“Thirty acres of organic brussels sprouts gone — wiped out by heat waves and pests. We also lost squash, tomatoes, peppers, and artichokes before they ever made it to market.” – CCOF Foundation Hardship Grantee
For organic farmers, disasters aren’t just headlines — they’re life-altering, sometimes business-ending events. Extreme heat, floods, wildfires, and freezes can wipe out an entire season’s work. When disaster strikes, farmers face an impossible choice: take on crippling debt or risk losing their farm — and with it, the future of organic food.
At the CCOF Foundation, we make sure that doesn’t happen. Our Hardship Assistance Fund is the only fund in the nation dedicated to organic producers facing extreme hardship. To date, we’ve awarded more than $4 million to help organic farmers recover from disasters — keeping them farming organically and protecting the communities they feed.
“We lost trees, ran up massive water bills, and had to use credit cards just to keep farming. Automating irrigation cost us over $19,000, but it was the only way to survive the heat and free up labor.” – CCOF Foundation Hardship Grantee
Stories like this are why donor support matters. Donor-advised funds (DAFs) are one of the most powerful tools to make an immediate difference.
A DAF is a charitable giving account. Donors contribute assets, receive an immediate tax benefit, and then recommend grants to nonprofits like the CCOF Foundation. Across the U.S., over $250 billion sits in DAFs, waiting to fund the causes donors care about — including organic farmers in crisis.
When you recommend a grant from your DAF to the CCOF Foundation, your dollars can:
- Cover emergency costs after floods, wildfires, or freezes
- Help farmers replant, repair infrastructure, or recover lost livestock
- Support their continued commitment to organic practices
Beyond disaster relief, your gift also strengthens programs that nurture the next generation of farmers, supports the transition to organic, and provides the CCOF Foundation with much-needed resources to launch an Endowment so we can fund organic farmers, forever. Together, our shared efforts build a resilient, thriving organic movement.
How to Recommend a Grant to the CCOF Foundation
Recommending a DAF grant is simple:
- Log into your DAF account with your sponsoring organization.
- Search for CCOF Foundation or enter our legal name and EIN. The CCOF Foundation is a tax-exempt charity under the IRS code section 501(c)3, tax ID: 30-0106255
- Recommend your grant, and optionally designate it for a program like Hardship Assistance, Future Organic Farmers, Organic Transition, or the CCOF Endowment
- Notify us at CCOFFoundation@ccof.org so we can thank you and ensure your gift is directed as intended.
Your donor-advised fund can be the bridge between disaster and recovery. With a few clicks, you turn dormant charitable dollars into immediate relief — keeping farmers farming, soils healthy, and communities nourished.
If you have a donor-advised fund, please consider recommending a grant to the CCOF Foundation today. Together, we can make sure organic farmers don’t just survive — they thrive.
