Applying for a Grant

Our Grant Strategy

The No Kid Hungry campaign gets meals to kids all summer when school is outA primary focus of our efforts to end childhood hunger is our state and city-based No Kid Hungry campaigns. These campaigns bring together key groups from the private and public sectors to create sustainable partnerships that are working together to end childhood hunger. 

In addition to these partnerships, Share Our Strength continues to build on our nationwide work to end childhood hunger through our No Kid Hungry grants.  Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry grants utilize funds raised through our Great American Bake Sale, Dine Out For No Kid Hungry, and other sources to support innovative programs that help improve children’s access to programs that help address hunger.

Our Programmatic Priorities

Share Our Strength awards grants to nonprofit organizations, schools, and other eligible organizations who are involved in the following activities:

  • Increasing access to summer meals programs supported through the Summer Food Service Program or the National School Lunch "Seamless Summer" Program.
  • Educating and enrolling more eligible families in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
  • Increasing the availability of school breakfast through alternative models such as “in-classroom” breakfast and “grab-n-go” breakfasts.
  • Increasing access to afterschool snack and meal programs, as well as child care programs, supported through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
  • Advocacy around any of the above anti-hunger issues.

Average Grant Size:  $5,000 - $10,000.

Process

Organizations that have received grants from Share Our Strength within the previous two years will be automatically notified of available grant opportunities.  For all others, please submit a Letter of Inquiry.  The letter should:

  • Be no more than two pages (one page is preferred)
  • Describe how your proposed program will help increase access to the programs outlined in our program priorities
  • Be emailed to grants@strength.org, with the subject line "NKH proposal - name of organization - program" (i.e. summer, afterschool, SNAP, etc.)

Notification: We will notify you within two weeks if we will be inviting you to send a full proposal.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often do you make grants?

A. Typically we call for proposals twice a year: once in the spring for funding summer meals programs and once in the early summer for all of our other program priorities. We accept letters of inquiry at any time and will notify any eligible organizations of the next available grant opportunity.

Can an organization receive more than one grant?

A. If an organization is working on several programs that fall within our grant-making priorities, it may apply for more than one grant.

Are there types of food assistance programs that you do not fund with your No Kid Hungry grants?

A. In an attempt to maximize our impact we are concentrating our grants on the programs outlined above. We have more limited funding available for food pantries and soup kitchens seeking funding to purchase food, for “backpack” programs, for gardening programs, and for nutrition education programs that are not affiliated with Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters®. We understand the need for these kinds of programs as part of a comprehensive solution to childhood hunger, but our ability to fund these types of programs is limited.

If we have an afterschool/summer program that is not participating in the federal reimbursement programs like CACFP and/or SFSP, are we eligible to apply for a grant?

A. To help ensure long-term sustainability and the efficacy of our grant money in supporting our strategy, our grant funds focus on helping organizations maximize access to these federal programs. You may request a grant for additional staff support or other resources you may need to help your organization get started with participating in these federal programs (CACFP and SFSP). If you are interested in learning more about how your organization can participate in these programs, we can direct you to some useful resources.

What types of expenses are allowed?

A. We have no specific limitations on what type of expenses are allowed. Eligible expenses may include, but are not limited to: staff, equipment, promotional materials, transportation, or other expenses that will help you expand the capacity of your current program or start a new program.