COMMUNITY RESEARCHERS FOR FOOD JUSTICE
Advancing food justice through community-driven research
Accepting applications through September 19, 2025! We will continue to add additional resources and events to this page.
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About the program
Community Researchers for Food Justice is a community granting program co-designed by the YMCA of San Diego County, the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative Community Council, and UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Longevity Science and UC San Diego Center for Community Health. It funds and supports local leaders and community groups to design and lead their own research projects that advance food justice.
You don’t need to be a trained researcher, you just need curiosity, commitment and a vision for change.
In this 12-month program, grantees can expect:
- • Flexible funding up to $35,000 depending on project size and scope
- • A shared experience with other community researchers to promote collaboration, relationships, and knowledge sharing
- • Access to mentorship, research skill-building, and tailored support from UC San Diego
- • Support with sustainability planning beyond the grant cycle if desired
- • Opportunities to return as a mentor or trainer in future program cycles
QUICK LINKS
Request for Applications
Three tier levels
Application Deadline, Funding Notification, Program Duration
Materials needed
Technical Assistance, Resources, Templates
Request for applications
We invite applications from community leaders and groups who are doing impactful food justice work and want to deepen and grow their efforts through research grounded in lived experience and community knowledge.
We especially encourage applications from:
- Individuals, small community groups, and newly established organizations
- People with lived experience in the communities they serve
- Those who are newer to research and eager to learn
Eligibility:
To apply, applicants must:
- Be based in San Diego County and serve local communities
- Be making an impact in local communities
- Be able to complete a W-9 (SSN or ITIN accepted)
Nonprofit status or fiscal sponsorship is not required. Funds can go directly to individuals or community groups when we receive a completed W9 form.
Read the full details of the RFA.
Funding Structure
We will fund up to 10 community-driven research projects through three flexible funding tiers:
-
Seedling Grant up to $10,000
Ideal for projects that are in early stages or exploring new ideas with a smaller scope
-
Momentum Fund up to $20,000
Ideal for projects that are building on existing work and ready to scale up, requiring more funds.
-
Root & Reach Fund up to $35,000
Ideal for projects that are fully developed and aiming for broader impact, requiring significant funding.
We encourage applicants to courageously request the level of funding they need. Use the tier descriptions to choose the best fit for your project’s goals and stage.
Timeline
Application Deadline: September 19, 2025
Funding Notification: October 2025
Program Start: January 2026
Program End: January 2027
Application process
Applications are submitted through our online form.
We ask for:
- Responses to application questions, including your project plan
- A project budget
- At least one community endorsement (letter of support)
We can support transcribing application responses for those who prefer to share them verbally. Please contact us at KINcommunitygrants@ymcasd.org to request this support.
Support for Applicants
We offer several resources to help you prepare your application:
Technical Assistance:
- Webinar: Grant Info Session [WATCH | pw: AF=eyH2N]
- Webinar: Budget 101 [WATCH | pw: Dmdn?3R1]
- Research Project Office Hours (BY APPOINTMENT)
Resources and Templates (in RFA):
- Example Research Project
- Research Project Brainstorming Sheet
- Budget Example
ABOUT Community Incubator network (KIN )
The Community Incubator Network (KIN) is a collaborative initiative led by the YMCA of San Diego County, the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative Community Council, UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and UC San Diego Center for Community Health. Funded by the American Heart Association’s Health Equity Research Network (HERN) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, KIN seeks to reimagine and transform traditional research paradigms—shifting how resources, knowledge, and power flow between communities, academia, and institutions.
