	X	X
Website	X	X
General Funder Conference Calls	X	X
Attend conferences - Annual Forum	X	X
Program committee for annual meeting	X	X
Quarterly Call Series 'Kitchen Conversations'	X
Conference Call Scoping and Agenda Setting	X
Peer review/consultation among members	X
Strategy Calls	X
Workplan review	X
Operating Protocol Review and Approval	X
Selection of Steering Committee membership	X
Participation on Steering Committee	X
Referrals and Assistance from time to time	X

 

SAFSF Membership Criteria

SAFSF acknowledges the following categories of funders eligible to apply for membership: government, individuals, private, corporate, community and non-profit intermediaries or regranting organizations.

Membership in SAFSF is open to organizations and individuals that:

• Grant to sustainable agriculture and food systems projects and programs and related efforts. Related efforts might include land preservation, pesticide use reduction, farm worker support and so forth.
• Function primarily as grantmakers, not grantseekers. (It is acknowledged that several current members are operating foundations that also raise funds to support their grantmaking programs.)
• Demonstrate alignment with SAFSF's goal of increasing funding for sustainable agriculture and food system organizations. This will occur via screening process that includes grantmaking history and guidelines (see below).
• Demonstrate commitment to SAFSF mission.
• Show how their grantmaking advances the SAFSF's core values.
• Seek to enhance the reputation of, and to expand opportunities for, SAFSF.
• Support relationship-building, knowledge-sharing and collaborative enterprise within the organization's framework.

Please note that the SAFSF reserves the right to deny membership or remove a member if an applicant or member's actions reflect poorly on the field and might harm SAFSF's reputation. Lawsuits, federal or state investigations, consumer boycotts or other significant actions against an applicant or member would raise such concern.

Membership Fees

Recommended levels of support from each member organization are assessed on total grantmaking for sustainable agriculture and food system programs and initiatives in the last full fiscal year. The intent of such fees is to ensure the commitment of members, provide continuing financial sustainability for SAFSF, encourage greater participation by funders, and to reduce the inefficiencies associated with ad hoc yearly fundraising.

Suggested fees:

Total Annual SAFSF-related Giving	Range of Fees
< $100,000	$500-$2,000*
$100,000-$499,999	$2,000-$5,000
$500,000-$999,999	$5,000-$10,000
$1,000,000-$4,999,999	$10,000-$20,000
>$5,000,000	$20,000-$50,000

 

*Note to small funders: annual dues will be determined by the coordinator and the Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee.

Fees may be paid in annual dues, as an annual grant and/or as special support for particular activities, as long as the giving totals within the ranges stated above.

Funder Directory:

Our directory of funders can be viewed by all visitors to the site. You can also search the directory to find funders in your areas of interest.