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Surplus Food Donation Equipment Grants

Nonprofit The Crucible rescues surplus edible food.

The Surplus Food Donation Equipment Grants provide funding to support the recovery or donation or surplus edible food that would otherwise go to waste, thereby increasing capacity for businesses to donate food and/or organizations to receive more food, safely transport, and distribute food for donation. 

The goals are to:  

  • Prevent surplus food from being generated
  • Put food to its highest and best use by feeding people  
  • Increase food donated or recovered 
  • Safely recover, transport and distribute surplus edible food  
  • Send less edible surplus food to compost or disposal  

The purpose of this grant category is to help build the capacity of food recovery organizations and services to increase the safe recovery of edible surplus food generated by grocers, supermarkets, wholesale food vendors, contract food service providers, food distributors, and other food businesses in Alameda County, and redistribute edible surplus food to feed people through food donation.Funding is available for non-profit organizations such as food pantries, food banks, community or faith-based organizations, and food recovery services.   

Who can apply 

This grant category is available to nonprofits; businesses are not eligible.  

Projects must:  

•    Be located in Alameda County.
•    Prevent and/or recover surplus edible food generated or disposed of in Alameda County.

Eligible projects 

  • Projects must reduce food waste generated or disposed of in Alameda County.
  • Cold storage equipment purchased to increase acceptance of perishable foods and minimize food loss must be energy star rated or energy efficient as defined by the California Department of Energy. Download our Food Donation Cold Storage Refrigeration Specification Guide. 
  • Projects that compost or recycle food are not eligible for funding.

Funding amounts 

Maximum grant request is $10,000.

The 2023 grant application window is now closed.

Submissions were due on March 3, 2023

Grantees Announced: May 18, 2023

Grantee Highlight

 

Bay Area Community Health

Serving patients in southern Alameda and Santa Clara counties, BACH provides health care and education to their community, prioritizing the social and nutritional needs of their patients. They also partner to distribute rescued fresh produce from farmers' markets to patients. An equipment grant allowed them to purchase a refrigerator and reusable crates for storage and delivery. 

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