Fair Food Network

What Fair Food Network does

Fair Food Network is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID 26-4143394) founded in 2009 and currently headquartered in Detroit, Michigan following a 2023 relocation from Ann Arbor. The organization operates an interconnected portfolio of programs aimed at improving community health and economic resilience through the food system. Its flagship initiative, Double Up Food Bucks, is a nutrition incentive program that matches SNAP purchases of fruits and vegetables dollar-for-dollar at farmers markets, farm stands, and grocery stores; the program is implemented by partners across 25 states and operates at 240+ locations in Michigan alone. The organization also maintains a policy advocacy arm that has demonstrably shaped federal Farm Bill provisions for nutrition incentives.

Complementing the nutrition-incentive work, Fair Food Network runs the Fair Food Fund, an impact-investing vehicle providing catalytic capital and wrap-around business services to food and farm entrepreneurs who face barriers to traditional financing, and serves as the administrative manager of the Michigan Good Food Fund, a statewide lending network that had deployed approximately $17 million supporting roughly 300 food businesses over five years by 2020. Portfolio investments have spanned independent grocers (e.g., Uproot Market & Eatery, North Flint Food Market, Lakeshore Depot, Sullivan Country Store), restaurants (e.g., Detroit Soul), cooperative markets (e.g., Detroit People's Food Co-op), and small farms (e.g., Agape Organic Farm, Bear Creek Organic Farm, Grow Moore Produce Cooperative). In addition, since 2019 the organization has led the technical-assistance and innovation function of the USDA-supported Nutrition Incentive Hub, a national center operated in partnership with the Center for Nutrition and Health Impact that provides training, evaluation support, and capacity-building grants to nutrition-incentive and produce-prescription practitioners.

Fair Food Network operates as a community-led nonprofit rather than a product or technology vendor; it generates no revenue from participants (programs are free for eligible SNAP recipients and food businesses) and instead funds its operations through grants and tax-deductible donations. Documented funding streams include USDA Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program grants (notably $5.1 million in 2015 and more than $12 million in 2019), private-foundation grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and others, state agency support (e.g., Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development), corporate and family-foundation giving, donations to its Resilience Fund, and impact-investing capital deployed (not earned) through the Fair Food Fund and Michigan Good Food Fund. The organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors and operates with a team of approximately 30 employees spanning Michigan, Washington, D.C., and the Northeast, with planned leadership transition to Holly Parker as CEO effective May 1, 2026 succeeding Kate Krauss.

Name

Fair Food Network

Legal name

Fair Food Network

Website

https://fairfoodnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fair Food Network is a Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the Double Up Food Bucks nutrition incentive program, the Fair Food Fund and Michigan Good Food Fund impact investing initiatives, and the USDA-supported Nutrition Incentive Hub, serving SNAP recipients, farmers, and food entrepreneurs across 25 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nutrition incentive and impact investing programs

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Buying Clubs & Community Bulk Purchasing Co-ops (CRAHALAE)

Keywords

• Nutrition incentives
• Food access programs
• Impact investing
• Community development
• SNAP matching

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Government Funding: Fair Food Network operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funding through grants from government agencies (USDA Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, state budgets) and private foundations to support its nutrition incentive programs and impact investing activities.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to support its Resilience Fund and general operations. Tax ID: 26-4143394.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fair Food Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the Double Up Food Bucks program, which matches SNAP purchases of fruits and vegetables dollar-for-dollar at participating farmers markets and grocery stores. It also runs the Fair Food Fund, an impact investing arm providing catalytic capital and wrap-around business services to food and farm entrepreneurs, and leads technical assistance for the national Nutrition Incentive Hub.

Product overview

Fair Food Network operates as a national nonprofit and investor focused on growing community health, wealth, and resilience through food. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs including Double Up Food Bucks (a nutrition incentive matching SNAP purchases of produce), the Fair Food Fund (impact investing arm providing catalytic capital to food entrepreneurs), Michigan Good Food Fund (statewide lending network for food/farm businesses), and the Nutrition Incentive Hub (technical assistance center supporting nutrition incentive programs nationally). These programs work together to expand healthy food access, support farmers and local food businesses, and drive policy advocacy for food systems change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Double Up Food Bucks: Nutrition incentive program that matches SNAP purchases of fruits and vegetables, helping families stretch their food budgets while supporting farmers and local food businesses.
• Fair Food Fund
• Nutrition Incentive Hub
• Michigan Good Food Fund

Products and services

• Double Up Food Bucks A nutrition incentive program that matches SNAP purchases of fruits and vegetables dollar-for-dollar at farmers markets, farm stands, and grocery stores across 25 states, helping low-income families stretch food budgets while supporting farmers and local food businesses.
• Fair Food Fund An impact investing arm providing catalytic capital loans and wrap-around business services to food and farm entrepreneurs who face barriers to conventional financing, with investments in farmers, grocers, and food businesses that support community nourishment and economic opportunity.
• Michigan Good Food Fund A statewide lending network that provides flexible financing and tailored business assistance to food and farm entrepreneurs in Michigan, focusing on those historically limited by systemic barriers to capital.
• Nutrition Incentive Hub A USDA-supported national center that delivers training, technical assistance, evaluation support, and capacity-building grants to strengthen nutrition incentive and produce prescription projects across the country.
• Capacity Building & Innovation Fund (CBIF)

Quantifiable outcome

• Every $1 invested generates nearly $9 in community benefits (jobs, local purchasing)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Gretchen Swanson Center for NutritioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership to launch the Nutrition Incentive Hub, a USDA-supported national center supporting nutrition incentive and produce prescription projects. Fair Food Network leads technical assistance and innovation for the Hub.
• National Grocers Association FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner coalition member for Nutrition Incentive Hub work, supporting nutrition incentive and produce prescription practitioners nationwide.
• Farmers Market CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner coalition member for Nutrition Incentive Hub work, supporting farmers markets implementing nutrition incentives.
• The Food TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner coalition member for Nutrition Incentive Hub, supporting nutrition security initiatives.
• Michigan Farmers Market AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner coalition member supporting farmers markets and nutrition incentive programs in Michigan.
• DAISA Enterprises, LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner coalition member for Nutrition Incentive Hub work.
• Center for Nutrition and Health ImpactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads the Nutrition Incentive Hub in partnership with Fair Food Network and a coalition of partners, funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
• Michigan Good Food FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide lending network investing in food and farm entrepreneurs. Fair Food Network is founding member and administrative manager of this initiative.
• University of California-San FranciscomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Nutrition Incentive Hub collaboration with Center for Nutrition and Health Impact.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Food Trust: Philadelphia-based national nonprofit addressing food access and healthy eating; co-partner in the USDA Nutrition Incentive Hub coalition. Comparable in mission, federal-grant funding model, and nutrition-incentive technical-assistance work.
• Food Research & Action Center (FRAC): National nonprofit working to eradicate poverty-related hunger through research, policy analysis, and advocacy on federal nutrition programs. Directly comparable as a policy/research backbone for SNAP and nutrition-incentive advocacy.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Major community-development financial institution and active partner of Fair Food Fund (provided $670K to Uproot Market with FFN guaranty). Comparable as an impact-investing partner deploying catalytic capital into underserved communities and food retail.
• Wholesome Wave: National nonprofit that pioneered SNAP nutrition incentive programs similar to Double Up Food Bucks, including its own 'Double Value Coupon Program.' Most directly comparable peer in the nutrition-incentive space, operating at farmers markets and grocery retailers nationwide.
• Center for Nutrition and Health Impact: Co-leads the USDA Nutrition Incentive Hub alongside Fair Food Network and Gretchen Swanson Center. Directly comparable as a national Hub partner providing evaluation, training, and capacity-building for nutrition-incentive grantees.
• Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition: Co-leads the USDA Nutrition Incentive Hub with Fair Food Network; conducts evaluation and research for nutrition-incentive programs. Directly comparable as a Hub partner with overlapping programmatic and evaluation responsibilities.
• MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger: National anti-hunger advocacy and grantmaking nonprofit focused on federal nutrition programs and food access for vulnerable populations. Comparable in advocacy-driven, federal-policy-focused model and grantmaking to community food organizations.

Broad incumbents

• Reinvestment Fund: National impact-investing CDFI with deep healthy-food-access investing track record (e.g., Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative). Comparable as a large-scale, mission-aligned capital provider in the food-access space.
• Feeding America: Largest U.S. hunger-relief nonprofit, operating a nationwide network of 200+ food banks. Broad incumbent in food assistance; comparable in scale, federal nutrition-program funding reliance, and policy advocacy, though focused on food banking rather than SNAP incentives.
• Share Our Strength (No Kid Hungry): Large national anti-hunger nonprofit running No Kid Hungry campaign; operates broader anti-hunger programming including SNAP outreach, school meals, and food access. Comparable scale, federal-grant funding model, and food-policy advocacy footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/FairFoodNetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/FairFoodNetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fair-food-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/fairfoodnetwork
• Xx.com/FairFoodNetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fair Food Network