Nutrition Access, Affordability, and Education Grant Program

About the Nutrition Access, Affordability, and Education Grant Program

The African American Mayors Association (AAMA) and the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America (ABFHA) share a commitment to eliminating health disparities and empowering the mayors who lead their cities in that effort. Together, AAMA and ABFHA are dedicated to supporting innovative, inclusive programs and initiatives that focus on closing the gap in disparities in nutrition access, affordability and education. Working together, they have created a new multi-year community grant program focused on providing resources to help mayors and their teams address these disparities. The first round of grants will be awarded in 2023 at AAMA’s Annual Conference

Nutrition access, affordability, and education are at the root of health disparities. Improving access to affordable, nutritious foods and providing nutrition education so families can make informed choices that are right for them are critical to reducing health disparities and improving the overall health of communities. The ABFHA and AAMA hope this grant program will not only advance essential community programs that improve community health but also be a seed for attracting additional investment for these important programs.

AAMA and ABFHA will award four (4) grants to cities of the following size each year: 

• One (1) grant worth $200,000 (for a city >250k population)
• Two (2) grants worth $125,000 each (for cities >100k, <250k population)
• One (1) grant worth $75,000 (for a city <100k population)

All member mayors of the African American Mayors Association are eligible to apply for these grant awards. Applications must be made through the mayor’s office but can be a program that is solely managed within a city or county agency or is a partnership between the city and a local non-profit, 501(c)3 organization.

This award focuses on eliminating gaps in health disparities. Thus, each application’s program should focus on nutrition access, affordability, and education. The programs should seek to serve those at the root of health disparities. Each program should address at least one, but is not limited to the following:

• Lack of access to affordable nutritional foods and food deserts; 
• Lack of access to quality nutrition education; 
• Lack of access to vital resources to help families make healthier decisions; or
• Lack of access to affordable basic nutritional needs.