Henry P Kendall Foundation
ActiveMutual & Membership BenefitFunds Individuals
About Henry P Kendall Foundation
The Henry P. Kendall Foundation is focused on transforming New England's food system by funding network-building, policy change, and institutional procurement initiatives that expand access to local food. They favor operating support and capacity-building for regional intermediaries and universities that run farm-to-school, farm-to-institution, and supply-chain programs, as well as advocacy to shift public purchasing. Their grants are place-based (New England) and oriented toward systems change rather than project-level direct service.
Focus Areas
Farm-to-School networks and school cafeteria programming in New EnglandFarm-to-Institution procurement and supply-chain expansion for colleges, hospitals, and K–12Regional food policy and advocacy to increase local food purchasing (New England Food Vision)Capacity-building and operating support for regional food-system intermediaries and collaborativesScaling affordable grocery/retail access that sources local producers (e.g., support for Daily Table)
Who They Fund
K-12 school districts and school meal programsregional/local farmers and producers (including seafood harvesters)
About Henry P Kendall Foundation
Henry P Kendall Foundation’s recent grantmaking centers on building New England’s local food system through networks, procurement, and policy work rather than isolated project support. A standout pattern is its repeated backing of regional intermediaries that coordinate schools, colleges, hospitals, farmers, and food hubs across the region. The foundation has funded operating support for organizations such as Third Sector New England and Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, tying grants to farm-to-school leadership, food system planning, and long-term systems change. It also supports institutional food purchasing, with grants aimed at expanding local sourcing in school cafeterias, campus dining, and other public or nonprofit food settings. That systems focus shows up in grants that combine capacity building with market development. Some awards are directed to groups working on supply-chain coordination, while others support leadership development, policy advancement, and network building through New England-focused programs. The foundation also funds place-based food access work when it aligns with regional sourcing, as seen in support for Daily Table’s operating needs during expansion. Across the portfolio, the foundation favors organizations that can influence how food moves through New England institutions and how regional producers connect to those buyers.
What Henry P Kendall Foundation Funds
One major cause area is school food systems. Henry P Kendall Foundation supported Farm Fresh Rhode Island with $315,000 to connect local and regional farmers with 36 Rhode Island school districts and expand the supply chain for Maine-grown broccoli with K-12 schools, colleges, and institutions. It also gave Springfield Public Schools $185,000 to develop a price-competitive local pizza shell that meets USDA K-12 nutrition guidelines. A second area is processing and supply-chain infrastructure. The foundation awarded $199,856 to Click Inc for expanding the processing infrastructure of the only food hub in eastern Connecticut, and $199,929 to Vital Communities to develop a regional farm ingredient sourcing channel and expand processing facilities and capacity. A third theme is seafood and underutilized products in institutional meals. Gulf of Maine Research Institute received $170,900 to increase the product development and consumption of New England seafood in K-12 schools, while Commercial Fisheries Center of RI got $200,000 to build demand for underutilized fish species in school food.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.3M
Total Assets
$96.9M
Total Revenue
$3.8M
Total Expenses
$5.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $1K and $171K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$171K
Geographic Reach
Regional12 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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