SAFSF Policy Staff on the Move in Washington, D.C.
Last week, Traci Bruckner, SAFSF, senior director, public policy, and Maggie Mascarenhas, SAFSF, public policy associate were in D.C. for Foundations on the Hill (FOTH) and Environmental Grantmakers Association’s (EGA) 2023 Federal Policy Briefing. Left to right: Ansje Miller, HEFN Executive Director, Kalila Booker-Cassano, HEFN Director of Programs, Traci Bruckner, SAFSF Senior Director of Public Policy, Maggie Mascarenhas, SAFSF Public Policy Associate, Ann Mills, Agua Fund Executive Director. During FOTH, they took the opportunity to schedule meetings with several Senate Agriculture Committee member offices, as well as Senate Agriculture Committee professional staff, and share SAFSF 2023 Farm Bill Principles and…
February 2023 Policy Connection
The Policy Connection is a regular digital publication for SAFSF members, providing insights into key policy issues for sustainable agriculture and food systems. Blog post will now be embedded within the recurring publication to provide space for deeper sharing of news and resources. Congressional News Nutrition Programs in the 2023 Farm Bill Stacy Dean, Deputy Under Secretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, and Cindy Long, USDA Food and Nutrition Service Administrator, took the witness stand at the Senate’s 5th hearing on programs in the 2023 Farm Bill. The conversation focused largely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), both in…
February Picks of the Month
Monthly in our News & Resouces funder newsletter one staff shares a few media pieces that they have been reading, watching, or listening to. February featured “picks” from Holly Enowski, Events and Administrative Associate. The 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge from Food Solutions New England—I learn something different each year participating in this online challenge and think it’s a value-add at an individual, organization, and food system-wide level. For 21 days, participants receive morning daily email prompts, resources, and activities geared toward building racial equity in our food system. Highly recommend! Raw Deal by Chloe Sorvino—I just started this book and…
Call for 2023 Board Nominations
Hi everyone! I’m Jen Zuckerman, chair of the SAFSF Nominating Committee. I’m reaching out to invite you to nominate either yourself or another member for one of four open Director positions on the SAFSF Board. As you know, SAFSF is an ever-evolving organization. We are seeking Board leadership that understands where we’ve been, who we are, and seeks to grow into who we hope to become in the next decade. I’ve had the amazing experience of serving on both the SAFSF Steering Committee and on the Board of Directors for the past seven years. This experience has offered me the…
January 2023 Policy Connection
The Policy Connection is a regular digital publication for SAFSF members, providing insights into key policy issues for sustainable agriculture and food systems. Blog post will now be embedded within the recurring publication to provide space for deeper sharing of news and resources. Congressional News Republican Members of the House Agriculture Committee Confirmed House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson (R-PA) announced the Republican members that will sit on his committee, as recommended by the House Republican Steering Committee. Rep. David Scott (D-GA) will serve as ranking member on the committee but the Democrats have not yet announced their party’s committee…
2022 Network Update
The SAFSF Network Update call held on August 17, 2022 allowed us to share data points from across our member network. We compared data from new and renewing members across a 6-year period, which shows that our members’ funding has grown by 69% since 2017. In 2022, our 102 members collectively project making grants and investments of more than $221,317,000 to food systems and sustainable agriculture-related work. We were pleased to learn that 40% of members anticipate giving $1 million or more in 2022, compared to only 28% in 2017. Members represent many types of funding organizations. Private foundations make…
49 Signatories to White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health Letter
Dear Mr. President, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders and Grantmakers In Health, along with, The Funders Network, Grantmakers for Education, Native Americans in Philanthropy, and the 49 other philanthropic signatories of this letter, commend the Biden-Harris Administration for convening the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health—the first convening of its kind in over 50 years. Our organizations serve and support hundreds of philanthropic organizations dedicated to bettering the nation and achieving equity for all communities, including rural and Native communities, and we firmly believe that this conference is an important opportunity to address nutrition security and its…
White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health Sign-on Letter
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF) and Grantmakers In Health (GIH) have been working with White House staff to engage philanthropy in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. As part of these efforts, our organizations have drafted a sign-on letter (included below) that expresses support for the conference and its goals; provides input on areas that we feel are missing from the conference’s five pillars; and affirms philanthropy’s commitment to working with the White House throughout the process and afterward. SAFSF and GIH collaborated with partners and members from both of our organizations to develop this letter. Foundations,…
“Digging In”: SAFSF Film Series Trailer
One Forum moment was unlike any other from past convenings: the debut of the trailer for the upcoming SAFSF short film series “Digging In” which will explore the issues of concentration and consolidation, land access, and climate change. The film project is underwritten by the Vatheuer Family Foundation and produced by Nathan.Works, a Kansas City-based documentary film and digital communications firm. Join series narrator Masika Henson as she introduces the journey we’ll take to learn more about these three critical issues and some of the promising solutions. Enjoy the trailer and stay tuned for the debut of the complete films later this year!…
Job Announcement: Finance Associate
Application Deadline: July 10, 2022, 11:59 pm PT Apply Online Position Summary The ideal candidate will be excited to join a small, growing organization where they can express and utilize their talents in a finance-focused role. The work requires handling highly sensitive and confidential information. This is a new position for SAFSF, the first solely focused on financial functions, and will be the third member of our small but mighty operations team. The operations team prides itself in being detail-oriented, data-loving, and energized by knowing that they are contributing to the collective success of a dynamic non-profit organization. The Finance…
