Food Access Grant Program

Mardag Foundation provides grants in the East Metro and Greater Minnesota to fund systems change and/or direct service work related to food access.

About the role

Mardag Foundation’s Food Access Grant Program supports organizations and programs that ensure access to food and address inequities in the food system. Through five-year grants of $100,000 per year, we aim to fund systems change and/or direct service work to eliminate barriers and increase access to food for low-income immigrant/refugee or Native American/Indigenous children, youth, and families in the East Metro and Greater Minnesota.

This grant program is closed. It accepted letters of inquiry from 10 a.m. January 12 to 1 p.m. February 24, 2026.

Funding Priorities

Our Food Access Grant Program will consider proposals that address systems change and/or direct service work to eliminate barriers and increase access to culturally relevant, healthy, affordable food for low-income immigrant/refugee or Native American/Indigenous children, youth, and families in the East Metro and Greater Minnesota. Proposals should address one or more of the following:

• Extent to which the work empowers immigrant/refugee or Native American/Indigenous communities in reclaiming ownership and control of the food system — the right to grow, sell, access, and eat food that is fresh, nutritious, affordable, culturally appropriate, and grown with integrity for the well-being of the people, land, and animals.
• Extent to which the work strives to provide culturally relevant food options in areas with lower access.

Eligibility

• Demonstrated commitment to the geography served, with preference for organizations based in Minnesota.
• 501(c)3 nonprofits, government entities, educational institutions, or groups with an eligible fiscal sponsor.

Mardag Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations and public entities located within and serving residents of Minnesota. Our geographic focus is the East Metro (Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties) as well as Greater Minnesota.

Grant Details

• Grant amounts: $100,000 per year for a five-year grant period.
• In 2026, up to $750,000 is available, and we anticipate awarding approximately seven multi-year grants (including 5 grantees from Greater Minnesota).
• Grants will be offered for general operating or program/project support.

Current grantees are eligible for funding. Please contact a member of our Grants Team with questions.

Grant Requests Not Accepted

• Organizations exclusively serving Minneapolis and the surrounding West Metro area.
• Proposals to replace a loss in government funding.

Decision-making Timeline

• January – February: Letters of Inquiry accepted (January 12 to 1 p.m. February 24).
• May: Invitation to apply for select organizations.
• Summer: Site visits.
• Fall: Decisions.
• November: Grants awarded.

Communications on Letter of Inquiry decisions to go out on May 1.

Application Materials

• Grant Guidelines [PDF]
• Letter of Inquiry Preview [PDF]
• Letter of Inquiry Scoring Rubric [PDF]
• Application Preview [PDF]
• Application Scoring Rubric [PDF]

Grant resources include instructions on how to register for and use GranteeView, our grant application portal. See Grant Resources.

Grants Team

Before applying, all interested applicants are encouraged to contact a member of our Grants Team to ensure that the grant program fits your needs. Meet the Team.