Swipe Out Hunger Awards Over $200,000 in Grants to 70 Colleges

February 4, 2025 – Swipe Out Hunger, the national nonprofit powering the movement to end college student hunger, announced that 70 colleges will be awarded a total of $208,500 to support campus food security programs, with each receiving between $1,000 and $6,000.

These grants will allow recipients to fund their food security programs and pantries based on each campus’s priorities, including but not limited to: stocking food and other basic needs items, improving pantry infrastructure such as storage and technology, hiring pantry staff and student volunteers, and diversifying pantry offerings to meet the dietary and cultural needs of students.

“The Swipe Out Hunger grant has greatly increased accessibility to basic needs items for students on our campus. We are using the funding to purchase highly needed basic needs items such as hygiene products, nutritious snacks, and food for students who otherwise cannot obtain these items on their own or are in emergency situations,” said Summer Sweet, Health Promotion Specialist at the University of Alaska Anchorage. “These items are provided free of charge to students within our ‘Seawolf Essentials’ basic needs center. Students who have utilized this service have expressed deep gratitude for the support provided and for aiding in their academic success by providing essential basic needs.”

As with the last year’s grant cycle, Swipe Out Hunger distributed these grants by strategically prioritizing the campuses with the highest need using relevant data provided by the schools. This method allows for more equitable distribution of funds to schools with significant student need for their food security resources, but are less likely to have the financial support to meet the demand.

“The grant for the JWCC Blazer Fuel Station will be a game-changer,” said Courtney Loos, Campus Care Coach at John Wood Community College. “It will help provide students with the food/resources they need in order to focus on their education without worrying about where their next meal will come from.”

Since 2021, Swipe Out Hunger has distributed $929,000 in grants to campuses to date. These grants are made possible thanks to the support of Swipe Out Hunger’s philanthropic partners including Campus Specialties Inc. and My MicroFridge, The GIANT Company, and Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation.

“With the rising food costs and expected decreasing in public benefits, we’re seeing an increase in need for food security resources on college campuses across the country,” said Jaime Hansen, Executive Director at Swipe Out Hunger. “We know that every dollar counts, especially when campuses have reported challenges with finding reliable funding to keep their pantries and programs operating. Thanks to the generous support of our partners, we’re able to help these campuses continue providing critical resources to their students.”

Swipe Out Hunger will continue offering grants in the 2025 to 2026 academic year. To be the first to know about the upcoming cycle of Swipe Grants and other funding opportunities, sign up for Swipe Out Hunger’s newsletter.

About Swipe Out Hunger
Swipe Out Hunger is the national nonprofit powering the movement to end college student hunger. Swipe Out Hunger collaborates with colleges, legislators, and the greater community to address student food insecurity by championing hunger solutions, building an active network of campuses and partners, and evolving the narrative around today’s college students. Since 2010, Swipe Out Hunger has enabled 20.5 million meals across more than 850 campuses throughout North America. For more information, visit swipehunger.org.

Media Contact:
Janelle Raymundo
Director of Communications at Swipe Out Hunger
[email protected]