Good Food Organization Application

GOOD FOOD ORGANIZATION APPLICATION

This is a reference-only version of the application that you can share with staff or board members as you prepare to complete the online application. Please do not fill this out. The actual application form is online and can be accessed via

The online application process that follows includes the following steps.

1. Upload a letter describing your organization’s interest in becoming a GFO (p. 2)
2. Complete an organizational profile (p.3-7)
3. Complete a Good Food Principles self-assessment and set goals underthe Good Food Principles (p. 8-28)
4. Identify learning priorities for the year (p. 29-30)
5. Provide feedback on the application process (p. 31)

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

The online application form can be completed in multiple stages as long as you access it from the same computer you originally started it on (or if you received a link directly to your email, you must return to the form via this unique URL). To ensure your answers are saved, click SAVE/NEXT at the bottom of the page before closing the window or browser. The deadline to complete the online application is October 20, 2017. Note that all fields, unless specified as “optional”, are required for your application to be considered complete. We will be responding to all applicants by mid-November 2017.

If you have questions about the application process or need technical support, please contact or call Kate Rabinowicz at 416.531.8826 ext. 222

LETTER OF INTEREST

Please submit a letter of interest expressing your intentions and reasons for joining the Good Food Organizations program. In your letter, please answer the following questions:

Why does your organization want to be a part of the Good Food Organizations program?
What do you hope your organization will get out of the Good Food Organizations program?
What can your organization bring to the Good Food Organizations program?

The letter of interest should be no longer than 2 pages single-spaced. Once you have completed the letter, please have someone in a senior-level position (Executive Director, CEO, or Director) sign it. The reason for this is that we want to ensure that each organization joining the Good Food Organizations is dedicated to the program and that senior-level staff are aware of this commitment.

Please scan the signed letter and upload it below.

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

The following fields will form the basis of your organization's profile on the Partner Portal website and will be visible to other members. You will be able to edit your profile at any time.

Organization name:
Address:
Town/City: / Province/Territory/State: / Postal/Zip Code:
Country: / Website:
Facebook: / Twitter: / Instagram:
Which programs does your organization currently offer?
☐ / Food Bank / ☐ / Food Literacy Programs
☐ / Community kitchens/cookingprograms / ☐ / Food policy / Advocacy Campaigns
☐ / Garden programs / ☐ / Peer-to-Peer Supports
☐ / Farmers’ Market/Affordable Market / ☐ / Social Enterprise
☐ / Student nutrition programs / ☐ / Food Storage and Distribution
☐ / Child and youth programs / ☐ / Other (please specify)
☐ / Indigenous programming
About us:
Enter text /
Something exciting we’re up to is…
Enter text /

CONTACTS & COMMUNICATIONS

To streamline communications between CFCC and your organization, we ask that you provide up to two main points of contact. Ideally these are also the staff/board members most engaged in the GFO program. Once admitted to the program, these two individuals will be given administrative access to the Partner Portal website and will then be able to create subaccounts for others within the organization.

Primary contact name: / Primary contact title:
Primary contact email: / Primary contact phone:
Display my contact information to other members: / ☐ / YES / ☐ / NO
Secondary contact name: / Secondary contact title:
Secondary contact email: / Secondary contact phone:
Display my contact information to other members: / ☐ / YES / ☐ / NO

Please note that since email is the main method that we will use to communicate with Good Food Organizations, all account holders in the Partner Portal website will be added to The Bulletin, our monthly email newsletter featuring program updates, upcoming training opportunities, and stories featuring the work of fellow partners. Additionally, CFCC has a monthly general e-newsletter featuring news and stories from our broader national work and the work of Community Food Centres.

Can we add you to CFCC’s general e-newsletter, The Feed?

☐ Yes please

☐ No thanks / I am already subscribed

Staff accounts to the Partner Portal

Once admitted to the Good Food Organizations program, we’ll create accounts for up to four of your staff to our partner website. You may optionally add the names and contact information for any staff you would like us to create accounts for. Note that as administrators, the primary and secondary contacts listed above can add or remove staff accounts at any time.

First name:
Enter text
Last name:
Enter text
Title:
Enter text
Email address:
Enter text

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION

The following fields give us a deeper understanding of your organization. Answers are for internal use only and will not be displayed publicly or to other members.

Which of the following best describes the nature of your full organization?
☐ / Community Food Security Organization
☐ / Food Bank
☐ / Health Organization
☐ / Food Producer/Distributor
☐ / Poverty Reduction Organization
☐ / School / School-based Organization
☐ / Community or Neighbourhood Centre
☐ / First Nations Health Centre or Social Development Council
☐ / Environmental Organization
☐ / Other (please specify) / Enter text

Please describe your community (cultural / income demographics, history, geographical situation)

______

What is unique about your organization?

______

Who are the people in your community? Why do they need your services?

______

Approximately what percentage of your organization’s programs deal primarily with food (i.e. food bank, community kitchens, community gardens, etc.)? / Choose an item.
How many full time (or full-time equivalent) staff members are involved in your food programs? / Enter text
How many people participate in your food programs in one month? / Enter text
How did you hear about the Good Food Organizations program?
☐ / Current GFO member
☐ / Other organization or network (non-GMO member). Specify in the other field: Enter text
☐ / Searching the web
☐ / CFCC website or e-newsletter
☐ / Another website – specify in the “other” field: Enter text
☐ / Directly from a CFCC staff member
☐ / Unsure
☐ / Other – please specify: Enter text

GOOD FOOD PRINCIPLES SELF-ASSESSMENT

HOW YOU CAN USE THIS SELF-ASSESSMENT

The Good Food Organizations program is grounded in a set of Good Food Principles, which underpin our work at Community Food Centres Canada and the work done at each Community Food Centre. We have seen these principles at work in other organizations and we have tested them with many groups that are working in similar directions. The principles are intended to be aspirational, but also grounded in pragmatic, achievable actions.

This self-assessment offers the opportunity to reflect on the ways in which you do your work and to assess how these principles are being implemented in your organization. Some organizations will find that they are already implementing the principles. Others are in the process of shifting how they deliver food programming in their community and can use this tool to look critically at which policies are in place, how staff and volunteers are trained, and how participants access programs and give input. Completing the assessment can be part of a strategic conversation within an organization, and can be used to set goals and assess progress toward achieving them over time.

As part of an annual membership renewal process, we will check in with you to discuss how participation in the Good Food Organizations program has helped you achieve the organizational goals you identify and what we can do to improve the program.

FILLING OUT THE SELF-ASSESSMENT FORM

Please fill out the form by assessing your organization’s policies and procedures as they stand right now.

Please select the response that most closely correlates with your organization’s situation as it pertains to each point. The options are:

A - This is not a priority for us.
B - We want to but haven’t gotten to it yet / we lack to resources to do it.
C - We address this through our work but feel we have room to improve.
D - This is one of our organization's strengths.

N/A (our current structures/programming would not allow for this to happen)

Use the “Comments” boxes to further explain your answer, identifying current or upcoming activities for example. You may find that you have a lot more to say in some areas than others or that examples given simply do not apply to the type of programs you offer (in which case, you can address this in the comments box).

We understand that organizations are doing great work, often with limited resources. Entry to the Good Food Organizations initiative is not contingent on how well you are currently implementing the Good Food Principles or on how many of the principles you are addressing. An accurate assessment is most important and useful in our view as it provides us with the information we need to develop tailored trainings and resources, and it provides you a snapshot of where you are and where you would like to go as an organization.

For ideas on how the Good Food Principles might be enacted and for examples, see the Good Food Principles document at

PRINCIPLE 1: TAKING ACTION FROM THE INDIVIDUAL TO THE SYSTEMIC — FOOD ACCESS, FOOD SKILLS, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

The poverty and food issues we see manifested in low-income community have multifaceted and complex causes and solutions, and there is thus power in individual-level to systemic-level approaches. We believe that all people have the right to the basics of a dignified life: a decent income, housing and employment, and access to healthy food. Together we need to fight for these rights and create opportunities for those affected to make their voices heard. Until we achieve these goals, we can work to help meet basic needs in the short term and to maximize the choices available to people by providing them with skills that enable them to choose, grow, and prepare good food. Offering programs that span the range of access, skills, and civic engagement on food and hunger creates relevance and multiple points of connection, while creating the potential for a critical mass of staff and programs.

Rating system:

N/A (our current structures/programming would not allow for this to happen)

A / B / C / D / N/A
1.1. Staff time is dedicated to leading or contributing to education and advocacy initiatives that impact poverty or food security. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
1.2. Staff time and other resources are directed to supporting program
participants to learn about and speak out on systemic or policy issues. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
1.3. We include an understanding of systemic issues as a criterion when we are selecting staff. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
1.4. We include an understanding of systemic issues as a criterion when selecting board members. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
1.5. We take action to make change at different scales from individual to community to broader social policy. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
1.6. Our food programs are planned to serve multiple objectives in the areas of access, skills, and community engagement. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
1.7. We have a critical mass of food programs that create impact in our community. / / / / /
Comments:

Please select one of the above indicators that you would like to work on in the year ahead (as a goal). Note that a goal associated to all five principles is optional, but we ask that you identify a goal under at least three of the five principles. (multiple choice)

Please indicate what actions you will undertake in the coming year to make progress in this area.We will ask about progress made when you renew your GFO membership in one year. (text box).

2. BELIEVING AND INVESTING IN THE POWER OF GOOD FOOD

We believe good food has the power to build health, connect people, and inspire them to become engaged in issues that matter to them. We strive to make good food a priority and to provide food through our programs that is delicious, healthy, sustainably produced, and pleasurable to eat.

Rating system:

A - This is not a priority for us.
B - We want to but haven’t gotten to it yet / we lack to resources to do it.
C - We address this through our work but feel we have room to improve.
D - This is one of our organization's strengths.

N/A (our current structures/programming would not allow for this to happen)

A / B / C / D / N/A
2.1. We seek donations of healthy, fresh food (e.g. fruits and vegetables, eggs, whole grain products, dairy). / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
2.2. We purchase local, seasonal food when possible. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
2.3. We do not buy or accept donations of foods that are highly processed or high in sugar/fat/salt. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
2.4. We have a healthy food policy that guides purchasing and menu choices. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
2.5. We have staff who understand healthy nutrition. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
2.6. We have staff who
understand food system issues (e.g. small farm economies, environmental sustainability). / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
2.7. We attempt to provide for maximum participant choice within our food programs with respect to food preferences, health needs, and cultural diversity (e.g. choice to determine hamper contents; input into recipes chosen or food grown).. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
2.8. We have mechanisms to allow program participants to tell us how they feel about the food that we serve / distribute. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /

Please indicate what actions you will undertake in the coming year to make progress in this area.We will ask about progress made when you renew your GFO membership in one year. (text box).

3. CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT OF RESPECT AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

We believe that respect – for the inherent value, assets, and potential to contribute of all people – should underpin all of our work. Thus we strive to avoid the signs, symbols, and procedures that contribute to the stigma often experienced by people attending food programs in charitable organizations, and to positively communicate our respect for all participants through respectful procedures and inviting community involvement. We believe that people are healthiest and happiest when they are making their own choices, meeting their own needs, and contributing to their communities. We strive to empower those with lived experience of hunger and poverty with a platform to speak up against these issues and help others in the community who are struggling with them too. In addition, inviting community involvement breaks down the binary between the ‘givers’ and the ‘receivers’ of charity so dominant in many emergency food programs.

Rating system:

N/A (our current structures/programming would not allow for this to happen)

A / B / C / D / N/A
3.1. We avoid asking people to justify their need to access our programs/services (e.g. via means testing, interviews to determine levels of need). / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
3.2. We avoid creating line-ups for our programs inside or outside our agency. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
3.3. We have posted policies affirming our commitment to treating people respectfully, welcoming diversity, and offering a complaints procedure when there is a breach in these areas. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
3.4. Our organization’s physical space is functional and aesthetically pleasing enough to convey an attitude of respect and welcome to participants. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
3.5. Through our hiring practices, we try to reflect cultural and other forms of diversity in our community. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
3.6. We attempt to create leadership opportunities for participants within programs or the broader organization (e.g. advisory functions, boards, peer leadership programs, staff positions). / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /
A / B / C / D / N/A
3.7. Staff are grounded in an understanding of
marginalization, discrimination, and anti-oppression principles. / / / / /
Comments:
Enter text /