New $10 Million Fund To Accelerate Food is Medicine Adoption in the United States

First investment of the Food is Medicine Impact Fund will support a new State Officer Program in 10 States

NEW YORK | January 15, 2026 — The Rockefeller Foundation and Builders Vision today launched the Food is Medicine Impact Fund — hosted by RF Catalytic Capital, Inc., the charitable off-shoot of The Rockefeller Foundation — to improve health outcomes for millions of Americans living with chronic, diet-related conditions. The new fund will promote the adoption of effective, high-quality Food is Medicine (FIM) programs nationwide, with initial investments focused on building state-level leadership and programming.

Food is Medicine (FIM) programs, including produce prescriptions, medically tailored groceries and meals, are increasingly demonstrating their ability to improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs for people living with diet-related chronic conditions. Yet many promising programs struggle to move beyond pilots due to limited capacity, fragmented implementation, and low public and provider awareness.

“Food is Medicine is one of the clearest opportunities to improve health outcomes by strengthening the connection between food, nutrition and care,” said Haven Leeming, Senior Program Officer with Builders Vision Philanthropy. “Builders Vision believes in the power of collaboration among funders and partners, and we’re excited to launch this fund with The Rockefeller Foundation. States are on the front lines of this work, but too often they lack the dedicated capacity to turn promising programs into durable solutions. Through this fund and the State Officer Program, we’re investing in state leadership, coordination and awareness so Food Is Medicine can move from pilots to lasting impact.”

“State leaders across the country are increasingly recognizing the outsized role that nutrition plays in the health of their residents and their state healthcare budgets. States need support to continue implementing program and policy changes that ensure patients get access to healthy FIM programs they deserve and desperately need,” said Devon Klatell, Vice President for Food at The Rockefeller Foundation. “It is a privilege to work together with Builders Vision to accelerate positive impact for Americans who need access to nutritious, healthful food through the new Food is Medicine Impact Fund.”

Chronic diet-related diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, are the leading causes of death in the United States, especially in low-income communities. Poor diets currently cost the United States $1.1 trillion annually in health care spending and lost productivity. Recognizing the potential of Food is Medicine benefits, 17 US State Medicaid programs now cover FIM programs as a medical benefit.

The Food is Medicine Impact Fund will kickstart two lines of effort:

• Launch a New FIM State Officer Program: Managed by the Center for Health Care Strategies, the FIM State Officer Program will support up to ten U.S. states in hiring dedicated FIM leaders for three years who will help their respective states expand and strengthen FIM programs to better meet the health and nutrition needs of their residents. These leaders will support policy design, program implementation, and coordination across their states. As state leaders continue to innovate and expand FIM services for their populations, this initiative underscores the growing importance of investing in state-level leadership, policies, and programs that ensure nutritious food is a fundamental part of health care and disease prevention across the United States.
• Increase Awareness for FIM Programs Nationwide: One of the single largest barriers to FIM programs is that many Americans — from possible patients to prescribers — don’t know about them. However, when made aware of what FIM programs are, the majority of Americans think they could help them eat better. The fund will support efforts to broaden and deepen understanding across the country so that more Americans can benefit from FIM, improve their nutrition, and address their chronic health conditions.

Since 2019, The Rockefeller Foundation has supported FIM programs and invested in research to improve their effectiveness and understand their benefits and costs. As part of this effort, The Rockefeller Foundation announced in 2024 its $100 million ‘Big Bet’ to expand Americans’ access to FIM programs, including supporting vital research and improved implementation, communications, and policy. In total, The Rockefeller Foundation has committed more than $220 million to food system transformation, including an additional $100 million for regenerative school meals and $20 million for the Periodic Table of Food Initiative.

About the Food is Medicine Impact Fund

The Food is Medicine Impact Fund is a joint philanthropic initiative founded by The Rockefeller Foundation and Builders Vision and hosted by RF Catalytic Capital, Inc., aiming to improve health outcomes for millions of Americans with chronic, diet-related conditions by expanding access to effective Food is Medicine programs. Through investments in public awareness raising, implementation infrastructure, technical support, and research, the Fund works to ensure that all individuals with diet-related conditions have access to Food is Medicine programs, regardless of their ability to pay. Hosted by RF Catalytic Capital, Inc., the founding funders include The Rockefeller Foundation and Builders Vision. For more information please visit: www.rfcatalytic.org/project/food-is-medicine-impact-fund/.

About Builders Vision

Builders Vision is a team of investors and philanthropists that harness innovative capital, from grantmaking to market-rate investments, to accelerate promising solutions in three sectors: food & agriculture, energy and oceans. We seek to grow and transform markets that will generate financial returns and sustainable outcomes. Our success is only possible because of our collaboration with the entrepreneurs, innovators and investors who are driving us forward to a more resilient future. Find out more about Builders Vision here: www.buildersvision.com.

About RF Catalytic Capital

RF Catalytic Capital, Inc (RFCC) allows a range of stakeholders to partner together better and leverages The Rockefeller Foundation’s expertise and resources to multiply impact. RFCC offers an innovative way for foundations, impact investors, and governments to combine resources and transform today’s greatest challenges into collaborative solutions — with expertise in aggregating funding, incubation and acceleration of projects. A charitable offshoot of The Rockefeller Foundation, RFCC is a not-for-profit organization exempt from federal income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. For more information, please visit www.rfcatalytic.org.

About The Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity in food, health, energy, and finance, including through our public charity, RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC). For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.