CACFP Afterschool Meals Program Grants
CACFP Afterschool Meals Program Expansion
Grant Application
This grant opportunity is for funding from Share Our Strength and the Arkansas No Kid Hungry Campaign to help afterschool programs expand access to and participation in afterschool meal programs that receive reimbursement through the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
Eligibility:
Our overall goal is to help ensure all children get all the nutritious meals they need each day. To help us achieve this goal, our priority is to help maximize the ability of afterschool programs to provide a full supper, using the USDA’s afterschool meals program, which provides reimbursement for each meal served (http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care/SupperFaqs.htm).
The following programs are our top priorities for support:
- Starting new supper programs supported by CACFP.
- Programs currently providing afterschool snacks supported by CACFP who wish to expand their program to provide a full meal in place of or in addition to a snack.
- Programs currently providing a CACFP supported supper, looking to expand or enhance their program to help them reach more children.
- Sponsors of CACFP supported snack or meal programs, looking to add additional sites or help current sites switch from snack to meal.
These grants are intended to help with costs associated with starting or growing a supper program, including:
- Staffing
- Equipment
- Program costs (per USDA guidelines, programs that wish to provide a full supper must provide some kind of enrichment programming)
- Outreach to increase enrollment
- Support to offset registration or other enrollment fees for low income families
- Transportation
In situations where an organization may experience a budget gap while they wait for reimbursement for their meals, grant funds may also be used to support some food costs; however the intent is to develop sustainable programs that can support most, if not all, of their food costs through the reimbursements.
Application Due Date:
We will accept applications on a rolling basis until all afterschool grant funds have been allocated. Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received and will be given thoughtful consideration based on need and commitment to expanding participation in CACFP afterschool programs.
Process:
Grants can be requested in any amount up to $1,000, with the average grant being $500. All applicants must submit a complete application; incomplete applications will not be considered.
Grant applications will be evaluated based on:
- Adherence to Eligibility and Requirements guidelines
- Program sustainability beyond the grant funding period
- Growth potential for CACFP afterschool meals and snack program participation
How to Apply:
1. Please read the section above on Eligibility to ensure your organization qualifies to apply for this grant.
2. Download and read these instructions on how to setup a profile in our online grants management system. No Kid Hungry Grant Application Instructions
3. Using the instructions above as a guide, click the following link to start the application process.
4. After completing the application and the "Missing Items" list at the end of the application is empty, you will see a submit button. You must click this button to finalize your application. After clicking Submit, you will receive an email to confirm that you have successfully submitted your grant application.
Have Questions?
If you have any questions about the information asked for in the application or the CACFP afterschool meals program in general, please contact Justin Keller, Field Director-Arkansas No Kid Hungry at jkeller@arhungeralliance.org.
Technical questions about completing the application form may be directed to Kasey Mitchell, Grants Associate, at grants@strength.org.