How to apply for chapter funding from FRN National

Every day, hundreds of students in our network are mobilizing to recover food, raise awareness, and fight back against food waste, climate change, and hunger. To ensure this important work is sustained year over year, FRN National is pleased to offer financial support to chapters that need funds to keep their chapter up and running. 

Do you need new gloves for food recoveries?  A parking permit to transport food? Flyers to recruit new chapter members? Swag to show your volunteers how much you appreciate them? Keep reading to find out how your chapter can apply for financial support from FRN National. 

Who can apply for funding? 

Funding is available to all official chapters in our network. Check to see if FRN National recognizes your chapter as active. If not, you might need to fill out an Official Chapter Agreement.

How much money does FRN National provide?

Official chapters may request up to $300 per academic year to help support chapter operations.

What can FRN-issued funds be used for? 

FRN Grant Funds may be used to cover costs for supplies and/or events that enable your chapter to continue its work. FRN funds can be used to cover the cost of:

• Food recovery supplies (ex: trays and lids, gloves, masks, hairnets or hats, transportation)

• Volunteer recruitment materials (ex: flyers, banners, postcards)

• FRN swag (ex. t-shirts, buttons, stickers)

• Volunteer appreciation events (ex. end of semester pizza party)

• In the past, chapters have used their funding for all sorts of projects and initiatives. Here are some examples:

  • Support:

    • Contact your partner agency or on-campus food pantry! See if they have a needs/wants list and purchase supplies.

  • Expand: 

    • Check out our volunteer recruitment guide to recruit more volunteers and support more food recoveries or community engagement events.

    • Look into recovering food from more locations! Contact a new dining hall, cafe, restaurant, grocery store, or even a nearby hotel.

  • Upgrade:

    • Supplies! If you’re recovering food, switch from single-use trays to reusables. If you’re looking for supplies that aren’t on our list, utilize the reimbursement section of the form and upload the receipt from your purchase

  • Host:

    • Host a monthly food drive

    • Host a Weigh the Waste event

    • Do a massive peanut butter and jelly sandwich making party on World Kindness Day - you can call it "Spread the Love with FRN" (World Kindness Week is November 13th)

    • Host a Grocery Bingo Event on campus (check out this kit)

    • Work with your partner agency or another local non-profit organization to see if you can host an event for them

  • & so much more!

• We are here to help! If you’re looking for guidance, schedule a call to brainstorm ideas together.

How do I apply for funding from FRN National?

It’s simple! Fill out the online Grant Application. You can fill out the application as a supply request, meaning FRN National will purchase the supplies on your behalf, or reimburse you if you have already purchased supplies out of pocket. An FRN Team member will review your Grant Application submission within two weeks, at which point we’ll contact you to confirm if your application has been approved and processed. 

How do I check my account balance throughout the year?

Chapter funding is visible to chapter leaders via FRN Connect. If you have not already made an account, create an account and email FRN National that you are looking to be assigned to your specific chapter. Only assigned leaders can access the Chapter Leader Workspace to view funding.

Funding is divided between Time-Limited and Extra Funding. Time-limited funding will expire at the end of the academic year (6/15). Extra funding will not expire at the end of this academic year; however, a portion of the funds may expire at the end of the next academic year. That portion of the funds will be moved to the Time-Limited category at the start of the next academic year.

Email us at programs@foodrecoverynetwork.org with any questions or if you have an idea or event that requires more funding for your chapter. If you identify external grant funding for your chapter and need FRN to act as a fiscal sponsor, you must contact FRN National before applying.

Still have questions? 

If you have questions about checking your balance or accessing your funding, please email our team at programs@foodrecoverynetwork.org. We do our best to update the totals monthly, but please keep track of your chapter's funds.