Durham County Food Security Grants Program Fall 2026

Fall 2026 Food Security Grants Program
General Information

Durham County announces a funding opportunity for community food security projects. Through the Durham County Food Security Grant program, funding is available to organizations that are working to improve food security for Durham County residents.

The USDA defines food security as “access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.” In Durham, 14% of residents are food insecure (Feeding America, 2026). The most recent Durham Community Health Assessment showed that 12% of those surveyed had skipped or reduced the size of meals in the previous 12 months due to lack of money for food. Although many programs support food access in Durham, food insecurity remains a significant challenge.

This grant opportunity is designed to strengthen or expand community-based programs that improve food security for Durham residents. Nonprofit organizations are invited to submit proposals that increase food access and/or address the causes of food insecurity.

A total of $250,000 is available. Grants will range from $20,000 to $50,000, and we anticipate awarding 5–10 organizations. The project period is 12 months. Awards will be announced in December 2026, with grant agreements executed by the end of January 2026.

Projects may use a wide range of strategies, including but not limited to:

• Providing direct food assistance
• Helping residents access nutrition programs
• Building organizational capacity
• Improving coordination between service providers
• Offering training in growing, preparing, or sourcing food

Examples of funding uses

Here are several examples of types of project activities for this funding:
- Expanding access to nutritious foods by offering community-based distribution shaped by participant preferences, dietary needs, and accessibility requirements.
- Providing food and nutrition education through cooking classes, workshops, or hands-on activities that build skills and confidence.
- Developing or expanding community gardens that grow fresh produce and offer shared spaces for learning and connection.
- Strengthening organizational capacity to meet food needs, such as improving volunteer systems, enhancing storage or transportation, or forming new partnerships.
- Centering community leadership by involving residents in designing, leading, and guiding project activities through advisory roles, shared decision-making, or participant led programming.
Eligibility

Applicants must be:
1. A nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status or an organization fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3).
2. Conducting work that takes place in and benefits communities within Durham County.
3. Working to improve food security for households in Durham; applications must clearly describe how the proposed work improves food security.
4. Not currently receiving Durham Couty Food Security Grant funding. Recipients of the spring 2026 Durham County Food Security Grant awards are not eligible for this round of funding.
Preference will be given to:
1. Organizations that are located in or deeply connected to the communities they plan to serve.
2. Projects that demonstrate shared decision-making with the community they propose serving, especially people who are most directly affected by food insecurity.
3. Projects that include collaborations/partnerships with other local organizations.
4. Projects that combine longer term food system changes in their own organization while addressing short term food access needs.
5. Projects that expand food access for residents who face additional barriers (e.g., disabled or older adults with transportation challenges; families whose income is just above SNAP/WIC eligibility; communities in census tracts with higher levels of poverty).
Expenses

Allowable Expenses:
- Food (no more than 60% of project budget).
- Grocery gift cards are allowable only as part of a larger project (such as participation incentives or supplements to food distribution) and may not be the primary method of food distribution. Organizations must describe how gift cards will be distributed and tracked, and this process must be reviewed and approved by the County.
- Materials and supplies (e.g., bags, waxed boxes, cleaning products).
- Equipment (e.g., cold storage, freezer, shelving, hand truck, cart, tables).
- Compensation or stipends for employees and/or volunteers.
- Transportation (e.g., mileage reimbursement, gas cards) for staff or volunteers to complete project activities such as delivering food.
- Technological resources (e.g., hotspot).
- Staff time and expenses for reflection, strategic planning, and staff development.
- General operating support such as utility, overhead, rent, etc. (up to 20% of the total proposed budget).
- Sub-granting to up to two key project partners; a lead organization that also serves as the fiscal agent and takes on the responsibility for reporting must be identified, and partner roles must be clearly described.
Unallowable Expenses (the list does below is representative and does NOT represent all unallowable expenses):
- More than 10% of budget on overhead to a fiscal sponsor.
- Administering a grant program or re-granting funds beyond approved key partners.
- Lobbying.
Application
Applications must be submitted on this electronic form by the deadline - Monday, October 26 at 12pm noon. Late submissions will not be accepted.

All sections of the application must be complete:

Section 1 - Organizational Information

Section 2 – Program Proposal

Section 3 – Reporting Requirements

Section 4 – Project Budget
- Name of Organization
- Physical Address
  
  Street Address
  
  Street Address Line 2
  
  CityState / Province
  
  Postal / Zip Code
- Mailing Address Same as Physical Address?
- Mailing Address
  
  Street Address
  
  Street Address Line 2
  
  CityState / Province
  
  Postal / Zip Code
- Name of Applicant
  
  First NameLast Name
- Applicant Email Address
  example@example.com
- Phone Number
  Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
- 1.1 Attach a scanned copy of your most recent Form 990. If you are not required to file a Form 990, attach your 501(c)(3) determination letter. Please scan the document using a scanner or phone—do not use a photo, as these are often unclear.
  
  Cancelof
- 1.2 Describe how your organization’s mission and work align with the goals of this opportunity to improve food security for Durham County residents. Include your mission statement if you have one.
  
  0/200
- 1.3 Describe how your organization practices community-led work. Share specific examples of how the communities you serve participate in leadership, decision‑ making, and accountability within your organization. If relevant, include how staff, volunteers, or board members are part of the community.
  
  0/200
- 1.4 What specific food security or food access challenges do the individuals and families your organization serve face, and how do you know these are community priorities?
  
  0/200
- Describe the Project for Which You Are Requesting Funding
- Describe your project in Questions 2.1–2.7 below. These questions ask you to share details of your project including the goal, project activities and timeline, target population and reach, partnerships, and sustainability.
  
  Reminder - Grant awards will range between $20,000 - $50,000 and the project period is 12 months.
- 2.1 What is the primary goal of the project?
  
  0/75
- 2.2 Provide a brief overview of your project plan, including key activities and an estimated timeline.
  
  0/100
- 2.3 How has your organization successfully used the approach described above? If this approach is new, explain the experience or research that informed your decision to use it.
  
  0/75
- The following two questions, 2.4 and 2.5, ask about target population and reach. Please note that project eligibility criteria must be neutral and cannot be based on protected characteristics such as race, national origin, religion, or gender. Populations should be identified using clear, measurable indicators of need, such as income levels, local poverty data, or higher food insecurity rates in specific neighborhoods or census tracts.
- 2.4 Describe the high-need group your project will serve and how you selected this target population. How many people and/or households you expect to serve?
  
  0/75
- 2.5 How will this project improve food security for the target population and what service gap or need does it address?
  
  0/75
- 2.6 What community partners will be involved in this project and what will their roles be?
  
  0/100
- 2.7 Which elements of the project, if any, could continue beyond this one-time funding.
  
  0/100
- Organizations awarded funding must submit midpoint and final reports that include both programmatic and financial updates.
  
  You will be asked to report:
  • Number of households served, broken down by ZIP code
  • Key indicators of project impact
  • Partnerships developed or strengthened
  • A financial summary comparing actual spending to the proposed budget
  
  Please answer the following questions to help us understand your organization’s capacity to manage the grant and meet these reporting requirements.
- 3.1 How will you collect data on the number of households you serve, including by ZIP Code?
  
  0/75
- 3.2 What do you see as 1-2 key indicators of your project's impact? Please choose from the list below and / or select Other to describe a different indicator.
  
  Other
- 3.3 Do you anticipate any challenges in collecting or reporting this required data? If yes, please describe them.
- Challenges in collecting or reporting this required data
  
  0/75
- 3.4 At least one capacity-building workshop will be conducted to support awarded organizations. What content areas would be most helpful to your organization?
  
  Other
- Budget Worksheet - Instructions
  
  Please complete the budget worksheet by filling in each category for which you are requesting funding. Your total budget should be between $20,000-$50,000. The online form will automatically calculate the total by adding each budget category.
  
  For every category you use, include:
  - the amount you are requesting, and
  - a brief justification explaining what the cost covers, why it is necessary for your project, and how you calculated the amount.
  You do not need to complete every category, only include the ones that are relevant to your proposed project.
  
  Example Budget Entries
  
  Food
  Amount Requested: $2,500
  
  Budget Justification: $2,500 total = $500 per distribution × 5 distribution events
  Funds will be used to purchase food for five weekly distribution events serving 100 families each. The cost was calculated using our average current cost of $3.50 per family, plus an additional $1.50 per family to include new fresh produce items. Produce pricing was estimated using current costs from a local grocery store.
  
  Program Supplies & Equipment
  Amount Requested: $1,200
  
  Budget Justification: Funds will be used to purchase essential supplies for operating the community garden, including seeds, soil, hand tools, and irrigation materials. Costs were calculated using current pricing from a local hardware store and estimates based on last season’s supply usage. These materials are needed to maintain garden beds, support volunteer workdays, and ensure consistent produce production for distribution
  
  Budget Category Descriptions (please refer to grant application for more details on allowable and unallowable expenses)
  - Food: Food purchased to be distributed for this project – no more than 60% of project budget.
  - Grocery gift cards: Grocery gift cards are allowable only as part of a larger project (such as participation incentives or supplements to food distribution) and may not be the primary method of food distribution. Organizations must describe how gift cards will be distributed and tracked, and this process must be reviewed and approved by the County.
  - Participant Access Supports: Non-food supports that help participants join or engage in the program (transportation, childcare, interpretation, participation related tech like hotspots).
  - Staff and volunteer costs: Compensation, stipends and/or training expenses for employees or volunteers. Meal costs and mileage reimbursement for staff/volunteer training should be included here.
  - Program Supplies & Equipment: Items the organization uses to run the program (coolers, shelving, staff tech, signage, etc.)
  - General operating costs: General operating support (e.g., utility, overhead, rent, etc.) is allowable but cannot be more than 20% of the total proposed grant budget.
  - Other: Any allowable expense that doesn’t fall into one of the defined categories.
- 4.1 Food
- Amount Requested $
  Round to nearest dollar. Put 0 if there is no amount requested.
- Budget Justification
  
  (required if requesting this budget category)0/75
- 4.2 Grocery Gift Cards
- Amount Requested $
  Round to nearest dollar. Put 0 if there is no amount requested.
- Budget Justification
  
  (required if requesting this budget category)0/75
- 4.3 Participant Access Supports
- Amount Requested $
  Round to nearest dollar. Put 0 if there is no amount requested.
- Budget Justification
  
  (required if requesting this budget category)0/75
- 4.4 Staff and Volunteer Costs
- Amount Requested $
  Round to nearest dollar. Put 0 if there is no amount requested.
- Budget Justification
  
  (required if requesting this budget category)0/75
- 4.5 Program Supplies and Equipment
- Amount Requested $
  Round to nearest dollar. Put 0 if there is no amount requested.
- Budget Justification
  
  (required if requesting this budget category)0/75
- 4.6 General Operating Costs
- Amount Requested $
  Round to nearest dollar. Put 0 if there is no amount requested.
- Budget Justification
  
  (required if requesting this budget category)0/75
- 4.7 Other
- Amount Requested $
  Round to nearest dollar. Put 0 if there is no amount requested.
- Budget Justification
  
  (required if requesting this budget category)0/75
- Total Budget Requested $
- Use Save to return later and complete the form. Submit only once all sections are complete.
Should be Empty:

Fall 2026 Food Security Grants Program

Application

Describe the Project for Which You Are Requesting Funding

4.1 Food

4.2 Grocery Gift Cards

4.3 Participant Access Supports

4.4 Staff and Volunteer Costs

4.5 Program Supplies and Equipment

4.6 General Operating Costs

4.7 Other

Use Save to return later and complete the form. Submit only once all sections are complete.