Right now, across Seattle, something powerful is happening in kitchens, community centers, and gardens you won’t find on a map. Neighbors are building networks of care that make sure no one has to wonder where their next meal is coming from. This is what a just and vibrant food system looks like, not as an idea, but as something shared and protected by community every day.
Community-based organizations addressing food access, education, and security in Seattle are encouraged to apply for the City of Seattle’s Food Equity Starter Fund. The Starter Fund invests in community organizations with an annual budget of less than $500,000 who are typically smaller, grassroots groups advancing an equitable and sustainable local food system with limited access to institutional funding.
Projects supported by the Starter Fund prioritize community-led work that ensures access to healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant food, especially in historically underserved neighborhoods. By ‘food system’ we mean activities related to food which can include growing, cooking, or distributing food, food and health education, or food waste management.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until July 31, 2026, or until funding runs out. In 2026 approximately $300,000 is available for the Starter Fund. For information on available funding, please reach out to the foodequityfund@seattle.gov.
Eligible proposals must:
- have project activities that occur within Seattle city limits.
- be accessible and benefit people who live, learn, work, and/or worship in Seattle.
- focus on contributing to an equitable and sustainable regional food system.
- be completed within 24 months of contracting.
How to Apply
The Food Equity Starter Fund application and supporting materials can be accessed on the Food Equity Fund website. When complete, please email application and relevant attachments to foodequityfund@seattle.gov with the subject line: FINAL SUBMISSION_YOUR ORG NAME.
In-language support
We are currently only accepting applications in written English. However, if you want one-on-one support in a language other than English, we can set up a virtual meeting with an interpreter at no cost to you. Please email foodequityfund@seattle.gov or call us at 206-727-3663 to request an interpreter.
Join a virtual information session
Attendees can listen to a short presentation about the application process and ask questions. Live interpretation is available with one week notice. Register for an information session here.
Tuesday, April 21, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Join online: Starter Fund Info Session #1
Join by phone: (206) 207-1700, Access Code: 2484 730 9661 PW: 2026
Wednesday, May 20 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Join online: Starter Fund Info Session #2
Join by phone: (206) 207-1700, Access code: 2489 973 2997 PW: 2026
Thursday, July 11, 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Join online: Starter Fund Info Session #3
Join by phone: (206) 207-1700, Access code: 2492 716 6822 PW: 2026
About the Food Equity Fund
Created in 2021, the Food Equity Fund supports work led by those who experience the most food and health inequities: Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), immigrants, refugees, people with low incomes, youth, and/or elders.
Funding is provided by revenue from Seattle’s Sweetened Beverage Tax. In 2026, approximately $2.2 million will be contracted to support community-led projects through the Food Equity Fund Programs.
