Global Innovation Challenge: Food Insecurity – Mar 22

Posted by Citi Foundation on March 7, 2023

Citi Foundation invites applications for Global Innovation Challenge

The Citi Foundation has announced the inaugural Global Innovation Challenge to help scale the impact of worldwide nonprofits developing innovative solutions to improve food security.

Through the challenge, a collective $25 million will be awarded to 50 organizations working to pilot or expand ideas and projects designed to improve food security and strengthen the financial health of low-income families and communities.

Grants of $500,000 over two years will be awarded to support projects in the following four areas:

Access: Efforts that increase access to affordable and healthy food in low-income communities.

Affordability: Efforts to improve food affordability through community finance efforts that help reduce the financial burden placed on low-income communities.

Availability: Projects to address challenges in the food supply chain that lead to positive community benefits, such as creating new jobs and businesses.

Resilience: Projects to increase the available resources that enable low-income communities to prepare for and respond to disruptions in food security during crises more effectively.

Grants are meant to be catalytic, supporting the piloting or expanding ideas and projects in food security. In addition, the Citi Foundation will offer post-funding support by connecting grantees to Citi subject matter experts and employee volunteers and hosting learning opportunities to promote shared lessons and best practices on food security. Proposed programs must align with the foundation’s mission of supporting low-income communities as defined by local standards and definitions. The applicant’s proposed program covers one or more of the target geographies.

Applicants must be tax-exempt as defined by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to be eligible. They must be able to submit at least one year of externally audited financial statements covering all or part of the calendar year 2021.

A registration form is due March 22, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. ET.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Citi Foundation website.

Deadline: March 22, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. ET (Registration form)