Awards will promote innovation, entrepreneurship, & more NEW BERLIN, N.Y. — Yogurt maker Chobani recently announced this year’s recipients of grants from the annual Chobani Impact Fund. It’s a program designed to fuel innovation, expand economic opportunity, and promote entrepreneurship, diversity, and inclusion in Central New York. Through its partnership with the Community Foundation for […]
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Awards will promote innovation, entrepreneurship, & more
Through its partnership with the Community Foundation for South Central New York, Chobani will distribute $200,000 in grants to five CNY organizations chosen by Chobani’s employee selection committee.
“We know what it’s like for an entrepreneur to have a big dream but need a little financial boost to make it a reality. This is exactly how Chobani was founded,” Peter McGuinness, Chobani president and chief operating officer, said in a news release. “Our goal is to pay it forward in our home communities by supporting entrepreneurs, development organizations and small businesses, all of whom help to create jobs and strengthen our local economies.”
Since its debut in 2018, the Chobani Impact Fund has awarded $1.4 million in grants to 30 organizations in Central New York and its other home community in Idaho.
Below are descriptions of the 2021 Chobani Community Impact Fund recipients, including grant amounts.
Cornell Cooperative Extension-Chenango County, $63,000 — The goal of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County is to help farms keep pace with industry innovations, including transitioning to new farm products and technologies, improving animal health, and better management of natural resources. This Chobani grant will fund the Cornell School of Ag Science Partnership Program — providing farmers in the region with localized recommendations on crop harvests, insect-pest control, and disease issues to help manage crops for greater profit for the farm.
Unadilla Community Farm Education Center, $63,000 — This organization offers space for training, internships, and youth programs on sustainable agriculture, building, and food equity, as well as access to fresh, organic produce for low-income and low-access communities. One of the organization’s programs — the accredited ‘Beginning Farmer Training Program’ — provides agricultural workforce-development and training for youth to start their own sustainable food and farm businesses. This grant will create economic opportunity and workforce development in the Edmeston region by adding three paid seasonal staff positions, more interns, classes, and enriching, customized learning experienced for participants.
HALos, Inc., $33,000 — Help After Loss (HALos) is a grassroots, not-for-profit grief resource and referral organization that raises awareness about loss and its impact on children. This grant will be used in the construction of Phase 2 of the HUB for HALos office and community spaces — and will provide three entrepreneurs with newly renovated space to develop their own small businesses.
Delaware County Economic Development, $23,000 — This grant will fund the development of Andel Greenhouse; a 3,000-square-foot carbon-neutral greenhouse addressing local food accessibility. The greenhouse will provide an environmentally sustainable and profitable roadmap for farmers, developers, and entrepreneurs seeking a business model in advanced agriculture. It will also help increase local food accessibility, utilizing the profitable business model to make 25 percent of the produce available to EBT/ SNAP recipients at a reduced cost.
Pathfinder Village Foundation, Inc., $18,000 — Pathfinder Village Foundation supports the open-access residential community and is a service provider for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). This grant will restructure Pathfinder’s Mobile Market (a produce delivery service) into a Fruit and Vegetable Prescription (F&VRx) program. The F&VRx supports permanent food-prescription-insurance benefits in New York state, helps support underserved and food-insecure residents with weekly fresh-produce deliveries, and provides paid work for adults with I/DD.