The CCOF Foundation empowers organic farmers to grow organic agriculture, which in turn creates a more prosperous, resilient world. From the whole team at the CCOF Foundation, thank you for your partnership, whether new or historied. As we enter the giving season, the CCOF Foundation is inching closer to our fundraising finish line, and we implore you to renew your donation for 2024 at a critical moment for organic farmers in California and beyond. Donate online or find other ways to donate.
If you are already a 2024 CCOF Foundation partner or supporter, thank you. You have enabled us to support thousands of organic farmers across the country who are the stewards of our soil health and food supply. If you’re considering making your end-of-year donation to the CCOF Foundation, we welcome your questions about our impact at ccoffoundation@ccof.org
Since we began granting in 2014, the CCOF Foundation has awarded $3,617,240 to 1,131 farmers and provided 6,627 organic professionals with 155 professional development opportunities through our trainings. Thank you for helping us to create a world where organic is the norm.
Here’s what’s been made possible since 2014:
- Future Organic Farmers bridges the gap between retiring farmers and new farmers by providing scholarships to support those pursuing a career in organic agriculture. To date, we’ve awarded nearly $1 million dollars to the next generation of organic farmers.
- Hardship Assistance Fund is the only fund in the nation that provides financial assistance to organic producers who suffer financial losses due to extreme hardship. By this year’s end, our total awarded amount of Hardship grants will be nearly $2 million dollars.
- Organic Transitions Program (OTP) is a three-year commitment to transitioning farmers, providing access to multi-year financial and technical support, farmer mentors, and supply chain awareness throughout the transition. By this year’s end, our total awarded amount of OTP grants will be nearly $1 million dollars.
- USDA Transitioning to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), with CCOF launching the West/Southwest Regional Center for Organic Transition. This enables CCOF’s organic transition theory of change to be implemented in seven states: California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Hawaii. Funding is allocated toward partnering with nearly 30 organizations spanning each state to build infrastructure that will enable them to implement their own transition programs.
- Roadmap to an Organic California Benefits and Policy Reports include peer-reviewed science to guide policymakers toward using organic to sequester carbon, stimulate local economies, and protect the health of all Californians. These reports are guiding policymakers to invest in organic and transitioning farmers in communities throughout California.
- The CCOF Foundation is undertaking a bold, $10 million, time-bound endowment campaign to raise funds for the CCOF Foundation’s programs, which provide disaster relief for organic farmers suffering from hardship, wraparound services for farmers transitioning land to organic, scholarships for future organic farmers, and trainings for organic professionals, as well as unrestricted funds to enhance the CCOF Foundation’s ability to stay nimble in our approach to supporting famers as they go and stay organic.
