History
The Fund was launched in January 2012 by four founding donors: The Christensen Fund, New Field Foundation, the Swift Foundation and one anonymous foundation. In 2013, the Fund welcomed two new donor partners: The McKnight Foundation and the Tikva Grassroots Empowerment Fund. In 2014, U.K. funders Synchronicity Earth and the A Team Foundation joined the Fund. In 2015 and 2016, the following organizations joined: the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, the SWF Immersion Fund, the Casey and Family Foundation, the Helianthus Fund, the Peterffy Foundation and a foundation which chooses to remain anonymous. The Foundation Charles Leopold Mayer – FPH provided support for the AgroEcology Fund's learning exchange, which took place in June 2016.
In its first grant making cycle, with the guidance of an international Advisory Board, the Fund awarded $1,085,000 to six collaborative initiatives (17 collaborating organizations) for a two-year grant period beginning in August 2012. In 2014, the Fund awarded $1,128,000 to eight collaborative initiatives (54 collaborating organizations). In 2016, the Fund awarded $900,000 to 10 collaborative initiatives (42 collaborating organizations). In 2018, the Fund awarded $1.2 million to 12 collaborative initiatives (66 collaborating organizations).