🎉 We have exciting news to share! 🎉

We have a new way for you to make a difference at Franklinton Farms. We have a donation matching opportunity so that every dollar you donate will be matched - so your impact is doubled! - up to $20,000. 

 Why are we asking now? While you may know us as a steady, constant presence in food access, Franklinton Farms has faced many of the same challenges confronting food organizations across Columbus and the country. Over the past few years, the nonprofit funding landscape has shifted dramatically. Pandemic-era funding source have come to an end, federal priorities have shifted, and competition for available funding has increased significantly. At the same time, two unexpected leadership transitions in 2024 further rattled Franklinton Farms' organizational momentum, but we held steadfast as we stabilized our team and charted a path forward.

The challenging circumstances of 2024 & 2025 led to a reduction of nearly half of our available operating resources, resulting in the loss of more than 10 staff positions in 2024 and a substantial scaling back of programming in 2025. We've embraced and learned from these setbacks!

In 2026, we've reconfigured our approach to farming with our community by embracing volunteerism and local support. We've re-organized into an efficient and lean farming operation that is on track to grow and share more produce, with more of our community, than ever before. We’ve weathered the storms of the past two years. Great things are happening now with many exciting announcements soon to come. However, Franklinton Farms still suffers a critical funding deficit that endangers our ability to continue our mission-driven work long-term.  

Today, we're growing food, deepening partnerships, and investing in a funding model that that relies on a broader base of community support to help sustain this work. This matching challenge is an opportunity to double your impact, and invest in the future of Franklinton Farms.

As you consider a contribution to Franklinton Farms, please choose which of the following campaigns speaks to you most - both are eligible for the match.

Our Community U-Pick is one of the most cherished spaces at Franklinton Farms. Open year-round and free for anyone to harvest, it provides fresh produce, herbs, flowers, and a welcoming place where neighbors can connect with the land and each other.

 Your gift to this fund helps us grow food, care for the space, improve accessibility, and keep this unique community resource thriving for everyone who visits.

Why This Matters Right Now

Across the country, many food banks and nutrition programs are facing an uncertain future as funding shifts and resources become more limited. At a time when more families are relying on food assistance, many organizations are being asked to do more with less.

Instead of creating another system people have to apply for or navigate, the Community U-Pick keeps things simple. No applications, forms, or processing times, just immediate access to locally grown food, right in the neighborhood, as simply as picking a tomato off of the vine.

Healthy organizations don't grow by accident. They grow because people invest in them.

Growing Together is our capacity-building campaign, supporting the people and systems that make every harvest, volunteer day, educational program, and community gathering possible. Your gift helps us strengthen our team by investing in long-term personnel and professional development, technology, and the organizational infrastructure that allows Franklinton Farms to serve our community well today while building resilience for the future. 

Why This Matters Right Now

Staff stability and retention remain one of our greatest organizational risks. After nearly two years of dedicated work by our Staff, AmeriCorps team, and Board of Directors, many long-term initiatives are finally beginning to come to fruition. To fully realize the impact of these opportunities, our team needs the stability to focus on farming, programming, and community impact rather than the constant challenge of managing cash flow and financial uncertainty

This fund will enable FF to retain critical staff, grow the organization, and build organizational infrastructure to put us on a path towards being a sustainable, thriving organization. 

By investing in Growing Together, you're helping ensure that the work our community depends on can continue to flourish for years to come.

Whether you choose to support Friends of the U-Pick or Growing Together, your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar until we've reached our $20,000 goal or through Labor Day, whichever comes first.

Thank you for believing in the power of community, fresh food, and neighbors growing together. Every matched gift brings us one step closer to a stronger, more resilient Franklinton Farms.