Community First Grant (CFG)

Team Member Resources

Welcome CFG Class of 2025 – 2026!

We’re so excited to welcome you to the current grant year! Bookmark this page to find resources and updates to support your engagement with your partners and fellow Team Members. 

Questions? Reach out to our team at foundation@wholefoods.com and we’ll get you to the right person!  

CFG Grant Year Timeline 

The 2025–2026 grant year will run from Sept 2025 through Aug 2026. During this time, CFG Team Members will be required to volunteer with their nominated partner at least once a quarter. 

Q1 > Sept 2025 - Nov 2025

Q2 > Dec 2025 - Feb 2026

Q3 > Mar 2026 - May 2026

Q4 > June 2026 - Aug 2026

Additionally, selected CFG Team Members will be required to complete a mid-program update and an optional end-of-program update. We’ll notify you via email when these are due. 

March 2026 > Required Mid-Program Update 

August 2026 > Optional End-of-Program Update 

Christopher Plaza + Team at Bronx Community Farm Hub

Share a Volunteer Recap

WFM Foundation is always excited to see the ways in which you’re getting involved with your CFG partner. Share your volunteer experiences and/or photos with our team by completing this form. You may be featured in a future newsletter, on Innerview or our social channels! 

SE: Samantha Chavez

MW: Kadie Staine

CW: Maanasi Balakrishnan

Program Resources

Explore resources that will help you engage with your fellow Team Members and info to learn more about the Community First Grant.

If you ever need a new resource, let us know at foundation@wholefoods.com and we’ll try to help you create it! 

  • Team Member Volunteer Sign Up Sheet

    Post this BOH flyer to help get TM volunteers to support your community partner. 

    Community Partner Volunteer Sign Up Sheet

    Post this one-pager on behalf of your community partner to spread awareness for their volunteer event. 

    Note: To spread your word about your volunteer event via Innerview, see the “Innerview Connect Templates” section.

  • CFG Team Members can partner with their Culture Champion Ambassador (CCA) to post volunteer opportunities and recaps with TMs at their store via Innerview Connect. If you do not have a CCA at your location, please partner with your STL for support.

    Innerview Connect Templates will be available to your CCA during these timeframes: 

    During Nomination Period  -

    • 8/27 – 9/30/25: Celebrate [Store] Team Member Nomination for a Whole Cities Community First Grant! 

    • 9/1 – Dec 2025: Volunteer Opportunity with Nominated Community First Grant Partner, [CFG Partner Name] 

    • 9/1 – Dec 2025: Volunteer Recap with Nominated CFG Partner, [CFG Partner Name] 

    For Selected CFG Partners  -

    • Dec 2025 – 1/31/26: Celebrate [Store] Selected Community First Grant Team Member and Partner! 

    • Dec 2025 – 8/31/26: Volunteer Opportunity with Community First Grant Partner, [CFG Partner Name] 

    • Dec 2025 – 8/31/26: Volunteer Recap with CFG Partner, [CFG Partner Name] 

    To request a post from your CCA, please follow these steps: 

    1. Reference the Email & Phone Templates to submit a request with your CCA to post (see Innerview Connect section) 

    2. Provide all the necessary info from the template to your CCA. Once your CCA submits the post, your store leadership will need to review before it is live on Innerview – please provide as much notice as you can to your CCA for support with posting. 

    • CFG TM Nomination – once WFM Foundation announces the nominating TMs on Innerview in August, download this BOH flyer to celebrate your TM nomination with your store. * 

    • CFG Selected CFG Partner- once WFM Foundation announces the selected TMs on Innerview in December, download this BOH flyer to celebrate your selected CFG partner with your store. * 

    *To add a celebration post to Innerview, reference the Innerview Connect Template section.

    • Learn more about CFG through our FAQs.

    • Learn more about holding a Whole Cities CFG Volunteer Event through the WFM Community Connections Program in the section below and by referencing this FAQ. 

  • Our team will send you a monthly email update to share resources, news and celebrate CFG Team Members. You will be automatically subscribed to this newsletter but if you ever need to reference a past newsletter you can view them here.

  • If you plan to leave Whole Foods Market or need to transfer your CFG partner to a new TM, please have the TM taking over the partnership fill out this form so we can update our contacts. 

WFM Community Connections 

In 2024, Whole Foods Market launched Community Connections to support team building events at each location. While this sounds similar to the Community First Grant, they are separate programs. Learn more in the chart below. 

Community First Grant (CFG) 

Supporting Team:  

Whole Foods Market Foundation

TM Goal:

Nominate organizations that are working to improve food access in local communities for a CFG.

Participation Frequency:  

Host a volunteer event at least once per quarter (4x per grant year) for grant nominators

Can TMs be paid?  

No. Participation is voluntary and unpaid.

Event Examples:  

  • Volunteering at a community garden 

  • Volunteering at an urban farm 

  • Providing merchandising support to a mobile market 

Do I need my STL’s approval?  

Yes. To nominate a nonprofit, a Team Member must have their STLs written approval. 

Non-CFG Team Members who would like to participate in a volunteer event must fill out a physical sign-up sheet provided by a CFG Team Member. 

Community Connections 

Supporting Team:  

Community Giving & Engagement - Whole Foods Market

TM Goal:

Support team building events at stores, facilities and store support offices. 

Participation Frequency:  

Host up to 3 volunteer events per year 

Can TMs be paid?  

Yes. Labor is accounted for at these events.

Event Examples:  

  • Visiting a local supplier 

  • Visiting a recycling/composting provider 

  • Volunteering at a local non-profit 

Do I need my STL’s approval?  

Yes. TMs who would like to host a Community Connections event will need to submit an event request. 

To host a Community Connections event with your CFG partner, all parameters must be met to receive approval. CFG Partners must confirm interest and staffing to host a larger volunteer event.  

Can I use my Community Connection event to satisfy the CFG volunteer requirement? Yes, you may use it to satisfy the quarterly volunteer requirement, which then would allow for TMs to be paid for volunteering.* 

*If your volunteer event is not approved by your STL or does not meet all the parameters for a Community Connections event, you are still expected to volunteer in that quarter with your nominated CFG partner. Your time and the time of any TM volunteers will be unpaid. Learn more about WFM Community Connections HERE. 

Rhonda Mitchell + Southeast Team Members

Tracy Zambito + Southeast Team Members

Nkenge Graham + Southeast Team Members

Webinar Recordings

Occasionally, our team will host a webinar to support CFG Team Members throughout the grant year. If you are unable to join a live webinar, we’ll post a recording below so you’ll still be able to watch it. If there’s a topic you’d like us to cover, email us at foundation@wholefoods.com with your request! 

June 2025 > Get Started Webinar 

Watch the recording of our recent webinar to learn more about the CFG program, how to look for and nominate an organization and more! 

July 2025 > Q&A Webinar 

Watch the recording of our recent webinar which covers all of your questions around the nomination process, TM eligibility and more!

September 2024 > Start Strong Webinar 

Watch the recording of our recent webinar to learn how to help your Community First Grant partnership bloom this year and how to motivate other Team Members to get involved.