About Us
The Cascadia Foodshed Financing Project (CFFP) is a collaboration of foundation and individual impact investors seeking to use market-based strategies to grow the Pacific Northwest's regional food economy. CFFP focuses on the regional food system because of it's vast consequences on human, environment, and economic health. In particular, CFFP seeks progress on five guiding principles involving Health, Social Equity, Family Wage Job Creation and Preservation, Rural Community Resilience, and Ability to Influence Policy.
CFFP proposes to advance a framework for collective impact investing in the Pacific Northwest. We utilize an emergent strategy / rapid development process to develop innovative approaches in real time, and seek outcomes that advance the clarity of what is really needed to solve complex problems. CFFP seeks to advance four goals:
CFFP emerged in 2013 as a project of Slow Money Northwest and as an outcome of meetings between foundations and individual investors. In 2015 CFFP became a project of Philanthropy Northwest. The project's main partners are Empire Health Foundation, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, The Seattle Foundation, Whatcom Community Foundation, Ecotrust Natural Capital Fund, The Thread Fund, and a set of individual impact investors.
CFFP proposes to advance a framework for collective impact investing in the Pacific Northwest. We utilize an emergent strategy / rapid development process to develop innovative approaches in real time, and seek outcomes that advance the clarity of what is really needed to solve complex problems. CFFP seeks to advance four goals:
- Develop an overarching strategy that shows how each potential investment will help grow the regional food economy.
- Commission research that informs that strategy.
- Identify or develop a financing vehicle that uses the research and supports the strategy.
- Evaluate the financial and non-financial returns of investments using an appropriate methodology.
CFFP emerged in 2013 as a project of Slow Money Northwest and as an outcome of meetings between foundations and individual investors. In 2015 CFFP became a project of Philanthropy Northwest. The project's main partners are Empire Health Foundation, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, The Seattle Foundation, Whatcom Community Foundation, Ecotrust Natural Capital Fund, The Thread Fund, and a set of individual impact investors.
