Grants for Heart Healthy Eating

Heart healthy eating involves a diet rich in fiber and antioxidants and low in cholesterol and calories. Educating others about the importance of a heart healthy diet and showing people how they can make heart-smart choices are the first steps toward better health for all.

If you or your organization have an idea for a project in nutrition education, a grant can help cover program or infrastructure costs. Unlike a loan, grant funds do not need to be paid back.

General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids

Each year, General Mills provides $10,000 grants to 50 non-profit organizations, government agencies, school districts and Native American communities to promote healthy eating and exercise to kids. Applications are available online in September and due by January. Funds are dispersed in June. Past grant winners include the PE Partners Tech Tweens/Teens project in Tucson, Arizona, which uses technology to teach kids heart healthy eating habits, and the Wilkey Champs in Leitchfield, Kentucky, which trains families to eat healthier at home.

General Mills Foundation
763-764-2211
generalmills.com

Hidden Valley Love Your Veggies School Grant Program

Hidden Valley awards ten $10,000 grants each year to support elementary school programs that encourage children to eat more vegetables, which are a critical part of a heart-healthy diet. Funds can be spent on fresh produce, facilities for food preparation or additional staff to grow or prepare vegetables. Applications are due in November and winners are notified by March.

Hidden Valley
loveyourveggies.com

The Wellmark Foundation's Healthy Communities Grant Program

The Wellmark Foundation, a subsidiary of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, offers two tiers of grant awards each year: up to $25,000 and up to $150,000. Grant money may be used to fund a project for up to two years. Projects must be focused on preventing childhood obesity, a leading risk factor for heart disease, or promoting community-based wellness programs which could be specific to heart health. Only non-profit organizations in Iowa or South Dakota qualify.

The Wellmark Foundation
636 Grand, Station 150
P.O. Box 9232
Des Moines, IA 50306-9232
wellmark.com

Healthy Eating Research Grants

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provides grant money on an annual basis through its Healthy Eating Research program. It focuses on funding programs aimed at preventing obesity in children, particularly minority and disadvantaged children, through healthy eating. The three types of grants offered are Round 5 grants, for innovative research; Rapid-Response, for projects with immediate financial needs; and New Connections, specifically for studies led by minority researchers. More than $2.4 million is awarded each year.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
1300 South Second Street, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55454-1015
800-578-8636
healthyeatingresearch.org