Sustainable Agriculture and Food System Funders (SAFSF) is a network of grant makers that seeks to promote a more sustainable agriculture and food system. SAFSF does this primarily by fostering communication, engaging in shared learning and exchanging information about issues connected to sustainable agriculture and food systems.

SAFSF seeks to carry out its mission by:

• Providing opportunities for collaboration.
• Increasing awareness of the issues as well as funding needs.
• Expanding beyond the current membership to increase support and funding for organizations that (i) promote sustainable food production; (ii) link to concerns about sustainability of our food system and/or (iii) connect food production with issues of environmental stewardship, diet and health and viability of communities.

SAFSF is neither an informal, ad hoc affiliation of interests nor a separate, independent, formal, incorporated organization. Thus, in order to guide its operations as a network in a clear and effective fashion, SAFSF has developed the following protocols. These protocols will be reviewed by members of the Steering Committee on a bi-annual basis and sent to SAFSF membership for approval.

1.0 SAFSF Values

SAFSF envisions a world in which food and agricultural systems contribute to personal, environmental, community and cultural health. We envision our organization as an expanding community of funders working to increase support and funding for programs and organizations that (i) increase the supply, demand, quality, and accessibility of sustainably produced foods; (ii) make our food system more sustainable and/or (iii) improve environmental stewardship, diet and health, and viability of communities.

SAFSF is guided by the following shared set of values:

1.1 Collaboration

The SAFSF values members who:

• Use their philanthropic resources to effect systemic change;
• Strive to learn from their experiences and those of their colleagues;
• Support their work and the work of their colleagues through open, honest and respectful sharing of experience and knowledge;
• Build relationships among and between colleagues that lead to more effective work by all;
• Enjoy contributing to the body of knowledge around food and food-related grantmaking;
• Believe in collaboration as a necessary condition for advancing the common goals of organization members and
• Believe in active involvement and participation in an organization to make it successful.
• Play an active role in moving the deliberations forward, helping to ensure all voices are heard.

1.2 Diversity

The SAFSF values food systems that encourage and enable:

• Biological diversity;
• Diversity of farm and food enterprises, including diversity of their ownership structures, scale and locations;
• Diverse production practices adapted to the local ecology, producers' interests and community needs; and
• Economic and leadership opportunities for those working at all points in food and agriculture systems regardless of racial, ethnic, cultural and economic background.

1.3 Regionalization and localization

The SAFSF values food systems that:

• Foster significant increases in the production, availability and demand for sustainably produced foods;
• Capture and multiply economic, social and ecological benefits within locales and regions;
• Reduce the distance food travels from field to fork, and
• Enable closer and more transparent connections between consumers, producers and other workers in the food and agriculture supply chain.

1.4 Environmental Integrity and Stewardship

The SAFSF values food systems that benefit the environment through:

• The reduction of chemical and fossil fuel use;
• The promotion of biological diversity;
• The humane treatment of animals;
• The improvement of soil health;
• Practices that create cleaner water and air; and
• Systems that contribute less to climate change.

1.5 Community

The SAFSF values food systems that enhance the viability of communities, particularly low-income communities, in rural and urban areas by:

• Providing a fair return to farmers;
• Providing just and fair working conditions for farm workers and laborers along all points in the farm and food value chain;
• Supporting community-based food enterprises;
• Supporting small, family, and independently producing farmers; and
• Providing accessible, affordable, culturally appropriate food.

2.0 Benefits and Responsibilities of SAFSF Membership

The following are benefits and responsibilities of membership in SAFSF.

2.1 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.
• Participate in SAFSF activities.

2.2 Responsibilities of Membership

• Contribute to SAFSF's mission of cultivating sustainable food and agriculture systems.
• Share perspectives and expertise with SAFSF colleagues.
• Provide financial support for SAFSF, its programs and initiatives.
• Conduct outreach to other potential funders, speakers, and resources.
• Members may not use their participation in SAFSF for promotional purposes or for private gain.

3.0 SAFSF Membership Criteria

The goal of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders is to provide networking and educational opportunities for a wide range of grant makers. Participation in events and committees is open to all staff and board members of grant making institutions. The active involvement of our members helps us in our work to create a vibrant, healthy food system.

3.1 Criteria

SAFSF acknowledges the following categories of funders eligible for membership: government, individuals, private, corporate, community and non-profit intermediaries or regranting organizations. We welcome as members those organizations and individuals that:

• Function primarily as grant makers not grant seekers. (It is acknowledged that several current members are operating foundations that also raise funds to support their grant making programs.)
• Grant to sustainable agriculture and food systems projects and programs and related efforts. Related efforts might include, among other things, land preservation, pesticide use reduction, or farm worker support.
• Share SAFSF's goal of increasing funding for sustainable agriculture and food system organizations.
• Share a commitment to the network's mission and values.
• Show an interest in enhancing the reputation of, and expanding opportunities for, SAFSF.
• Support relationship-building, knowledge-sharing and collaborative enterprise within the organization's framework.

Please note: SAFSF reserves the right to deny membership or remove a member if an applicant's 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, member or affiliated organization would raise such concern. The decision to deny membership or remove a member from SAFSF shall be made in accordance with the procedures described in protocols 3.3 and 3.4.

3.2 Membership Fees

Recommended levels of support are assessed based on total grant making for sustainable agriculture and food system programs and initiatives in the last full fiscal year of each member organization. Fees may be paid in annual dues, as an annual grant and/or as special support for particular activities. 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 (Approved December 2006, reaffirmed January 2009):

*Please note for small funders, the annual dues will be determined through consultation with the SAFSF coordinator and the Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee.

3.3 Application Process

All grant makers interested in SAFSF membership are asked to complete a membership application. The information provided therein helps SAFSF to build and maintain an accurate snapshot and understanding of the breadth and depth of our members' work. The information is intended to facilitate our ability to provide members with links to one another based on real data. Information about members' funding practices and interests is not released to the public.

Those interested are encouraged to contact staff for a preliminary conversation and to receive the formal application form. Information requested includes:

• Reason for Joining: (a check list which includes: networking, learn more about the field, connections to other issues, contribute to the learning and explore potential funding collaborations.)
• Annual Report: (if one is published) hard copy or URL for link to website
• Grant Guidelines: a copy of organization's grant guidelines and/or a statement outlining the organization's goals. A URL link to where the guidelines can be found on the organizational website is sufficient.
• Recent Grants: a listing of the organizations most recent 2-3 years of grants relevant to sustainable agriculture or food systems. Again, a link to URL listing is sufficient.

All applications are pre-screened by the SAFSF Coordinator, and then reviewed by the Membership Committee. A recommendation for membership is then submitted to the Steering Committee for final approval. SAFSF reserves the right to request additional information from applicants.

An applicant for SAFSF membership may be denied membership if the Steering Committee, in its sole discretion, determines that the applicant's actions reflect poorly on the field and might harm the reputation of SAFSF. Such a decision will be made in good faith utilizing the consensus and voting procedures described in protocol 5.1. Written notice of the Steering Committee's action to approve or deny membership will be promptly provided to an applicant at the address provided in the application.

3.4 Removal from Membership

A member may be removed from SAFSF membership, if the Steering Committee, in its sole discretion, determines that the member's actions reflect poorly on the field and might harm the reputation of SAFSF. Such a decision will be made in good faith utilizing the consensus and voting procedures described in protocol 5.1.

Notice of the Steering Committee's action to remove a member, including a statement of the reason for removal, will be delivered at least fifteen days before the removal is to become effective by email to the most recent email address provided by said member to the Coordinator. The member will also be notified of the opportunity to be heard orally or in writing by the Steering Committee not less than five days before the effective date of the removal.

Any annual membership fees paid by a removed member will be pro-rated to reflect the number of weeks of membership before the effective date of removal, with the remainder to be returned minus a 20% administration fee.

4.0 SAFSF Governance

The Steering Committee is the primary governance structure for SAFSF. The SAFSF Steering Committee may have up to eleven (11) members. The Steering Committee will be responsible for SAFSF's programming, finances, staff supervision and general operation. This leadership body will be comprised of committed grant makers seeking to develop SAFSF into a stronger and more influential organization and to fulfill its mission. It will be a diverse group of stakeholders representing broadly the interests, organizations and institutions active in the field. Membership will represent grant makers of varying size, geographic distribution and constituency and areas of interest.

4.1 Steering Committee Eligibility

• Committee members must devote time, energy and resources to furthering SAFSF's mission and values of developing sustainable food and agriculture systems.
• Committee members must be trustees, executives, individual donors or experienced program officers of a grant making organization working in the field.
• Committee members must represent an organization that has been affiliated with SAFSF for at least two years.
• Desirable candidates will have experience on other boards, a working knowledge of food system issues and both the resources and the willingness to fundraise in support of SAFSF's activities.
• Committee members may be chosen based on personal characteristics that are judged to benefit the organization.

4.2 Steering Committee Operation

• Although the number of board members may vary, the membership total is designed to allow for effective governance.
• Terms of service are for three years. Steering committee members may serve up to two consecutive terms.
• Under normal circumstances, members are expected to pay for their own travel and accommodations for Steering Committee meetings and events.

4.3 Recruitment and Selection of Steering Committee Members

All SAFSF members are encouraged to take an active interest and to participate in the leadership of the organization.

The Steering Committee as a whole serves as a nominating committee for incoming members. The co-chairs will contact the candidate and indicate the Committee's interest in having the person serve and provide information about responsibilities and start and end date of term of service.

Otherwise, the co-chairs in consultation with the coordinator and full Steering Committee will identify a short list of potential new members. Recruiters will be selected to approach candidates with an agreed upon sequence of who is asked first, second, etc. Any member of the Steering Committee or the coordinator may be designated as a recruiter.

New Steering Committee members will be ratified at the annual meeting, with their terms beginning officially on either January 1 or July 1 of a given year.

4.4 Steering Committee Co-Chairs.

The Steering Committee will have co-chairs serving rotating terms of two years. A new co-chair will be selected by the Steering Committee prior to the end of the calendar year. Responsibilities include:

• Provide leadership to the Steering Committee and membership.
• Serve as the immediate support of the SAFSF Coordinator in terms of executing the work plan, budget and advising on policy matters.
• Coordinate an annual performance review of the SAFSF Coordinator in concert with the steering committee and Community Partners.
• Chair all meetings of the SAFSF steering committee in tandem with SAFSF Coordinator.
• Serve as public spokespersons at SAFSF events and meetings in tandem with SAFSF Coordinator.

5.0 Decision-making

The primary decision-making body, as noted above, for SAFSF membership, protocols, strategy and work plans is the Steering Committee. The SAFSF Coordinator is accountable to the Steering Committee for executing strategy, work plans, and other direction. SAFSF's Steering Committee will make decisions by consensus.

The SAFSF does not intend nor will replace, substitute for or supplant the individual decision-making authorities and processes of each participating organization. It is recognized that members will and may pursue activities, strategies and tactics outside of SAFSF activities on issues related to sustainable agriculture and food systems.

5.1 Definition of Consensus

The Steering Committee will operate by consensus. Granting “consent” means that each Committee member can live with the decision and support its implementation. Consensus also means that the process of decision-making will be inclusive, transparent, reasoned and strive to accommodate the interests of all.

Along with the right to offer consent or express dissent as a member comes the responsibility of making clear the reasons for dissent and making every effort to offer an alternative proposal satisfactory to other participants. Members should remain in the conversation during deliberations to hear the full discussions in order to make informed judgments when decision-making occurs.

Members may also choose to:

• Abstain from that particular decision;
• Not to consent on a decision but to stand aside without offering dissent; or
• Register their disagreement but, in the spirit of the larger collaboration and progress, agree not to stand in the way.

In order to ensure that SAFSF can act in a timely manner, a member's absence will be equivalent to abstaining in a decision unless the absence is noted beforehand to the coordinator and a particular decision is asked to be deferred.

To ensure transparency, the Steering Committee will strive to make decisions only on issues included and noticed in meeting agendas distributed ahead of meetings and decision-making calls.

If consensus cannot be reached, all participants will seek in good faith to find alternatives that satisfy the greatest number of participants and interests possible. As a rule, formal votes will not be taken except where an impasse exists. In such cases, the Steering Committee will use a simple majority vote, with each Steering Committee member having one vote, in order to move SAFSF forward, except in the case that the decision is to exclude an applicant or current member. In the case of a decision to exclude an applicant or member, the Steering Committee will use a two-thirds (supermajority) vote should they not be able to reach consensus on the decision before them.

5.2 Record of Decisions

Decisions will be recorded in one or more formats.

• In the meeting or call summaries, preferably at the beginning of such summaries in a separate section entitled “Decisions Reached.”
• In formal resolutions that are written and dated with the names of members consenting duly noted.
• In final documents such as protocols, work plans and budgets, with the approval date noted.

5.3 Consultation with Broader Membership

For those members who are not part of the Steering Committee, significant changes or additions to policies, strategies, protocols, financing and other important matters will be shared with all members by the Steering Committee prior to final decision-making. The Steering Committee will generate drafts of key documents or decisions and circulate those to all members for comment with a date certain for return. Those comments will be organized and summarized by the Coordinator to the Steering Committee in writing prior to making any final decision.

6.0 Coordinator

The SAFSF Coordinator is accountable to the Steering Committee. The Coordinator is responsible for:

• Providing information to the funder network via the SAFSF listserv, website and other means;
• Encouraging and facilitating funder collaboration, including with other funder affinity groups;
• Serving to facilitate efforts to provide strategic information to funders regarding how to build and strengthen NGO efforts and leadership on sustainable agriculture and food systems issues
• Planning and facilitating meetings and conference calls;
• Coordinating outreach activities for members and non-members;
• Fundraising and grant reporting; and
• Reporting to and working with the Steering Committee.

7.0 Means of Communication

In order to ensure effective and on-going communication, the Coordinator will arrange for and maintain the following:

• E-mail distribution lists of members, interested others and affinity group participants;
• Shared calendar of events, workshops and meetings;
• Meeting summaries and action items; and
• SAFSF website (as clearinghouse for information).

Meeting summaries of decisions, action items, next steps or listing of key issues will be prepared for each conference call or meeting. The meeting summary will be distributed in draft form to those in attendance for review and approval. Meeting summaries will generally not attribute statements by individuals or organizations. In order to encourage open, frank and informal dialogue, meetings will not be tape-recorded or videotaped. Notice of calls and meetings will be made by notifying participants via email.

8.0 Dispute Resolution

In the highly unlikely event that a critical issue or issues cannot be resolved by the Steering Committee and that an impasse substantially threatens the work and membership of the SAFSF, the Steering Committee will:

• Identify and clarify the issue or issues at impasse;
• Seek an agreed upon, independent, external party to assist the Steering Committee in overcoming the impasse. That party may be a highly trusted and respected retired individual, an individual held in high esteem by members and/or a professional mediator.
• Participate in a dispute resolution process, within an established time frame, with the external party noted above, in a good faith in an effort to bridge differences and overcome the impasse.