The Castanea Fellowship aims to build a growing network of diverse leaders working to create a healthy, sustainable, equitable, and just food system. We believe food issues cannot be solved in isolation. Our hope is that the fellowship will continue to build strong connections among leaders from diverse interest areas, regions, and strategies, to more effectively address the complexity of food system change. We provide leaders with time and space to develop the skills necessary to bring their visions to life in their communities. We keep Alumni engaged and connected, including participation in our Steering Committee, Selection Committees for future cohorts, and other opportunities to engage with future fellows. The voices and perspectives of Alumni will continue to be integrated as we grow.

Castanea is seeking leaders who leverage opportunities for creative solutions to systemic problems. We seek a variety of lived and professional experiences, personalities, and perspectives. Leaders who know a better food system is possible and are committed to building a healthy, sustainable, and equitable food system that works better for children, families, and all of our communities are invited to apply. We are looking for community-builders and visionaries who are ready to grow and build as part of a community of practice.

Check out our criteria/eligibilityto learn more.

No, you don’t. Successful applicants are meaningfully connected to their communities, colleagues, and/or sectors. While we appreciate that new ideas might be highly individual, we also recognize that real change doesn’t exist in a vacuum--it must be in collaboration with community. We will look for aspects of this collaboration in the application, especially in essay responses.

Yes, you are eligible! People in a variety of positions and paths are encouraged to apply. You don’t have to belong to an organization of any specific type, and we welcome individual applicants. We are looking for people who have worked for at least five years in the food space and have a vision of how to create impact in their communities. A diverse cohort made up of people with a range of professional and personal experiences will be a successful and impactful one. The only exception is that Castanea Fellows cannot use grant money for academic research purposes.

Everyone is welcome to apply to the Castanea Fellowship, regardless of race, ethnicity, or identity. If you align with our values of racial equity, diversity, and impact, we want you to apply! Applicants should be prepared to talk about race, welcome being in a diverse space, and able to show up in supportive ways to everyone in the cohort.

The application timeline is below. Dates are subject to change based on the volume of applications. 

• August 1, 2024: Applications Open
• August 16: Informational Webinar
• August 31: Application Deadline
• September - January 2025: Applicant Review Process (multi-stage)
• February 10: Applicants Notified of Status (Accepted, Waitlisted, Declined)
• February 21: Deadline for Acceptance
• March: Fellows Announced Externally
• March: Kickoff Gathering (virtual)
• April 21-25: First in-person gathering

We are not currently accepting applications.

The Castanea Fellowship is designed for leaders who have at least five years of work experience in improving the food system. Strong applicants are well-versed in racial equity, and able to clearly demonstrate their leadership experience in the food system. The fellowship is not designed for emerging leaders or those new to the field.

Due to the anticipated volume of applicants, we will not be able to provide individualized feedback on applications.

This is an opportunity for applicants to share work they are proud of, such as a project, published article, image representing an important piece of work, video, art, or something else in a visual medium that would help us get a fuller sense of the applicant. We are not expecting applicants to create new work or materials for the purpose of this application. Please feel free to be creative with your submissions!

The grant award must have a charitable purpose. A list of common items that the grant award cannot be used for is below.

• Startup funding for a business
• Anything that would derive private benefit
• Funding for research or anything that would result in the creation of intellectual property

The activities of the fourth cohort of the Castanea Fellowship will take place between March 2025 and September 2026. The estimated time commitment is an average of five hours a month, which may include the following: 

1. Monthly cohort check-ins and optional virtual (online) programming
2. Solidarity Gatherings (online) before in-person gatherings
3. Coaching, mentoring, or other individualized support 
4. Professional development opportunities, conferences and other event opportunities, as they arise (optional)

Additionally, each Fellow must be able to attend in-person learning events based on the following schedule. Exact dates are TBD and will be confirmed prior to notification of acceptance into the cohort. 

• April 2025
• September 2025
• April 2026
• September 2026

We encourage all people who are excited by the promise of the Castanea Fellowship and meet our basic requirements to apply, including people with mental, physical, or cognitive disabilities, illness, injuries, impairments, or other conditions that may impact access to programming. Find our complete Access Statement here: Castanea Access Statement 2022

We adhere to stringent protocols in order to prioritize the health and safety of vulnerable populations. Find our current COVID-19 protocols here: Castanea COVID-19 Policy & Protocol 2024

All Fellows will participate in one-on-one check-ins with a member of the Castanea team. These check-ins provide an opportunity for coaching, planning and implementing an individualized development arc, and documenting Fellows’ progress, needs, questions, and successes! No additional official reporting is required, though Castanea may request report-backs from events attended or projects in collaboration with other Fellows or Castanea partners. We also encourage Fellows to connect with the team beyond scheduled one-on-ones as is useful and supportive.