Date of Award

12-1-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Nonprofit Studies

First Advisor

Andrew Schoeneman

Second Advisor

Jennifer Smith-Slabaugh

Abstract

Food in America is often a reflection of values, cultures and customs. Food choices give way to your upbringing, geographic location and even socioeconomic status. In the United States, 8.6 million adults live in households with very low food security. As nonprofits begin to shift from a charity-based structure in addressing food insecurity to an equity-based approach, it is important to understand how they are effectively engaging the community. Community engagement is a fundamental practice for nonprofits to build trust, foster relationships and empower the community. Though the concept of community engagement has been an important theme across disciplines, there is limited research on its impact on organizations addressing food insecurity. This study helps to address this gap in the research by collecting and analyzing data from semi-structured interviews of nonprofit leaders addressing food insecurity via food banks, urban agriculture initiatives, and in the food access space. This study reports the findings, implications, and recommendations gained from an analysis of the interview data categorizing various community engagement strategies used by food non-profits.

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