Funding Opportunities with the US Department of Agriculture, Foo d and nutrition Service

1. Funding Opportunities with the US Department of Agriculture, Food and nutrition Service Shahdy Monemzadeh Program Specialist May 2012

2. US Department of Agriculture • Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (Food and Nutrition Service) • Food Safety • Marketing and Regulatory Programs • Research, Education, and Economics • Rural Development • Natural Resources and Environment

3. Food and Nutrition Service • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program • Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children – WIC • National School Lunch Program • Summer Food Service Program • School Breakfast Program • Child and Adult Care Food Program • Commodity Supplemental Food Program • The Emergency Food Assistance Program

4. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program • Purpose: SNAP improves food security and level of nutrition among low-income households. • FY 2012 Participants = 44,708,726 • FY 2012 Benefits Issued = $71,813,402,544 • % of Total FY 2012 FNS Budget = 69.4%

5. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) • Mission: WIC provides supplemental foods, healthcare referrals, nutrition education, and breastfeeding promotion and support to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk. • FY 2012 Participants = 8,960,586 • FY 2012 Total Food Costs= $5,018,113,033 • % of Total FY 2012 FNS Budget = 4.8%

6. National School Lunch Program • Purpose: NSLP provides nutritionally-balanced, low-cost or free lunches to low-income children. • FY 2011 Total Federal Cost of NSLP = $10.1 billion • FY 2011 Total Federal Cost of School Food Programs = $14.35 billion • % of Total FY 2012 FNS Budget = 10.9%

7. Grant Opportunities • SNAP Participation Grant • Closing Date: March 26, 2012 • $5,000,000 • Available to state agencies, state or local governments, agencies providing health or welfare services, public health or educational entities, and private non-profit entities. • For projects aimed at simplifying the SNAP application and eligibility determination systems or improving access to SNAP benefits by eligible households • Farm to School Grant Program • Closing Date: June 15, 2012 • $3.5 million, for the first funding cycle • Available to State and Local agencies, Indian Tribal Organizations, Agricultural Producers, and Non-profit Entities • For this first funding cycle, this grant funding is to support efforts that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. • WIC Nutrition Education Innovations • Closing Date: May 25, 2012 • $2,000,000 • Available to accredited colleges/universities offering advanced degrees at the PhD level in biological and social sciences • For an institution that can serve as a center for WIC nutrition education innovations and develop and administer a series of researcher-initiated grants pertinent to the research area, coordinate activities among researchers and widely disseminate findings.

8. Apply through the Grants.gov Website

9. Application Process • Register with Grants.gov • Obtain a DUNS (Data Universal Number System) number • Register with CCR (Central Contractor Registration) • Create a profile • Find the Grant Opportunity you wish to apply for • Download the Application Package and Instructions • Complete the Application Package • Submit

10. Application Process

11. Tips for Applying for FNS Grants • Read the grant announcement very carefully to make sure your organization is qualified to apply.   • Ensure that your organization’s leadership is supportive of the grant application and all that an award will entail. • If the grant process seems too burdensome for your organization, consider partnering with another local organization so you can focus on service delivery while they take the lead on grant administration manners.   • Develop an action plan with a timeline for meeting the grant application deadline.   • Follow the instructions carefully. Be sure that your plan will meet the needs of FNS.   • Keep your goals realistic.   • Cite research that supports your application’s goals.   • Be reasonable with your funding request to adequately match the scope of work proposed.   • Make sure the cost elements listed in the budget match the activities described in the grant proposal.   • Create an outline first, then fill in the narrative.   • Edit your application for spelling, content, and grammatical errors.  Provide a professional product that will reflect well on your organization.   • Do not assume the selection panel knows more about your proposal than you have written.   • Address each evaluation criteria, and make it easy for the panel to find the information.   • Call the grants officer with any questions.   • Have a table of contents and stay within the specified page limits.   • Use spreadsheets for extensive computations to ensure accuracy of calculations.   • Meet the application deadline and file in the appropriate manner.

12. SNAP-Ed • A federal/state partnership that supports nutrition education for persons eligible for SNAP. • The goal is to provide educational programs and conduct social marketing campaigns that increase the likelihood that people eligible for SNAP will make healthy food choices within a limited budget and choose physically active lifestyles consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for American and Food Guidance System (See MyPyramid.gov) For more information about SNAP-Ed, and for nutrition education resources, please visit: http://snap.nal.usda.gov/

13. California SNAP-Ed • SNAP-Ed in California is administered through the California Department of Public Health, Network for a Healthy California (the Network). • The mission of the Network is to create innovative partnerships that empower low-income Californians to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and food security with the goal of preventing obesity and other diet-related diseases. • Using the funding provided by the SNAP-Ed Program, the Network provides grants to local community based organizations that provide innovative nutrition education activities to a SNAP eligible audience. More information on the Network can be found on their website: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/CPNS/Pages/default.aspx

14. Criteria for Applying for a SNAP-Ed Grant • The Network is looking for organizations that will implement innovative nutrition education interventions and promote access to healthy food on behalf of food stamp eligible Californians in order to support the following behavioral outcomes: • Eat fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk products daily • Be physically active daily as part of a healthy lifestyle • Balance caloric intake from food and beverages with calories expended • Eligible applicants are limited to: • Units of local government agencies • State/public colleges or universities • California public and/or private nonprofit organizations • New local health departments that are not currently participating in the program

15. For further information on how to apply for a SNAP-Ed grant through the Network for a Healthy California, please contact: Gil Sisneros Gil.Sisneros@cdph.ca.gov (916) 322-4253

16. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me at: Shahdy.Monemzadeh@fns.usda.gov (415) 645-1923