Meet the Nashville Food Project
They say great food brings people together. And nothing could be more true for The Nashville Food Project.
This Tennessee-based nonprofit recently hosted their annual 'Nourish' fundraiser, raising a staggering $190k for vital food security programs across Nashville—thanks to a little help from luxury travel.
We caught up with fundraising event manager Justin Munoz to celebrate this extraordinary achievement and learn how the funds are helping transform lives.
On a mission to alleviate hunger while cultivating community
For The Nashville Food Project, it all starts with fostering community.
"The Nashville Food Project brings people together to grow, cook, and share nourishing food," says Justin Munoz, fundraising event manager. "The goal is to cultivate community and alleviate hunger in our city."
"Our organization embraces a vision of vibrant community food security in which everyone in Nashville has access to the food they want and need through a just and sustainable food system."
For Munoz, that means more than just providing meals. It’s about equitable access to nourishing food and addressing the deeper roots of hunger and poverty.
"I believe everyone has a right to nutrient-dense, scratch-made meals,” he says.
“We work alongside other poverty-disrupting organizations and enhance their programs with our meals because we understand that hunger is a much deeper issue."
"I love our partnership model because it allows me to continually learn about other amazing organizations in Nashville and has remained a consistent way to distribute our meals.”
This year, the 'Nourish' fundraiser beat its $150k goal, raising more than $190k towards our mission.
The importance of fundraising events to nourish people and programs
With nearly 300,000 meals provided in 2022 alone, fundraising is critical to ensure The Nashville Food Project's programs and services remain up and running.
Their annual benefit event 'Nourish' is an important opportunity to connect with donors and drive funds to the cause.
“Averaging around 300 attendees, ‘Nourish’ is the largest annual fundraiser for The Nashville Food Project,” Munoz shares. “This year, the fundraiser beat its $150k goal by raising more than $190k towards our mission.”
One of the highlights of their live auction was a Tuscany travel experience from LuxGive featuring a historic Tuscan apartment with wine-tasting and walking tour.
The trip sold three times, netting them thousands of dollars.
“LuxGive allowed us to offer our attendees high-quality, unique experiences to bid on during the live auction,” Munoz explained.
“Getting set up was easy and we loved that the experiences are risk-free. Every dollar made after paying the nonprofit price was profit that directly supported our work."
The event even gave donors a chance to see the nonprofit's mission in action with food straight from The Nashville Food Project's kitchens.
“The event features a dinner prepared by The Nashville Food Project with wine pairings for each course,” says Munoz. “Sponsors, Patrons, and Table Hosts are also invited to a Patrons Cocktail Party before the event, featuring entertainment and hors d’oeuvres also provided by The Nashville Food Project.”
LuxGive allowed us to offer our attendees high-quality, unique experiences to bid on during the live auction. Every dollar made after the nonprofit price was profit that directly supported our work.
How funds create safer spaces and strengthen community
As for the funds raised? Their impact is far-reaching.
“These funds will help support all aspects of our work including our meals and urban agriculture programs,” says Munoz.
“Our Meals Program cooks and shares thousands of made-from-scratch, nutritious meals, and snacks each week in collaboration with anti-poverty and community-building organizations in our city.”
By aligning food support with vital programs and services—such as job training, after-school programs, ESL classes, senior services, domestic violence shelter, and GED prep, among others—The Nashville Food Project is able to enhance the impact of partners' work while simultaneously providing access to the basic need of nutritious food.
“Our community gardens provide space for over 80 community gardeners to grow their own vegetables,” says Munoz. “These garden spaces function as outdoor classrooms, urban sanctuaries, and community centers for families and individuals to grow in them."
"We work to create safe and welcoming places where community can be cultivated. In these spaces, we hope to strengthen community relationships, encourage self-determination among participants, and grow organic produce.”
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