About the Fund
The New Jersey Food Fund is a collaborative public-private partnership advancing long-term food security solutions across the state. We work at the intersection of philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, and government, addressing immediate organizational needs and the broader system that does not always connect the food and resources in New Jersey to the places and people who need them.
Through our three interconnected roles—grantmaking, funder organizing, and connecting the dots—we invest in high-impact organizations, foster shared learning among funders, and strengthen food security within the context of related issues, such as health, housing, transportation, and economic mobility.
Our story
The Tepper Foundation and the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA) joined forces to launch the New Jersey Food Fund* in 2024. The Fund emerged from a shared recognition: no single funder, nonprofit, or government agency alone can solve hunger.
With food insecurity rising, nonprofits stretched thin, and systems designed for a different era, we established the Fund as a shared space for coordination, investment, and innovation. Today, 11 foundation and corporate partners, along with OFSA, support this vision—working together to strengthen food security with humility, curiosity, and an optimism that a more effective and dignified system is within reach.
Our approach to learning
The Fund is more than a grantmaker—we are a learning lab for food security transformation. We bring together grantees, funders, and government partners to share research and knowledge, test new ideas, and build better systems. We create and participate in:
Funder–Grantee Dialogues that provide feedback, insight, and storytelling from nonprofits and people leading food security efforts
Peer Learning for Funders to share what’s working, what’s changing, and what’s emerging
Cross-Sector Events where we participate in policy, public health, agriculture, transportation, and anti-poverty forums to integrate food security into broader conversations
Key themes we're exploring alongside our partners and grantees
What it takes to build and sustain meaningful long-term coalitions
How funders can support, replicate, and scale local innovation
Which systems and tools help small nonprofits best compete for resources
Philanthropy's role in aligning with public systems
How we can reduce the "friction" in food systems and make them more dignified, inclusive, and community-driven
Featured story
The six pillars of food security
Our grantmaking is rooted in the United Nations' six pillars of food security, which recognize that true food security means much more than “not starving.” It requires a holistic, dignified, and sustainable approach.
These pillars guide not only what we fund, but how we define success.
Our commitment
We listen first, move at the speed of trust, and avoid defaulting to funding only the “usual players” or safest bets.