Festivals & Fairs Grants

As COVID infections decrease and masking regulations relax, please continue to use caution, as needed, and good judgment for in-person gatherings in your locality.

Vegfests and other public festivals and celebrations are a growing international phenomenon fueled by the energy of vegan activists. These plant-powered events draw veg and non-veg enthusiasts alike for exposure to vegan foods and lifestyle choices.

We strongly encourage you to start by reading the Grant Guidelines that apply to all grants and the Grant FAQs. Once you’ve reviewed the guidelines, follow these steps to plan and host a successful VegFund-supported vegfest.

• Assemble a team. A successful vegfest can’t be planned alone, so make sure you’re working as a dedicated group or committee and recruit volunteers. Vegfests sponsored by organizations or coalitions of organizations are most successful.
• Make a budget. VegFund’s grant application requires that you provide a simple but detailed budget for your event. Your budget should include all costs related to the event, including the cost of the venue, program materials needed, and promotional costs.
• Publicize your vegfest or event via available channels, such as the event program, flyers, social media announcements, and local event listings. Focus on reaching non-vegan audiences. If you are a VegFund grantee and have a Facebook event page, add VegFund as a co-host! Check out our post How to Attract Non-Vegans to Your Events for tips.
• Review VegFund’s reporting requirements. VegFund grants are distributed as reimbursements, after we receive your final project report. It’s important that you’re prepared to submit your grant report no more than 30 days after your event takes place in order to receive your grant payment. See “Reporting Guidelines” on the Grant Guidelines page.
• Print and place the required VegFund sponsorship sign. See Crediting VegFund.
• Measure your impact. Consider ahead of time how you will measure the effectiveness of your event. VegFund makes available a simple event survey you can use as attendees leave the festival. You should definitely count the number of attendees, as VegFund will ask for this information in your final report. See Measuring the Success of Your Grant-Funded Activity.
• Receive your grant payment. Once your report has been approved, VegFund will distribute your grant payment electronically. If you’re based in the U.S., you will receive an invitation from Bill.com; if based outside the U.S., your grant will be sent via PayPal. For details, see the Payment Guidelines section under Grant Guidelines.