We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for
our 2024-2025 First Food mini-grants!
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Please see below for more information and important dates. We look forward to hearing about your plans to improve breastfeeding in your communities!
Applicant Eligibility
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Applicants must be a community based group or organization. Eligible organizations include government funded programs, community health programs, universities, schools and other community based organizations (e.g. community health centers, shelters).
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Applicants must be a non-profit (501c status required).
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Must be located and/or providing services in one of the five regions in Pennsylvania (see map).
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Applicants may only apply once per mini-grant cycle
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Hospitals and hospital systems are not eligible unless applying with a community based group or organization.
Please review First Food's PA map to determine your region. For full applicant and project eligibility, grant award information and more, please view our Request for Proposal document and view our Scoring rubric.
Proposal Submission
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Applicants must submit the following proposal elements in the PDF format: A Cover sheet, a Project Narrative and a Budget. For more information on the details and instructions pertaining to each of these portions, click and carefully review the Request for Proposal document.
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All submissions must be submitted electronically, in a PDF format to Devon Gilinger at dgilinger@paaap.org with the email subject: "First Food Mini Grant Application," followed by your organization name. Proposals are due on or before 11:59 PM on July 26, 2024.
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After submitting your application by email, you must also complete the submission form found here. Failure to do so, may result in your application being disqualified.
Notice of Award letters will be sent on or before September 30, 2024.
Dedicated to building breastfeeding-family friendly communities
First Food is a program of the Pennsylvania Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics and funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health where we identify community partners and engage in collaborative efforts throughout Pennsylvania to increase the availability and access to policies and programs that support breastfeeding.
1 in 4
Only 1 in 4 infants is exclusively breastfed as recommended by the time they are 6 months old.
$3 Billion
Low rates of breastfeeding add more than $3 billion a year to medical costs for the mother and child in the United States.
76% of African American infants
Three quarters (76%) of African American infants are ever breastfed, which is below the national average of 84%.
Human milk as the “first food”
Everyone in the community has a role to play in supporting breastfeeding/chestfeeding families. We offer a variety of programs and resources for all types of community partners and organizations, including resources to increase chest/breastfeeding support within the hospital and healthcare setting, resources to assist employers and businesses with policies to support chest/breastfeeding clients and staff, as well as educational opportunities for healthcare providers, childcare providers and breastfeeding advocates.
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Our Why
First food is a program committed to collaborating with local, private, and public groups across Pennsylvania to promote, protect, and support chest/breastfeeding. Breastfeeding/chestfeeding significantly improves the health, survival, and wellbeing of infants, children, and their mothers. Parents today initiate chest/breastfeeding in the hospital; however, many will stop within a few days or weeks due to social or community pressures. Supporting breastfeeding takes entire communities coming together to remove social and community pressures to create a healthier, more welcoming community for families.
We care dedicated to improving the health of Pennsylvania mothers, babies, and families.
Our Community Partners
We appreciate our partners who support and promote the efficacy of breastfeeding
