Giving & MISSion Fund
Community Is At The Core of Who We Are
OGC’s founders were farmers and grassroots community activists who wanted to transform food and agriculture. They decided the vehicle to accomplish this was a produce distribution company that would help organic farmers access the market while supporting the health of the planet and people. That original vision drives OGC’s purpose today and has expanded with our business in alignment with our values.
Pledging financial and in-kind contributions to promote and inspire the growth of the organic movement is part of who we are and is written into our bylaws.
We provide different programs for distributing financial and in-kind produce donations to mission-aligned stakeholders.
Our grant cycle will begin a little later this year. Please check back soon to be considered for support.
Black Food Fund
The OGC Mission fund
OGC’s Mission Fund supports mission-aligned supply chain partners and community allies through grants and in-kind produce donations. This program brings to life our mission of promoting and inspiring the growth of the organic agriculture movement.
We prioritize investing in organizations or projects that:
Promote small and medium organic farm viability
Support growers, handlers and customers with direct relationships to OGC. We target projects that increase the resiliency and viability of our farmers and customers, strengthen our relationships or address barriers to a consistent supply chain
Preserve farmland
Educate youth about organic agriculture and connect them to organic food
Increase the accessibility of organic food to underserved or underrepresented communities, including emergency relief efforts
Build equity in our regional farm and food system by supporting underserved or underrepresented communities, including those who identify as Black, persons of color, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA+
Address and mitigate the impacts of climate change, preserve the natural environment and protect natural resources
Improve access to organic seed and varietals
Meet our 2023 Mission Fund grant recipients here.
Through purpose-focused sourcing and programs, we give back Through OUR partners
Fair Trade
We work with several Fair Trade Certified™ growers. With a rigorous audit system that tracks produce along the supply chain, Fair Trade standards include labor, cost, and price protections. Premiums from the sales of these products are given to agricultural workers to fund special projects like schooling, healthcare and recreational programs that build stronger, healthier communities.
G.R.O.W. Banana Program
The majority of our bananas are sourced from Organics Unlimited, which operates the G.R.O.W. program (Giving Resources and Opportunities to Workers). Thanks to our retail partners’ support, 60 cents of every case of Organics Unlimited-brand bananas that we sell funds vital community development and health-related services in banana-growing communities in Mexico. In 2022 alone, we generated more than $139,500 to support G.R.O.W. programs.
Farm to School Apples
Our Farm to School Apple program is an easy way for OGC retail customers to raise money for schools in their community. We partner with local growers who provide delicious kid-size organic apples at below-market cost. We offer these apples to customers who commit to donating at least 70% of their profit to neighborhood schools that offer farm or garden-focused education. In 2022, more than two dozen stores sold Farm to School Apples, raising $50,500 to support farm-to-school education.
As an Oregon Benefit Company owned by the Sustainable Food & Agriculture Perpetual Purpose Trust, we’re committed to reviewing and sharing our impact annually.
