United Against Hunger – Summer Meals Application 2016-19

Background

United Way of the Greater Capital Region (United Way) improves lives and advances the common good in the Capital Region by mobilizing the caring power of donors, volunteers and community partners to give, volunteer and advocate for people in need.

United Way started the United Against Hunger initiative in 2013 in response to extensive research and community conversations that indicated a need for a systematic approach to addressing food insecurity for the low income and vulnerable. A volunteer subcommittee chose to focus initial funding on expanding the Summer Food Service Program, providing funds to open new meal sites, pilot new meal delivery methods and evaluate the effectiveness of the summer meal programs in the region. This three year investment lead to a 290% increase in the number of meals served by funded partners over the three year period.

United Way is committing another three years of funding to continue expanding participation in the Summer Meals program. We are soliciting partners who will leverage United Way funding to implement best practices that will increase the reach and scope of summer meals in the region. A list of strategies based on best practices can be found on page two of this document.

Timeline

RFP Released / Monday, February 1
RFP Due / Tuesday, February 23
UWGCR Volunteer Committee Review / February 24 - March 8
Final Determination (UWGCR Board of Directors) / March 16
Award Notification / March 17-18
First Payment / July 1, 2016

Contact Information

For all questions regarding this RFP and the United Way’s summer meals funding, please contact Jessica Underhill, Director of Community Impact at or 456-2200 x 147.

Application Instructions

To submit an application, fill out the form below, save the file with the name of your agency in the title, and send an electronic copy to Jessica Underhill (e-mail above) by Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 4pm.

See Grant Terms and Conditions on our website:

Goal for Summer Meals Funding 2016-19: Increase participation in summer meals programs by using a combination of operations and enrichment activities strategies based on best practices

Applicants must choose at least two of the following Strategies within #1: Operations and/or #2: Activities

  1. Operations/meal provision category
  2. Open new sites in unserved areas (areas that are not served but eligible under the USDA Capacity Builder or FRAC Summer Food Mapper, see links below)
  3. Add meals to current programs; e.g. add breakfast, supper, snack
  4. Expand alternate meal delivery models in underserved areas (mobile trucks, backpack delivery)
  5. Start a transportation program to bring isolated children to meal sites
  6. Leverage intergenerational meals
  7. Meal programs serving seniors
  8. Offer paid meals to parents/adults binging children to sites
  9. Enhance meal quality/desirability
  10. Use local foods/produce
  11. Engage children in planning menu/recipes
  12. Activities/Enrichment category (see Note 1)
  13. Provide regular programming (at least three days a week) at sites that currently do not have regular programming
  14. Hire new, or train current, staff to expand job tasks into providing enrichment activities
  15. Collaborate with an organization(s) that provides activities to come regularly to meal sites
  16. Act as a sponsor to locations with activities that currently do not offer summer meals – including linking to CACFP providers
  17. Use Municipal or County Summer Youth Employment program to staff and provide activities at meal sites

Note 1:Activities must be structured/curriculum based to combat summer learning loss and/or weight gain (e.g. literacy, STEM, physical fitness, nutrition education)

Note 2:This is a three year commitment. Each year funded partners must

  • add a new strategy AND/OR newlong-term collaborative partner/partner who commits additional resources AND/OR new long term funding commitment
  • strive to increase child participation by at least 10% and meals served by 20% over the previous year

Note 3: For more information about the best practices that informed the strategy list, see:

USDA FNS Summer Meals Toolkit

New York Coalition Against Hunger

USDA Capacity Builder (make sure to have the FY16 Census Area Eligibility CACFP SFSP SSO layershowing) or

FRAC Summer Food Mapper (also includes school district eligibility)

United Against Hunger – Summer Meals Application 2016-19

  1. Applicant Information

Organization Name:
Mailing Address:
Grant/Application Contact
Name:
Email:
  1. Agency Fiscal Year
/ From: / To:
  1. Funding Amount Requested Per Year

  1. Years operating Summer Meals program

  1. LEA code (if applicable)

  1. Community Description
  • Include information on your geographic community, the specific needs your program will address and any specific barriers or challenges that may exist

  1. Program Description
  • Describe the current program model using specifics (number of sites, staffing, use of volunteers, etc.)

  1. Partners and Community Involvement
  • Describe how you work with other community agencies, funders, businesses, etc. to run and enhance your summer meals program

9.. Strategy Option 1
  1. Which strategy will you implement to increase participation? (e.g. Meal programs serving seniors; use Youth employment programs; please refer to page 2)

  1. How will you implement this strategy?
  • Describe concrete actions, resources (e.g. partners, staffing, materials) and timeframe

  1. Why did you choose this strategy?
  • How this strategy will overcome specific barriers that your program encounters; feedback from previous years that indicate this strategy would be effective

10. Strategy Option 2
  1. Which strategy will you implement to increase participation? (? (e.g. Meal programs serving seniors; use Youth employment programs; please refer to page 2))

  1. How will you implement this strategy?
  • Describe concrete actions, resources (e.g. partners, staffing, materials) and timeframe

  1. Why did you choose this strategy?
  • How this strategy will overcome specific barriers that your program encounters; feedback from previous years that indicate this strategy would be effective

  1. Evaluation
  • How you define a quality program/ How will you determine if you are providing a high quality program
  • How you will measure if the strategies you implement make a difference in increased participation numbers

12. Budget
  1. Complete Annual Program Budget

Revenue / Program Budget / United Way Grant
Program Fees
Grant Revenue (non UW)
United Way Grant
Fundraising / Donations
Total Revenue
Expense
Salary & Fringe
Occupancy
Supplies, Equipment & Marketing
Training & Development
Travel & Transportation
Total Expense
  1. Budget Narrative
Describe how the program will utilize United Way funds as listed above

1