Nourishing Neighbors Opportunity: O Organics Fight Hunger Serve Hope Grant

We are pleased to invite eligible organizations for the O Organics Fight Hunger. Serve Hope. Grant 

Nourishing Neighbors, a program of Albertsons Companies Foundation, is committed to ensuring everyone has access to nourishing food year-round. We have set a bold new goal: to enable 1.5 billion meals and invest $10 million annually to break the cycle of hunger by 2030.

This grant is generously funded by O Organics, part of Albertsons Companies’ Own Brands portfolio, to support organizations that are actively working to reduce food insecurity for low-income individuals, including children, families, women, and seniors.

We are seeking proposals for programs that increase access to meals and/or boost participation in federal nutrition programs, such as school meals, Summer EBT etc.

Scope of the Grant

Funding will support programs including, but not limited to:

• Summer Meals: Providing free, nutritious meals and snacks to children and teens 18 and under during the summer months.
• After School Meals: Ensuring children receive free, nutrition meals during the school year, after regular school hours.
• Capacity Building: Training, technical assistance, and outreach to help organizations start or expand meal programs.
• Connecting People to Summer EBT: Programs that help eligible families access and use Summer EBT, conduct outreach, and assist with enrollment.
• Food Distribution: Support programs that help provide food to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the grant, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or a K-12 school.
• Organizations must operate within counties where Albertsons Companies stores are located (please refer to the attached store list)

Application Process & Timeline

• Application Link: Here is the link to the application:  https://ahungeris.versaic.com/login [PLEASE NOTE- the link to apply for this grant is separate from other Nourishing Neighbors grants. Please make sure that you fill out the right application.]
• Application Deadline: Friday, May 2nd, 2025. 
• Grant Announcements: June 2025.
• Funding Disbursement: By the third week of June 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Below, we have addressed some common questions. If you have additional questions, please email me rather than requesting a call, as we are managing a high volume of applications.

1. Can we apply for this grant if we are also applying for the Innovation Spark Grant?

A: Yes! This is a separate opportunity, and you are welcome to apply for multiple grants.

1. What is the grant duration?

A: The funding period is one year from the date funds are received.

Q: What is the typical grant amount?

A: Award amounts will vary based on the scope of your program. While there is no minimum or maximum, most grants range between $5,000 - $25,000.

Q: What reporting requirements will there be if we receive funding?

A: There will be no formal reporting required for this grant. However, we love stories! If you have any impact stories to share please share them our way!

Q: We are working state-wide, and our work encompasses all schools in our state. Which areas do I select?

A: If your organization is working in all areas in a state, please select all stores in that state where there are individuals that will benefit from your work.

Q: How do I define my area?

A: Your area is the geographic area where the people you serve live. To determine if a store is encompassed by your work, we typically use a 5-mile reach outside of our stores. However, we recognize that this distance doesn’t make sense in some rural areas. Here’s how we think about it: If your project is working with people who have our stores in their consideration set for where to shop, we would consider you working in our neighborhood.

Q: Should our work focus narrowly on the five communities that have stores or can we focus on a broader region/statewide (which would include those communities)?

A: Our funding is specifically meant to benefit the areas where we have stores. As much as  possible, please propose projects that will benefit those areas. 

Q: We are a national organization that covers all your stores. Should we select every store?

A: You can, but we don’t recommend it. We recommend that you select a specific geographic area where you have a stronghold and concentrate your application on that area. A good guide is to use the “division” filter on the spreadsheet and select one single area.

1. We were nominated by several national organizations and will select one. What is the benefit of selecting  one over the other?

A: This is completely up to you. If you select a national organization, your funds will come directly from them. Other organizations prefer to work directly with us and receive their check directly. Either way, you will receive 100% of the funds raised for your organization

Q: What is the overhead allotment?

A: These funds are for your organization to use as you see fit. We calculate our contribution based on your total budget for the program and the total number of meals provided.

Therefore, we believe your organization knows best how to allocate funds provided and will ask you to do that without mandating a specific overhead allotment.

Q: What are some programs that you love?

A: We love all of our programs! We feel that the strength of this program is in the diversity. There are many tactics that organizations use across the US to address ensuring that everyone has access to meals.

Q: Should we include heartstring stories in our application?

A: YES! We love stories and hearing all about what you do in our neighborhoods. As I share your work with our employees from the Division level to the store, stories are some of the best ways to engage them in your work.

Q: I received funds for the recent Nourishing Neighbors grants. Can I still apply for this?

A: Yes, we consider this a separate program. 

Q: Can we apply if our organization is fiscally sponsored?

A: Yes. If your organization is fiscally sponsored, the sponsoring organization must be a 501©3 and will need to serve the applicant and grant recipient.

Q: Can I set up a time to call you and go over my application before I submit?

A: Unfortunately, no. I wish I could, but we have invited hundreds of organizations to apply across the country and we simply cannot speak to each group individually. However, please be rest assured that we will carefully review your application and contact you if we require any additional information or clarification.