SAFSF amplifies the impact of philanthropic and investment communities in support of just and sustainable food and agriculture systems, and the SAFSF Forum is the only national gathering for and by funders supporting just and sustainable food systems change. The Forum challenges participants to understand the need for grantmakers and investors to take on risks in order to co-create more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food systems—and at the same time, provides space to cultivate connections with peers so that no one organization is going it alone.
The three-day Forum offers many opportunities for peer learning, networking, and collaboration. Plenary and workshop sessions and themed dinners allow funders to learn from each other as well as leaders in the field. Day-long site visits encourage participants to learn from work happening in the region and identify themes that might inform their own work once they return home. A full funders-only day provides space for deeper-dive peer engagement around topics of interest.
Note: Registration for the SAFSF Annual Forum is limited to funders only. Funders are defined as organizations using grantmaking or investments as a core strategy to fulfill their mission and who make grants or invest more than $50,000 annually. This includes individual donors, executive and program staff, and members of the board of grantmaking organizations (family foundations, individual donors, corporate foundations, government, community foundations, etc.), as well as representatives of non-profit or for-profit investment enterprises. Development or fundraising staff are not permitted to participate in SAFSF events.