Eleanor Crook Foundation
OVERVIEW: The Eleanor Crook Foundation seeks organizations that prioritize ending hunger and poverty globally.
IP TAKE: The Eleanor Crook Foundation doesn’t just provide grant funding to end malnutrition – it is a “thought leader” in the fight to end hunger and poverty globally. If you want to successfully work with them, they encourage potential “partners” to reach out and let the foundation “get to know” them prior to being invited to apply. In short, this is an accessible, responsive funder that seeks to have a close working relationship with their grantees. But keep in mind, they don’t consider themselves a funder, but rather an active “investor” in your success.
PROFILE: Eleanor Crook and her late husband, Ambassador William H. Crook, founders of large grocery chain H-E-B, established the Eleanor Crook Foundation (ECF) in 1997. According to the foundation’s website, Eleanor has advocated for global nutrition for decades. The main objective of ECF is to end hunger at a global scale. It “[o]nly makes investments that fill critical gaps and have the potential to be catalytic, scalable, and sustainable.”
Grants for Global Health and Nutrition
The foundation’s grantmaking initiatives focus on UK- and US-based Advocacy, Nutrition Research in Sub-Saharan Africa (particularly East Africa), and Policy Analysis globally.
ECF’s Advocacy efforts focus on “supporting robust, evidence-based, and creative advocacy” efforts in the U.K. and U.S. Their strategy in this arena focuses on three key components:
(1) “mobilizing diverse champions and influential voices” in advocacy campaigns
(2) “creating and distributing compelling communications collateral”
(3) “deploying public awareness campaigns to inspire action”
ECF’s Implementation Research grants seek to “scale-up… effective interventions.” They “partner(s) with world-renowned multilateral organizations, non-governmental organizations, universities, and other partners to conduct implementation research through our RISE for Nutrition portfolio and other investments.”
Finally, ECF partners with organizations performing “thoughtful policy analysis to examine current systems and approaches and explore ways to improve them.” Where ECF usually seeks big ideas, in this area, they specify that nuanced approaches, “small but meaningful adaptations that could deliver a big impact.”
Important Grant Details:
This laser-focused global health funder has deep pockets for this space. ECF grants typically range from around $5,000 to $25,000. Past grantees include organizations such as the Alliance to End Hunger and the Bread for the World Institute.
The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications or requests of funding, but they do provide some guidance for potential grantseekers. Grant seekers that believe their work aligns with ECFs objectives are welcome to send a brief email to info@eleanorcrookfoundation.org. There is also a contact form available on their “For Grantees” page.
PEOPLE:
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