Pennsylvania Certified Organic
Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) is a USDA-accredited 501(c)(3) certifying agency based in Spring Mills, PA that provides USDA organic certification for growers, processors and handlers, plus membership, resources, and technical support. The site hosts certification guidance, an application/request page, a certification portal, and organizational information (staff, board, contact).
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Regional or state-level organizations working on organic agriculture, certification services, farmer technical assistance, or federated membership networks aligned with NOFA-style groups.
Good Fit
- • Organization works on organic certification, training, or technical assistance.
- • Serves a multi-state or regional membership network (state NOFA chapters, certification services).
- • Project budget aligns with the funder's observed grant sizes (roughly mid-five-figure to low six-figure awards).
- • Clear programmatic alignment with 'organic activity' and farmer support.
Geography
Observed grants in the latest year reached 13 states, with the largest single state receiving about 20% of funds and roughly 95% of dollars going out of the foundation state.
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows 28 distinct recipients across charities and certification services; while the top five account for half of dollars, a substantial number of independent organizations received funding.
New Applicants
Direct evidence shows all 28 recipients in the latest year were new and there were no repeat grantees across the two observed years, which suggests the funder does fund unfamiliar applicants despite there being no formal public application instructions.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
