Expanded efforts to increase equitable access to state Food is Medicine services
June 1, 2026 – (Cambridge, MA) The Center for Health Policy and Innovation (CHLPI) of Harvard Law School seeks proposals from state partners to leverage its expertise in health care and nutrition law and policy to promote access to Food is Medicine (FIM) practices that positively impact individual health, food systems, and communities.
CHLPI, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, launched an effort in 2022 to facilitate implementation of FIM policy nationwide and build capacity for change in states across the nation. With ongoing support from The Rockefeller Foundation, and additional support from Builders Vision Philanthropy and the Walmart Foundation, CHLPI put out a new call for partners in 2024, and has had the privilege of working with partners in four states – Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, and Texas – to provide intensive technical support to advance their FIM priorities from 2025 to 2026. CHLPI is delighted to continue expanding this work with four new partners in the coming year.
CHLPI is offering one year of pro bono technical assistance (TA) to community organizations, nonprofits, coalitions, and local, state, and tribal government entities across the United States interested in implementing and scaling state-level FIM policy. A request for proposals (RFP) is open until August 3, 2026. CHLPI anticipates making four TA awards from this RFP to begin in December 2026.
Selected partners will receive one year of in-depth capacity-building engagement to help build a solid, community-based foundation for concrete policy change. This support can include:
- early-stage coalition building,
- nonpartisan research and legal consultation on a variety of FIM policies tailored to the partner’s interests,
- presentations, training, written policy resources, and/or communications materials for a range of audiences, and
- training and assistance from technical experts (e.g., research and evaluation, community consultation).
Eligibility
Any community-based organization, nonprofit, coalition, or local, state, or tribal government entity interested in state-level FIM policy is welcome to apply. CHLPI will select partners based on readiness for policy engagement and change regarding FIM policies, existing coalitions or engagements with community partners, feasibility of policy success, potential to impact underserved populations, diversity of potential policy solutions of interest, and diversity in location/geography. CHLPI encourages applicants from parts of the country where gaps in statewide FIM policy currently exist, such as the Southeast, Midwest, and Mountain regions.
Previous recipients of CHLPI’s twelve-month in-depth TA are not eligible for this opportunity but are encouraged to apply for short-term (2-month) targeted assistance as needed (please see “Additional Opportunities” below).
Please click here for application instructions and contact information.
Additional Opportunities
CHLPI, with support from Builders Vision Philanthropy, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Walmart Foundation, is also offering short-term (2-month) targeted technical assistance to a broad range of stakeholders seeking support in understanding, developing, or implementing FIM policy. CHLPI provides selected partners with expert consultation and one targeted, time-sensitive deliverable to advance FIM policy in the state; this targeted deliverable might include legal research and policy analysis, presentations or training, facilitation of meetings, or other support designed to build local capacity. To learn more about this opportunity and other resources, please click here.
About the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation
For more than 10 years, CHLPI has advocated for legal, regulatory, and policy reforms in health and food systems, with a focus on the needs of systemically marginalized individuals. CHLPI’s broad range of initiatives aim to expand access to high-quality health care and nutritious, affordable food; to reduce health- and food-related disparities; to develop community advocacy capacity; and, to promote more equitable, sustainable, and effective health care and food systems. Please click here for more information.