The Better Food Policy Fund piloted a new model of participatory grantmaking. I facilitated a process that reduced burden, built trust, and shifted the tone of philanthropy toward fairness, joy, and shared ownership.
The Better Food Policy Fund was co-developed with food policy councils nationwide. I designed trauma-aware, participatory processes that built trust, celebration, and shared ownership across the field.
The Better Food Policy Fund launched as a participatory grantmaking fund, with inclusive governance at its core. This case study shows how I designed board development and facilitated the Independent Advisory Committee, building trust, shared leadership, and decision-making practices that reflected the fund’s values.
An effort to build the invisible social infrastructure needed to support North Carolina’s local food system - structured around deep collaboration, community voice, and distributed leadership. I conceived and led a statewide effort to knit together regional actors, bridge institutional divides, and cultivate a systems-oriented network poised to adapt and endure.