Local First Arizona Foundation

SUSTAINABILITY: To increase environmental responsibility locally, the Green Business Bootcamp equipped 49 small businesses with a plan and funding in place to implement projects that will conserve their energy, water, or waste and reduce operational costs. The program has served the Greater Phoenix and Tucson metro areas as well as in the Verde Valley, which is a rural area. As a green nonprofit, Local First signature events diverted 70% of waste from the landfill to reuse, compost and recycle. This included the Arizona Fall Festival, which attracted 20,000 attendees, as well as Devour, a two-day culinary event with more than 80 small, local restaurants.

FOOD BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNITY GARDENS: In 2024 more than 135 food business startups were incubated in our community kitchens across Mesa, South Phoenix, and Maryvale, and 85 additional food businesses began operations from participating in our restaurant start-up boot camp. Due to the demand for these services, another kitchen incubator opened in early 2025. In addition, Local First provided weekly childrens cooking classes to more than 68 low-income students of color who learned about nutrition as well as cooking skills. Each participant has the opportunity to take home 5 meals for the week. Many of these same students join us on the weekends in our community garden to learn gardening and harvesting skills, all of which reduces food insecurity in our community.

ARIZONA ECONOMIC RESOURCE CENTER: IN 2024, the Local First Arizona Economic Resource Center enabled 243 Arizona -based nonprofits, rural municipalities, and tribal nations to access $62 million in grants for critical local and regional projects such as essential infrastructure, broadband, solar projects, remote healthcare clinics, food access, treatment facilities, education, arts and culture, and emergency preparedness. These grants will transform Arizona communities that are most in need. To date the Arizona Economic Resource Center has enabled agencies to access $118 million in grants. Also, Local First, as the States federally designated Rural Development Council, partnered with community colleges across 5 counties to develop a consistent and strategic workforce development program to benefit rural jobseekers and regional employers.