Free Curriculum + Funding: A Perfect Match

Share Our Strength, a good friend to The Culinary Trust and an ally in the Chefs Move to Schools Initiative is offering free curriculum and funding for culinary professionals to help teach families how to shop for healthy food on a limited budget.  Share Our Strength’s Shopping Matters is an interactive, in-store shopping tour lasting 60-90 minutes that teaches low-income families four key food shopping skills: buying fruits and vegetables on a limited budget, identifying whole grains, comparing unit prices and reading food labels. Working with a local nonprofit or other organization eligible to receive funds such as a school, culinary professionals volunteer to lead the shopping tour and are given curriculum materials to guide them.

Shopping Matters is a key component of the No Kid Hungry Campaign’s strategy by teaching families how to shop for healthy foods on a limited budget. Share Our Strength is pleased to announce a Shopping Matters grant opportunity to organizations who would like to offer tours in their community.  Through June 8th, Share Our Strength will be accepting grant requests to help organizations begin or grow the number of Shopping Matters tours offered in their community. To qualify, you must meet the eligibility and requirements for this grant listed below. We encourage all qualified organizations to apply by clicking on the application link, found at the bottom of this page.  If you have any questions, please feel free to direct them to cookingmattersgrants@strength.org.

Eligibility

Organizations located in No Kid Hungry or Ally states may apply for funding, for a list of states please visit www.shoppingmatters.org

• Organization must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in good standing, or another organization eligible to receive grants and tax-deductible donations (for example, schools and churches or other religious institutions).
• Cooking Matters’ Lead Partners are not eligible for this grant, but we encourage them to share this opportunity with their satellite and community partners.
• Previous Shopping Matters grantees may re-apply.
• Examples of previous grantees: Head Start, WIC clinics, SNAP education programs, community organizations (i.e.: Boys and Girls Club), local hospitals, etc.

Grant Cycle

Share Our Strength will accept applications beginning April 23, 2012 through June 13, 2012. If you are selected for a grant, you will be notified by email by June 29, 2012. The grant cycle will begin on July 2, 2012 and close on November 30, 2012.  Application period opens: April 23rd Application period closes: June 13th Review period: June 11th through June 22nd Notification of award: June 25th through June 29th Checks and award mailed: July 2nd through July 6th Grant cycle begins: July 2nd Grant cycle closes: November 30th

Grant Requirements

Each grantee commits to reaching a minimum of 25 distinct participants through a minimum of three Shopping Matters tours between July 2nd and November 30th.

Each grantee will also:

• Distribute a paper-based post-tour survey to each participant to complete after each tour.
• Distribute a paper-based post-tour evaluation to the facilitator to complete after each tour.
• Return the completed surveys and evaluation forms to Share Our Strength within one week of completing the tour.
• Share tour, dates and locations with Share Our Strength staff in advance and anticipate a tour observation.
• Submit a minimum of five high-resolution photographs of the tours. The photos should encompass: participants comparing food labels, participants comparing unit prices, participants with Shopping Matters-branded materials, participants checking-out with $10 gift card items, facilitators teaching, 
• Submit an expense reporting form at the end of the grant.

Eligible Uses of Funding:

The grant aims to help organizations or individuals develop or grow the number of Shopping Matters tours in their community; therefore, the grant funds may be tailored to fit your organization and community’s needs or particular barriers to implementation. Grant funds may be used to:

• Supplement additional staff time.
• Hire a translator for the tour.
• Offer childcare to participants during the tour.
• Offer transportation to and from the store.
• Print informational and/or recruitment flyers.
• Submit a press release.
• Advertise the tour in local media.
• Provide gas or transportation vouchers to participants
• Provide $10 gift cards to participants to complete the (optional) $10 Challenge (located in the facilitator’s manual).
• Purchase any other incentive items (notes pads for shopping lists, etc.)

Share Our Strength’s Commitment

Share Our Strength will initially send each grantee materials to complete the grant requirements. All Shopping Matters materials are provided free of charge thanks to the generous support of Walmart. 

The grant application can be accessed here.

Visit Share Our Strength’s website for more information