Request for proposals seeks to support nonprofits leading groundbreaking food security projects
Citi Global Perspectives & Solutions (GPS) found through their recent study that the estimated impact of malnutrition on the global economy reaches as high as $3.5 trillion per year. The study also found the primary causes to be record high food prices and other macro-economic factors that result in civil unrest, global displacement and more.
Upon learning the import of the study, the Citi Foundation announced its first-ever Global Innovation Challenge to address food security. The Foundation’s goal is to help scale the role of nonprofits around the world to support their efforts of developing innovative solutions to improve food security.
Fifty organizations will receive a collective $25 million for the piloting or expansion of ideas and projects that seek to address food security, as well as strengthen the physical and financial health of low-income families and their communities.
Having learned that over 770 million people around the world suffer from some form of malnutrition, Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation and Head of Citi Community Investing and Development, expresses Citi’s commitment to lessen food insecurity and to positively impact millions of lives.
“Far too many families around the world face the daily struggle of not knowing when and where their next meal will come from,” said McHale. “We understand the economic factors that contribute to this ever-growing crisis, and our goal with this RFP is to help empower diverse, mission-driven nonprofits that are pioneering game-changing, scalable solutions in their communities.”
For the Inaugural Global Innovation ChallengeRFP, the Citi Foundation will prioritize projects in four areas:
- Access: Efforts that increase access to affordable and healthy food to low-income communities,
- Affordability: Community finance efforts that lower the financial burden placed on low-income communities,
- Availability: Changes to the food supply chain that lead to positive community benefits, such as the creation of new jobs and businesses, and
- Resilience: The number of available resources that enable low-income communities to be better prepared for disruptions in food security during crises and how to respond.
Citi and Citi Foundation have a solid track record of supporting communities around the world. Since 2014 their funding supported No Kid Hungry providing 300 million meals for kids facing hunger and Citi volunteers have packed over 1.7 million meals on behalf of U.S. Hunger since 2017.
Stepping up during the pandemic, the Foundation supported the Global Food Banking Network’s COVID-19 relief efforts across Central and South America. These are just a few of the noteworthy endeavors undertaken by Citi and Citi Foundation that impact people’s lives and their communities.
Registration for the Challenge is open to March 22, 2023, at 4 p.m. EDT. More information is available including ligibility requirements and target geographies at: www.citifoundation.com/challenge
