Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance

What Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance does

Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance (SOFSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID: 99-3531633) founded in 2019 and based in Syracuse, New York, operating as a community-led coalition of food system advocates across Syracuse, Onondaga County, and the Onondaga Nation. The organization's core programs include the Food Justice Fund (a community-led grantmaking initiative that distributed $37,000 to grassroots food justice projects as of February 2026), an annual Food Justice Gathering (held 2023-2025), an Advocacy & Civic Engagement program with voter guides and advocacy days in Albany and Washington D.C., Community Listening Sessions (19 sessions reaching 335 participants across 20 partner organizations from 2022-2025), and a set of working groups spanning Urban Agriculture, Health & Environmental Justice, and School & Institutional Food. Revenue is derived entirely from donations, the annual 'Plant a Seed with SOFSA' fundraising campaign, and grants from foundations including the Onondaga County Agriculture Council, New York Health Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Central New York Community Foundation.

The organization holds no proprietary technology products; its technology footprint consists of a Wix-hosted website, an e-commerce shop for free downloadable 'Visual Notes' documenting annual Gatherings, and an online balloting system provided by Stanford University's Crowdsourced Democracy Team for Food Justice Fund community voting. Pricing across SOFSA's offering is Freemium at the $0.00 price point, with no commercial revenue streams. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors co-governed with elected Community Connectors, an Executive Director (Maura Ackerman, Founder/Director), and a paid Food Justice Fund Leadership Council that conducts grant decisions through public community voting. Marketing is conducted via Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, an email newsletter reaching 500+ Onondaga County residents, and a blog.

Name

Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance

Legal name

Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance, Inc.

Website

https://syrfoodalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition that advances food justice across Syracuse, Onondaga County, and the Onondaga Nation through community-led grantmaking, advocacy, working groups, and an annual gathering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Food Systems & Food Justice Coalition

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Community Food Services (62421), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI), Agriculture & Food Security Development (BPAGABAB)

Keywords

• Food justice advocacy
• Community grantmaking
• Food systems coalition
• Food policy advocacy
• Community organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: SOFSA operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The primary revenue stream is donations from individuals and organizations supporting food justice mission. Tax ID: 99-3531633. Annual 'Plant a Seed with SOFSA' campaign raises funds for the Food Justice Fund.
2. Grants and Foundation Funding: SOFSA receives grant funding from foundations including the Onondaga County Agriculture Council, New York Health Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Central New York Community Foundation. The organization holds Candid's 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency.
3. Merchandise and Educational Materials: SOFSA Shop sells Food Justice Gathering Visual Notes (2023, 2024, 2025 editions) at $0.00 price point, likely covering production costs or offered free as educational resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SOFSA operates as a 501(c)(3) community-led food systems coalition that convenes growers, organizers, and eaters across Syracuse, Onondaga County, and the Onondaga Nation. Its core offering is the Food Justice Fund, a participatory grantmaking initiative that raises money from and distributes funds to grassroots food justice projects such as community gardens, food access programs, and local farms, supplemented by advocacy and civic engagement programming, issue-based working groups, an annual Food Justice Gathering, community listening sessions, and leadership development pathways.

Product overview

Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance operates as a network of food system advocates dedicated to food justice rather than a traditional product company. The organization's offerings center on community programs and services including: the Food Justice Fund (a community-led grantmaking initiative providing flexible funding to grassroots food justice projects); Advocacy & Civic Engagement programming (voter guides, forums, policy platforms); Community Listening Sessions (partner-organized conversations to understand community food system needs); Leadership Pathways (paid and volunteer opportunities including Community Connectors, Fellows, and Board positions); Working Groups and Committees (collaborative groups addressing Urban Agriculture, Health & Environmental Justice, Farm to School, and governance); and an Annual Food Justice Gathering event. The organization also offers free digital products through its shop, including visual notes documenting past Food Justice Gatherings (2023, 2024, 2025). These programs work together to build a more just and equitable food system for Syracuse, Onondaga County, and the Onondaga Nation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 2023 Food Justice Gathering Visual Notes Free downloadable digital visual notes documenting the inaugural 2023 Food Justice Gathering, capturing key discussions, workshop highlights, and community learnings from the annual event. Available to anyone via the SOFSA Shop.
• 2024 Food Justice Gathering Visual Notes Free downloadable digital visual notes documenting the 2024 Food Justice Gathering, capturing key discussions, workshop highlights, and community learnings from the second annual event. Available to anyone via the SOFSA Shop.
• 2025 Food Justice Gathering Visual Notes Free downloadable digital visual notes documenting the 2025 Food Justice Gathering, capturing key discussions, workshop highlights, and community learnings from the third annual event. Available to anyone via the SOFSA Shop.

Quantifiable outcome

• 335 participants engaged through 19 community listening sessions with 20 partner organizations (2022-2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 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 minor and core.

• Adirondack Food Systems NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Observer organization from the North Country working with SOFSA to develop curriculum and guidance for establishing community grantmaking projects like the Food Justice Fund.
• Equity AdvocatesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Observer organization from NYC working with SOFSA to compile curriculum for other organizations to establish community grantmaking projects.
• Onondaga County Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner for community voting for Food Justice Fund grants. Library locations serve as in-person voting sites and host the Gather & Grant Celebration at Beauchamp Branch.
• ComeOutCNYminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborates with SOFSA's LGBTQ+ Affinity Group, exploring intersections of food and LGBTQ+ experience. Group meets various times throughout the year in collaboration with ComeOutCNY.
• NYS Community Food CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Coalition partner working on food policy advocacy at the state level. SOFSA participates in coalition efforts for food system change.
• National Sustainable Agriculture CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Coalition partner providing advocacy support and connection to national food and farm policy. SOFSA participates in advocacy days in Washington D.C.
• Healthy School Meals for All CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Coalition co-led with Hunger Solutions New York and Community Food Advocates, pushing for universal school meal programs in New York State. Coalition helped secure funding for 380,000+ students.
• Plymouth Congregational ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Venue partner for the Annual Food Justice Gathering. Hosted the inaugural event in 2023 at their downtown Syracuse location.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) OnondagacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partners on community listening sessions and Producer and Procurer discussions. CCE Harvest NY Agricultural Climate Resilience Team co-hosted events. The partnership supports coordination between farmers and food procurers for local procurement in schools and institutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: National policy advocacy alliance working on federal farm and food policy. SOFSA participates in its advocacy days; comparable as a broader food and agriculture policy coalition, though operating at a much larger scale.
• Food Tank: Global food systems advocacy and information organization focused on sustainable agriculture and food justice. Comparable in its convening and awareness-building role, though operating at significantly broader scale.

Direct peers

• Wholesome Wave: Nonprofit that runs nutrition incentive programs and supports small farmers. Comparable to SOFSA in addressing food access and supporting local producers, with similar grassroots community-led programming.
• Hunger Solutions New York: New York statewide anti-hunger advocacy organization that co-leads the Healthy School Meals for All Coalition alongside SOFSA. Comparable as a regional food access and policy advocacy nonprofit.
• Fair Food Network: National nonprofit working on food access and equitable food systems through programs like Double Up Food Bucks. Comparable mission and grassroots grantmaking/funding approaches to SOFSA's Food Justice Fund.
• MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger: National food justice advocacy and grantmaking organization. Comparable as a mission-driven nonprofit funding grassroots anti-hunger work and advocating for federal nutrition policy reform.
• Community Food Advocates: NYC-based food justice coalition that co-leads the Healthy School Meals for All Coalition with SOFSA. Directly comparable as a regional food policy advocacy organization focused on equitable school food access.
• Center for Good Food Purchasing: National food systems organization that works with institutions to shift procurement toward good food values. Comparable to SOFSA's farm-to-school and institutional procurement advocacy work.
• Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG): Regional coalition convening food systems stakeholders across the Northeast. Highly comparable to SOFSA's role as a multi-stakeholder food systems convener with working groups, advocacy, and network-building functions.

Regional players

• Adirondack Food Systems Network: North Country regional food systems network collaborating with SOFSA to replicate community-led grantmaking. Directly comparable as a regional food alliance, though serving a different geography (Adirondacks vs. Syracuse).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfXa9RRLhD5AIG_pPlFmZ0A
• Facebookfacebook.com/syrfoodalliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/syrfoodalliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/syrfoodalliance/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance