WORKSHOP C: Evidence to Investment - Using Community Café Research to Build a Funding Pipeline
The community café movement has reached a pivotal moment. For the first time, the growing body of research on the community café model is beginning to rival—and in some areas surpass—the depth of research that has long shaped traditional food bank systems. This shift presents a powerful opportunity: funders are no longer only asking what we do, but what the evidence shows.
This workshop explores how community cafés can effectively use existing research to strengthen grant proposals, deepen funder confidence, and build sustainable funding pipelines. Participants will examine the current community café research landscape and discuss how data, evaluations, and shared learnings can be translated into compelling funding narratives that align with philanthropic priorities.
Beyond simply citing studies, the workshop will focus on how cafés are actively leveraging research to demonstrate impact, articulate systems change, and position their work within a broader movement toward dignity‑centered, community‑driven food access. Participants will share how they are using—or struggling to use—research in grant writing, reporting, and long‑term funding strategy, learning from peers who have successfully embedded evidence into their development work.
Participants will:
Explore the growing body of community café research and why it matters to funders
Discuss how this research compares to and challenges traditional food system models
Learn practical ways to integrate research into grant proposals and funder conversations
Share approaches for turning evidence into long‑term funding strategy, not just one‑time grants
Reflect on how research can collectively strengthen the community café movement
This workshop is ideal for executive leaders, development professionals, board members, and anyone responsible for fundraising who wants to move from anecdotal storytelling to evidence‑informed investment—and help shape the future of community cafés as a proven, fundable model.
FACILITATOR: Lori Borchers, One World Everybody Eats
WORKSHOP D: Speaking Funders’ Language - Aligning Community Café Work With What Foundations Say They Need
Recent research from Candid and the Center for Effective Philanthropy reveals a growing disconnect between what nonprofits say they need to survive and thrive—and what foundation leaders believe they are providing. Survey data gathered from hundreds of nonprofit and foundation leaders highlights rising service demand, increasing pressure on nonprofit leadership, and the urgent need for flexible, relationship‑based funding—yet also shows that foundation leaders often underestimate the scale and urgency of these challenges. [candid.org]
At the same time, community cafés are evolving rapidly. Across the network, cafés are responding to increased demand, workforce strain, shifting donor expectations, and a growing emphasis on dignity‑centered food access. More cafés are collecting data, refining participation models, strengthening partnerships, and positioning themselves as both service providers and systems‑change organizations.
This workshop brings these two realities into conversation. Participants will explore key findings from Candid’s research and examine how community cafés can intentionally align their narratives, funding asks, and grant strategies with what funders say they’re prioritizing—while still clearly articulating what cafés actually need. Together, we’ll discuss how cafés are using data, research, and lived experience to reframe conversations around general operating support, sustainability, collaboration, and long‑term impact.
Through facilitated discussion and peer sharing, attendees will reflect on how to use funder research not as a constraint, but as a strategic tool—one that strengthens grant writing, improves funder relationships, and helps build funding pipelines that support the next phase of the community café movement.
Participants will:
Review key insights from Candid’s research on nonprofit and foundation leader perspectives
Explore how these findings connect to current trends in community cafés
Discuss how cafés are adapting funding strategies in response to increased demand and sector pressure
Share practical ways to align grant language with funder priorities without compromising mission or values
Leave with ideas for leveraging philanthropic research to strengthen funding conversations and proposals
This workshop is ideal for café leaders, development staff, and board members seeking to better understand the philanthropic landscape—and to position community cafés as evidence‑informed, resilient, and fundable models in a changing food system.
FACILITATOR: Jennifer Earle, Grace Cafe