The Seeding Power Fellowship is a nine-month cohort-based food justice fellowship program. It’s designed for experienced leaders working across sectors to build equitable food systems. We invite applications from movement leaders and philanthropic partners in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Seeding Power is unique in both the region it serves and the focus on effective collaborations and equitable relationships, while including fellows from philanthropy and government. Racial equity, social justice, active communication, and collaboration form the core of a tested yet tailored curriculum designed by Emerging Equity.

By creating a community of practice that develops a shared analysis of the issues plaguing our food system, Seeding Power cohorts graduate with strengthened cross-sector relationships and skills, and the opportunity to develop projects together.

Each fellow receives at least three hours of individualized coaching. Movement fellows receive a $5,000 stipend, and philanthropic fellows are asked to make a financial contribution.

Seeding Power achieves its goals and objectives by developing skills that: 1) create an effective community of practice; 2) form practices based on a foundational understanding of power and relationships; and 3) support successful and equitable team collaborations.

By investing in leaders, centering those most marginalized, and creating a shared analysis across the cohort, Seeding Power grows the effectiveness and capacity of a unified food justice movement.

In addition to a core curriculum, fellows are placed in collaboration teams and given ample time and coaching to ideate and dream together about how their work may align, and be strengthened by one another.

Philanthropic partners are part of the cohort mix in acknowledgement of the influence funders exert in the food movement, and to allow for more meaningful examination and dialogue about the potential of this influence.

The program is designed to foster collaboration across sectors and regions by providing opportunities to interact and align with each other’s work, while also being grounded in healing, gratitude practices, and restorative justice so as to reduce burnout, assist with productive approaches to conflict, and promote movement sustainability.

Seeding Power provides a space to have challenging conversations among organizations and sectors that are not always totally aligned, in order to find common ground and build consensus on a path forward.

The following is the anticipated timeline for the 2026-2027 program. Updates will be made here as necessary.

Individual coaching sessions will be scheduled by each fellow outside of Fellowship meeting times. All virtual sessions, cohort panels, and collaboration meetings are two-hour Zoom gatherings.

• March 21 – April 30, 2026: Applications open
• May – June: Selection process
• June/July: Fellows identified & introductory webinar

The Seeding Power Fellowship is open to experienced movement leaders and philanthropic partners (funders) whose work touches the food system in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut.

To be eligible, you should have significant experience working on food system change. This work can be done as part of a nonprofit organization or philanthropic institution, but that is not a requirement. Other positions such as unaffiliated organizers, private sector actors such as farmers, and government employees are also among those eligible.

CFF has made an unwavering commitment to racial and gender justice, and to uplift and support BIPOC leadership in food systems work. Those who identify as BIPOC, women, and/or LGBTQIA+ are strongly encouraged to apply. The Seeding Power cohort will be diverse across gender, class, race, age, and geographic region, with a majority of spots intended for individuals from historically marginalized groups.

Read the FAQs for more information.

Apply here for the next Seeding Power cohort. Deadline: April 30, 2026.

A selection committee comprised of Seeding Power alumni, CFF steering committee members, and other leaders in the field will read and score every application. Those who advance to the second round will be invited to participate in a video interview. The twelve selected fellows will be asked to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in order to confirm their spot. Fellows from the philanthropic sector will be asked to obtain an additional MOU from their foundation as well.