Other grant opportunities
These grants, which are outside the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub, could help support your work. Check back for updates!
Salad Bar Grant
The Chef Ann Foundation Salad Bars to Schools grant provides schools with salad bars, giving kids daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The grant includes all necessary equipment, such as the salad bar, chill pads, pans and tongs, along with training modules. Eligible applicants include school districts and K–12 schools, with $4,560 available per grantee. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
No Kid Hungry Grant
The No Kid Hungry Grant, offered by Share Our Strength, provides funding to support programs that aim to increase access to nutritious meals for children, including school meal initiatives. This funding can assist organizations in acquiring resources such as refrigerators, delivery trucks and other necessary equipment. Eligible applicants include schools, nonprofits and community organizations. Grants typically range from $5,000 to $50,000 per recipient, with $18 million having been allocated for the program in 2024. The application process is annual and typically opens in the spring or early summer.
KidsGardening Grant Opportunities
KidsGardening offers a variety of grants to new and existing youth garden programs across the nation. These funding opportunities range from $500 to $20,000 per grantee, aimed at transforming vacant lots into gardens, enhancing existing gardens, supporting school and youth educational garden projects, expanding the collection of gardening supplies, and more. Each grant has its own timeline, defining features, eligibility requirements, and reporting expectations. Interested applicants should sign up through the website for email notifications when applications open again and to learn more about the variety of grants available.
Healthy School Food Pathway: Fellowship Program
The Chef Ann Foundation’s Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship is a 13-month apprenticeship designed for mid- to upper-level school food professionals. The program provides virtual and in-person learning to advance scratch cooking, school food leadership and advocacy for healthier school meals. Fellows receive $5,000 in funding, engage in coursework, attend five in-person training sessions and complete a capstone project. The program is open to school food operators under the National School Lunch Program. The application process is annual and typically opens in the summer.
The Lunch Box Bulk Milk Grant
The Chef Ann Foundation’s Lunch Box Bulk Milk Grant offers funding to help schools transition from serving milk in single-serve containers to bulk dispensers and reusable cups. The grant package includes bulk milk dispensers, reusable cups and technical assistance. This program is available to K–12 school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program. The funding is valued at $5,000 per grantee. Interested applicants should sign up through the website for email notifications when applications open again.
Get Schools Cooking Program
The Chef Ann Foundation’s Get Schools Cooking program provides K–12 school districts with technical support and system improvement grants to transition to healthier, scratch-cooked meals. The program helps districts assess their current practices, create strategic plans and implement improvements such as installing salad bars, using local ingredients and introducing scratch-cooked recipes. Funding up to $150,000 is available over three years, along with access to workshops, online courses, on-site assessments and ongoing technical assistance. The program is open to self-operated meal programs in districts participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. The application process is annual and typically opens in the fall.
School Nutrition Equipment Grants
The School Nutrition Association’s School Nutrition Equipment Grants provide funding to help school districts purchase equipment that improves their nutrition programs. Eligible applicants, who must be current director-level members of the School Nutrition Association (SNA), can use the grants to address district-wide equipment needs. The funding covers a range of kitchen equipment such as holding cabinets, food warmers and other essential tools for enhancing food service operations. Grants are providing over $600,000 total in equipment funding. The application process is annual and typically opens in the late winter to early spring.