“America is not a pile of goods… America is a dream of greater justice and opportunity for the average man and, if we can not obtain it, all our other achievements amount to nothing.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

“Ecological agriculture allows us to make peace with the earth, soil and the society.” ― Vandana Shiva

The river moves from land to water to land, in and out of organisms, … you cannot separate the land from the water, or the people from the land. ― Lynn Noel

The 21st Century will be the era of nurture capital, built around principles of carrying capacity, care of the commons, sense of place and non-violence. ― Slow Money Principle III.

“When people, land, and community are as one, all three members prosper; when they relate not as members but as competing interests, all three are exploited. …” ― The Land Institute

“The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life.” ― Wendell Berry

Grants 2023

American Friends Services Committee

Philadelphia, PA
$15,000
Project: General Operations Grant to revitalize small, sustainable farms throughout the state of New Mexico, thereby protecting culture, natural land, water resources, and jobs, while improving the health of the state’s children and their communities.

Chef Empowerment

Hampton, FL
$11,740
Project:  General operating support for purchase of a hood ventilation system for the training kitchen to provide a safe and healthy kitchen environment for teaching youth in depth culinary skills for future employment opportunities.

CISA

So. Deerfield, MA
$33,333
Project: Growing Resilience Fund.

CISA

So. Deerfield, MA
$12,500
Project: To support the continued effort to provide local, sustainable food and food system infrastructure improvements and diversity in Hampden and Hampshire Counties in Massachusetts, including increasing SNAP opportunities.

Cultural Arts Coalition

Gainesville, FL
$14,000
Project:  Project: General operating support for the Cultural Arts Coalition Science Academy and Gardening Programs, the transport van and science bus administrative costs, and bookkeeping and payroll services.

Fibershed

San Geronimo, CA
$15,000
Project: General support for the Threading Resilience Fibershed Affiliate Micro-grant program and continued development of regional fiber systems through co development of leadership and affilitate capacity to implement equity centered values and principles.

Food Bank of Western Massachusetts

Hatfield, MA
$30,000
Project: Food Bank No Till Farm Operating Support

Forage, Inc. d/b/a Working Food

Gainesville, FL
$67,500
Project: General operating support for operating expenses, next stage capacity building, staffing,  collaborations, and community outreach that will provide the resources and support to bring people together to grow, cook, develop value added products, educate, share and advocate for healthy, local food for all. By locating a seed collective, kitchen incubator, youth education,  and community event space under one roof, the Center will catalyze and accelerate the creation of a comprehensive local food system

Franklin County CDC

Greenfield, MA
$25,000
Project: To support the funding of a new Community based loan fund in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts.

Gaining Ground

Concord, MA
$10,000
Project: General Operating with focus on planning around new land purchase and the needed research.

Greater Duval Neighborhood Association

Gainesville, FL
$20,000
Project: Project: General operating support for the Greater Duval Neighborhood Association administrative expenses necessary to build and expand programs for youth and seniors in the Duval Neighborhood.

Greater Duval Neighborhood Association

Gainesville, FL
$6,000
Project: General operating support for the Greater Duval Neighborhood Association to fund training and salary for a bookkeeper, and purchase a Quick Books subscription program.

Greater Duval Neighborhood Association

Gainesville, FL
$4,500
Project: General operating support for the Greater Duval Neighborhood Association to facilitate and host a Black Food Justice 3 day event January 24-26. This event is intended to build community awareness and engagement for food access, a grocery store and urban agriculture through a series of events with keynote speaker, Malik Yakini from Detroit.

Health Care Without Harm

Reston, VA
$15,000
Project: Further development of the Northeast Food Collective.

Holistic Management International

Albuquerque, NM
$8,000
Project: Project: General Operating Funding to broadly support ongoing dialogue and collaboration with the Quivira Coalition and other non-profits working to improve the health of soil, ecosystems, and food nutrition in New Mexico.

Hawthorne Valley Association

Ghent, NY
$10,000
Project: General Operating Support.

National Young Farmers Coalition

Hudson, NY
$30,000
Project: Project: General support for the Farm Bill Impact Fund fellowship program, coalition building, and general support for young farmers to address key issues of land access that protect land and conserve water, and address climate resilience.

New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association

Santa Fe, NM
$20,000
Project: General Operating grant to support the NM food system of food producers and local distributors across the state of New Mexico.

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains

Denver, CO
$20,000
Project:  General operating grant to cover the online and in-clinic services that PPRMNM provides to its patients regarding their reproductive healthcare needs and requirements.

Positive Futures Network

Bainbridge Island, WA
$14,000
Project: General operating support.

Post Carbon Institute

Corvallis, OR
$20,000
Project: General operating support for development of educational programming within the Resilience Institute and Community Resilience Framework for further development of educational content and communications for navigating the Great Unraveling.  Also to honor 20th Anniversary of Post Carbon Institute.

Quivira Coalition

Santa Fe, NM
$15,000
Project: Project: General operating support for the Coalition’s community outreach and education efforts, their various programs including those promoting regenerative agriculture, soil carbon sequestration, and apprenticeships for new farmers, ranchers, and First Nations members.

Rebuilding Together North Central Florida

Gainesville, FL
$10,000
Project: General support for continued expansion of the CWC’s organizational capacity and core operations (energy surveys, energy upgrades, training, recruitment, and outreach) as they undertake an ambitious agenda implementing their Best Practices Manual, continuing research on effective energy efficiency measures and partnering with IFAS extension for county and state-wide outreach.

Self Evident Education

Florence, MA
$20,000
Project: Project: Pre-production work on a three-part series of short documentary films and supporting curriculum that will explore themes of Black land ownership, farming, and economic and political power throughout the histories of systemic racism in the United States.

Sterling College

Craftsbury, VT
$10,000
Project:  General support for curriculum and operational expenses for initiatives of the Rian Fried Center that support agroecology, ecological thinking and action in the realm of sustainable agriculture and food systems.

Vermont Wilderness School

Brattleboro, VT
$8,000
Project: General operating support.

Western Landowners Alliance

Denver, CO
$100,000
Project: General operating support for capacity building and the Courage to Lead Campaign.

Western Landowners Alliance

Denver, CO
$15,000
Project: Project: general operating funding to advance policies and practices that will increase the health and biological diversity of working lands across the West.

Western MA Training Consortium

Holyoke, MA
$7,675.20
Project: The Peoples Medicine Project Volunteer Coordinator Position.

The Lydia B. Stokes Foundation is committed to the Quaker philosophy of peace and justice. The Foundation supports building resilient, healthy communities by focusing on social and economic justice, regenerative organic agriculture, viable, healthy ecosystems, quality of life issues, development of local food systems, local energy security and peace initiatives.

This vision of interconnected Life and Living Values directs our grant making and drives our investment decisions