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Surplus Food Donation Equipment Grants

  • A volunteer at Irvington Presbyterian Church restocks the double-door refrigerator purchased with grant funding for surplus food donation equipment.
  • A glass door freezer unit allows the Alameda Food Bank’s clients to choose their own items and enjoy a more dignified shopping experience.

The Surplus Food Donation Equipment grants provide funding to strengthen the capacity of non-profit organizations to safely recover and redistribute edible surplus food generated in Alameda County, increasing the volume of food available to help nourish communities in Alameda County. These grants support the acquisition of essential equipment, to improve efficiency and building capacity for the edible food recovery components of SB 1383.

Examples of eligible equipment include: 

  • Cold storage units (refrigerators, freezers)
  • Scales
  • Shelving
  • Pallet jacks
  • Equipment to facilitate transport of food, such as reusable creates and cooling blankets
  • Food processing tools, such as blenders, food processors, dehydrators

To request support, please reach out to Surplus Food Donation Equipment Grant Manager, Hugo Grégoire here.

Who can apply 

  • This grant category is available to nonprofits including but not limited to food pantries, food banks, community or faith-based organizations, and food recovery services; businesses are not eligible.
  • Organizations with open grants will need to contact current grant manager to assess repeat funding eligibility.

Eligible projects

  • Projects must reduce surplus edible food disposed in Alameda County.
  • If project includes the purchase of cold storage equipment for the purpose of increasing acceptance of perishable food donations and minimizing food loss, it must be Energy Star rated or energy efficient as defined by the California Department of Energy. View our Food Donation Cold Storage Refrigeration Specification Guide.

Non-eligible projects

  • Recycling or composting-based projects are not eligible for funding. 
  • Organizations solely focused on food distribution without directly recovering surplus food from commercial edible food generators.
  • Capital improvement projects that require facility upgrades to electrical systems, construction, plumbing, or structural elements, such as the addition of sinks, installation of prep areas, or other permanent building modifications to enhance food storage and handling capabilities. 
  • Requests to purchase vehicles, trucks, vans, and community fridges. 

If you think your proposal may be eligible for an award, please contact us at swgrants@stopwaste.org. We’re here to help confirm if your project is eligible before you apply. 

Grant application timeline

  • Application Opens: January 6, 2025
  • Application Closes: February 24, 2025
  • Grant Awards Announced: March 12, 2025

Funding amounts 

  • Up to $150,000 is available for eligible Surplus Food Donation Equipment Grants, with a maximum of $10,000 per applicant. Applicants may not apply for two equipment grants simultaneously. (i.e. applicants must choose to apply to either a Surplus Food Donation Equipment Grant or a Reusable Transport Packaging Grant).

Projects and organizations that will receive priority consideration include

Criteria Description
Increase Edible Food Recovery Capacity Proposals aimed at scaling food recovery efforts through increased capacity to efficiently increase recovery and redistribute of surplus edible food, supporting the goals of SB 1383. 
Recover and Redistribute Prepared Foods  Projects focused on recovering and redistributing hot or cold, prepared food from Tier 2 commercial edible food generators (CEFG), such as restaurants, hospitals, and schools. More Information on Tier 2 CEFG.
Distribution model that utilizes Client Choice  Organizations that prioritize culturally appropriate food distribution with dignity and client choice to select preferred food items.   
Demonstrate Community Partnerships, Shared Resources and Support    Cooperative projects rooted in the communities they serve that empower, elevate, and strengthen communities through intentional collaborations, shared equipment and mutual use of equipment and other shared resources. 
New Grantee Recipients  While organizations that have previously received grant equipment funding are still eligible, priority will be given to new applicants who meet priority criteria, ensuring that resources are expanded to support a broader range of organizations.

Replacing Aging Equipment to Maintain Capacity 

 Projects focused on replacing outdated or aging equipment essential for maintaining current edible food recovery and distribution capabilities.  

 

SFDE grant reporting requirements

Awarded grantees of the Surplus Food Donation Equipment Grant are required to submit final reports via an online reporting platform documenting the outcomes of their funded projects over a six-month reporting period. The final report includes narrative questions and a key metric that highlights the impact of the acquired equipment in expanding or maintaining food recovery capacity. Grantees may choose between two reporting options: 

  • Option A: Track and report the total weight of surplus edible food stored in the purchased equipment during the six-month period. 
  • Option B: Use the provided SFDE Grant tracking calculator to log the number of times each piece of equipment has been fully emptied over the six months. The calculator will estimate the total amount of food handled based on the equipment's capacity. 

A dedicated grant manager will be available to provide support and address any questions grantees may have if awarded. This ensures grantees have the guidance they need to complete reporting requirements accurately. The collected data is essential for evaluating the success of each project and impact created by the funds distributed.  

Grantee Highlight

 

Alameda Food Bank

The Alameda Food Bank recovers surplus edible food to provide nourishment for thousands of Alameda residents seeking food assistance each week. Grant funds enabled the Food Bank to increase their capacity to redistribute frozen food with the purchase of a glass door freezer unit. In the first year alone, they recovered an additional 17,130 lbs. of frozen food items, including many prepared foods such as high-quality dumplings from a local restaurant. In addition to keeping frozen foods safe, the new unit allows the Food Bank’s clients to select their own frozen items, resulting in a more dignified shopping experience and ensuring that the recovered food is put to its best use.

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