Community Organizations Receive $500,000 From ConAgra Foods Foundation to Fight Child Hunger

OMAHA, Neb., July 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eleven local organizations in 10 different states have been selected to receive a total of more than $500,000 as part of the inaugural ConAgra Foods Foundation Community Impact Grants program.

More than 325 non-profit organizations from across the country responded to the new grant application that the Foundation announced in January 2010. The ConAgra Foods Foundation introduced the new program to identify, invest in and support non-profit organizations that are finding innovative ways to combat child hunger and enhance nutrition education among at-risk populations, particularly in communities where ConAgra Foods has a presence and/or states where more than 20 percent of children are at risk of hunger.

After a highly competitive, two-step process, 11 organizations were selected to receive grants to support their innovative approaches to helping fight child hunger. These recipients will also advance the Foundation's commitment to ending hunger across a diverse set of geographies, target populations and program models.

"Nearly 17 million children in the United States struggle with hunger throughout the year. That's almost one in four kids. There are hundreds of groups doing their part to help children in need, and we're focusing our funding on identifying and funding groups that are using innovative solutions. We'll study their successes and share them with others so that we can move closer to ending child hunger," said Kori Reed, executive director, ConAgra Foods Foundation.

The Community Impact Grant program provides annual awards ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. Recipients of this year's Community Impact Grants include:  

(For more details about the recipients and their grant-funded projects, please refer to the grant fact sheet at www.conagrafoodsfoundation.org.)

Organizations interested in being considered for the next round of Community Impact Grants can complete a Letter of Interest beginning in January 2011, with recipients announced in May 2011. For more information, visit www.conagrafoodsfoundation.org.  

About ConAgra Foods Foundation

The ConAgra Foods Foundation, through its Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow platform, is dedicated to raising awareness of the nearly 17 million children in America who are at risk of hunger and don't have enough food to live active, healthful lives. It aggressively pursues sustainable solutions in the fight against child hunger. And the Foundation is committed to building a community of people who are passionate about ensuring that all kids have access to the food and facts they need to eat nutritiously while living balanced lifestyles and succeeding in school and life. ConAgra Foods Foundation invests in national and local partnerships with high-impact, not-for-profit organizations, such as Feeding America, that take an innovative approach to addressing needs in the core areas of hunger and nutrition education. For more information, please visit www.conagrafoodsfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation. The ConAgra Foods Foundation is funded solely by ConAgra Foods (NYSE: CAG).

SOURCE ConAgra Foods