Healthy Food for Denver's Kids

Through the 2018 Denver Ballot Measure 302(PDF, 209KB) the Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids (HFDK) Initiative proposed to increase taxes to establish a fund for healthy food and food-based education for Denver’s youth. The ballot measure was approved by 59% of voters on November 6, 2018 and went into effect in January 2019. The 0.08% increase in sales and use tax within the City and County of Denver is expected to generate approximately $11 million dollars annually and will sunset after 10 years. Funds will be collected from Jan. 1, 2019 through Dec. 31, 2028 and distributed by Dec. 31, 2029.

The funds are distributed through competitive grants to agencies of local government, public schools in Denver (including Denver Public Schools), and non-profit organizations, with an emphasis on serving low-income youth. Funding decisions are determined by a Commission made up of 13 non-profit, government, and community member volunteer appointees. The Commission is staffed by the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE). Since the passage of Ordinance 302, significant progress has been made on Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids, including: creating a Commission with bylaws, hiring staff, developing an evaluation structure, and granting out nearly $38 million dollars to more than 90 organizations.