The Walmart Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) have launched a $1.5 million grant program to fund eight community-based non-profits led by people of colour.

The Equitable Food Access grant program will provide between $102,000 and $111,000 in funding. It will support efforts ranging from farmer-led urban agriculture to mobile food markets to establishing a community food policy council.

“Organizations based in and led by people from the community are best positioned to tackle the social determinants of health that affect them, including access to healthy food,” Denise Scott, LISC president, said in a statement. “This is particularly important given the persistent racial disparities in health and life expectancy, especially for people with limited financial means and living in under-resourced communities. Our collaboration with the Walmart Foundation promotes food justice as part of larger strategies to improve community health.”

At a time when research from the Bridgespan Group and Echoing Green suggests that Black-led non-profits had unrestricted net assets approximately 76 per cent less than their counterparts, making it more difficult to operate and grow their organizations.

The businesses receiving support include:

Beauty's Community Garden (Houston): Aims to address the food equality gap by providing locals with access to garden-to-table produce, food and nutrition education, and knowledge of how to cultivate and prepare healthy food at home.

Diana Gregory Outreach Services (Phoenix): Focuses on expanding access to fresh produce, educating people about nutrition, and fostering kind social connections among seniors and veterans to improve lives through healthy eating.

New Town Success Zone (Jacksonville, Fla.): By focusing on health, education, employment, social well-being, and community capacity, this initiative gives neighbourhood kids and their families access to possibilities for success.

Historic District Development Corporation (Atlanta): Increases access to fresh, affordable foods by working with local farmers, business owners, and citizens as part of the expanding urban agriculture movement.

Kokua Kalihi Valley (Honolulu): Focuses on the social determinants of health for those who are medically disadvantaged and includes a cultural food program that runs a café, a food hub, a food prescription program, and teaching gardens.

Landmark Training Development Company (Memphis): Uses urban farming, a year-round farmers market, a client-choice food pantry, gardening initiatives, and nutrition education to create sustainable agricultural ecosystems in food deserts.

Louisville Association for Community Economics (Louisville): Addresses healthy food access through a produce distribution program, a prepared food program, and establishing cooperatively owned enterprises, such as a grocery run by and for local residents.

RobinHood Group (Union, S.C.): Increases the availability and knowledge of locally and regionally grown produce through community and school gardens, produce boxes, nutrition education, and agriculture-based enterprises.