Apply for a Whidbey Food Resilience Fund Grant
The Whidbey Food Resilience Fund provides rapid-response grants to support smaller or emerging food-access efforts across Whidbey Island. These grants are intended to help organizations meet immediate needs arising from increased food insecurity and reduced public support.
Grant Purpose
These grants support smaller or emerging food-access efforts — including church or community meal programs, school backpack or weekend food programs, and mobile or seasonal food distribution. Grants generally range from $250 – $5,000.
Eligibility to Apply for a Grant
Any organization that operates with a charitable status or for a charitable purpose on Whidbey Island is eligible to apply for a grant. You do not need to have a headquarters or physical presence on Whidbey, so long as services are provided here.
Applicants must be in good standing with the Washington Secretary of State and Office of the Attorney General, and be current with all state and federal reporting requirements.
Rolling Application for Funding
Decisions will be made within approximately two weeks of receiving a completed application. Awards will be issued on a rolling basis as funding allows.
In addition to determining eligibility for this grant round, the information you provide will help the Whidbey Community Foundation build a clearer island-wide understanding of food-access needs, service gaps, seasonal pressures, and the full range of agencies and grassroots efforts working on food insecurity. This will support better coordination, more equitable resource distribution, and long-term planning for Whidbey’s food system.
Submitting Your Application
We are moving to an online application through the Grant Lifecycle Manager (GLM) program by Foundant. We encourage you to watch a tutorial about the new GLM system online to learn more. This tutorial will explain how the new system works and will provide step by step instructions for how to create your account. For questions, please contact us at info@whidbeyfoundation.org or 360-660-5041.
About the Whidbey Food Resilience Fund at WCF
The Whidbey Food Resilience Fund is a coordinated community response to the growing food insecurity facing island residents following the recent reduction in federal SNAP benefits.
The new Fund—seeded with $50,000 with Board approval from WCF’s discretionary reserve—will provide rapid, equitable grants to food banks, meal programs, and other community-based organizations, ensuring that Whidbey residents have reliable access to nutritious food during the holiday season and beyond.
Initial grants will focus on core food-access organizations across Whidbey Island—including food banks, community meal programs, youth backpack and school-based nutrition efforts, and other initiatives addressing food insecurity.
A portion of the Fund will also support smaller or emerging efforts, such as church-based and seasonal meal programs, through a simplified grant process.
Interested In Donating?
Great! We are only able to provide grants like these with broad support from our community. If you are a donor interested in supporting this initiative, please visit the Whidbey Food Resilience Fund donation page. WCF is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to Whidbey Island; all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Learn about different ways to make a charitable contribution here.