Summer Table Meals and Enrichment

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Executive Summary

Summer Table Meals and Enrichment is a nonprofit in Oregon that serves free lunches and fun activities to children during the summer, when school meals are not available. We set up at parks, libraries and apartment communities on weekdays. Any child 18 or younger can come, eat a healthy lunch and join an activity such as reading, games, art or sports. No one needs to sign up or show proof of income.

During the school year, many children rely on free or low-cost school meals. When school ends, those meals disappear, and many families struggle. Children can lose weight, energy and learning over the summer. Fun, safe places to go, with a meal and caring adults, can make a big difference.

With this grant we will run 10 summer sites for 10 weeks in Year 1 and serve about 14,000 meals, with an activity at each site. Seasonal site supervisors, trained and background-checked, run each site. We follow the state's food safety rules and any rules of the federal summer meal program that apply to us. We do not promise any outcome for children's health or learning, but we promise a safe, welcoming place.

Our Year 1 budget is about $217,000, growing to about $280,500 by Year 5 as we add sites. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 3 paid staff in Year 1 and 5 by Year 5, with seasonal supervisors and volunteers.

We are asking the Cascadia Kids Foundation for $74,000 for our Program Director and for food and activity supplies. Federal and state meal reimbursement where we are approved, parks, libraries, housing partners, businesses and donors also pay, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Elena Brooks, the Executive Director. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Summer Table Meals and Enrichment is a small, independent nonprofit in Oregon, organized as a 501(c)(3) public charity. We serve children in neighborhoods where many families have limited income, through partner parks, libraries and housing communities.

Our mission. To make sure no child goes hungry or bored during the summer.

What we believe. Every child deserves a good meal and a safe place to play. Children eat together without stigma, and no child is asked about money. We work with the neighborhood, welcome parents and siblings and keep food safe and healthy.

What we offer:
- Free summer lunches. A balanced lunch with fruit, vegetable, protein, grain and milk, served on site on weekdays.
- Enrichment activities. Reading, games, art, science and sports, led by site staff and volunteers.
- Book giveaways. Each child can choose a free book each week.
- Family information. Information on other meal programs, libraries and community resources.

Who we serve. Children and teens up to 18, and adults who accompany them.

What we do not do. We do not ask children or families for income or identification, serve food that has been out too long, leave children unsupervised or promise results for children's health or learning. We do not promise that federal or state reimbursement will be available.

How we are run. A volunteer board of seven governs the organization. I am the Executive Director. The Program Director manages sites, food and training. Seasonal site supervisors, counted as full-time equivalents, run the sites in summer. About 60 volunteers help.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from the parks department, two libraries and four housing communities, commitments from a food service partner, a sponsor application in progress with the state agency that runs the federal summer meal program and a food safety plan and volunteer policy under review by an attorney. (Replace this with where you really are.)

Problem & Opportunity

School meals feed millions of children, but when the school year ends, many families lose that help. A parent who works may not be able to be home at lunch time. Food costs more in summer for families who relied on school meals, and children may skip meals or eat less healthy food. Some children go to places with no adult supervision.

Summer meal programs exist, but they are often hard to find, far from home or limited in hours. Families may not know they exist. Some children do not go because they feel embarrassed or the site has nothing to do.

Parks, libraries and housing communities want to help but may not have the staff, food or training.

For a small nonprofit, the hard parts are buying and delivering food safely, hiring and training summer staff, meeting program rules, covering costs until reimbursements arrive and keeping children interested.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Summer meal programs are an established way to feed children in the months when school meals are not available. We will use the most recent local numbers on children eligible for free meals and on summer meal participation in our final plan. We do not know exactly how many children will come, so our plan uses a first-year goal and will report what really happens.

Products & Services

Summer Table Meals and Enrichment will give children a free lunch and a fun reason to come, every weekday of the summer.

How it works, step by step:
1. Choose sites. We work with the parks department, libraries and housing communities to choose safe sites in neighborhoods where many children qualify for free meals.
2. Approvals. We complete the state's sponsor and site requirements for the federal summer meal program and confirm all rules before the first day.
3. Plan menus. A registered dietitian reviews menus to meet the program's meal standards, and we plan for common allergies.
4. Prepare and deliver. A food service partner prepares lunches, and our van delivers them in coolers to each site with temperature checks.
5. Serve. Site supervisors and volunteers serve children, who eat together at tables. Meals are counted, as the program requires.
6. Enrich. After lunch, children join activities. Each site has a book bin, games and a weekly special event.
7. Keep safe. Staff follow a safety plan with check-in procedures, heat rules and an emergency plan.
8. Report. We keep records for the program, collect feedback and share totals with funders.

Why this approach is strong. Children who come for a meal stay for the activity, and parents know where their children are. Partnerships with parks and libraries bring children to places they already know.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: children and teens up to age 18, and the adults who accompany them, in neighborhoods where many families qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.

Our primary group is children who rely on school meals during the year. Our secondary group is siblings, friends and families who come to the site. We will use the most recent local numbers on children eligible for free meals and on summer meal participation in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan to run 10 sites for 10 weeks in Year 1 and serve about 14,000 meals, or about 50 meals a day at each site. We grow to 12 sites in Year 2, 14 in Year 3 and Year 4 and 16 sites in Year 5. Our Year 1 budget is about $217,000 and our Year 5 budget is about $280,500.

Demand data. Letters of support from the parks department, two libraries and four housing communities, and calls from parents asking for summer meals, show a clear need. We do not count on any single site.

We do not serve everyone. We refer families who need other help, such as groceries or child care, to the right agency, and we cannot serve sites that do not meet program rules.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for children and families, and what makes us different.

- School district summer meal programs. They serve many children. We coordinate with them and serve sites they do not reach.
- Other summer meal sponsors. Some exist. We offer a strong enrichment program and a focus on small, neighborhood sites.
- Food pantries and backpack programs. They send food home. We offer a hot meal, a place to play and supervision.
- Camps and recreation programs. They offer activities but charge fees. We offer free meals and activities.
- Private day camps and sports leagues. They are fun but cost money. We offer a free option with a meal and trained staff.
- Staying home. Many children do. We offer a safe, welcoming place to go.

What makes us different.
- No sign-up and no proof of income.
- Lunch and enrichment together, at parks, libraries and homes.
- Trained, background-checked staff and volunteers.
- A free book each week.

What we do not claim. We are new. Larger sponsors have more sites and a longer record. We plan to earn trust one site and one child at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach the people we serve.

Sites and neighborhoods. We will post signs at parks, libraries and housing communities, send flyers home with students in spring, post on neighborhood groups and ask resident leaders to spread the word.

Schools and counselors. We will give schools a one-page flyer in English and Spanish to send home on the last day of school and ask counselors to share information with families.

Parks and libraries. We will work with staff at partner sites on schedules, activities and displays.

Churches and clubs. We will recruit volunteers and ask for sponsorships and donations of books, games and supplies.

Online and by text. A simple website and a text line list the sites, days and menus, in English and Spanish.

Cost to the family. Free. No sign-up, proof of income or identification is needed.

Keeping children coming. We will give every child a simple stamp card for activities and a free book each week, and hold a weekly special event, such as a visit from a firefighter, a musician or an author, so children want to return.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1 (April to March):
- Months 1 and 2 (spring): Complete the state's sponsor application and site approvals, sign agreements with sites and the food service partner, buy equipment, recruit and train supervisors and volunteers.
- Month 3 (early summer): Open the first week of sites and hold a family kickoff at each.
- Months 3 to 5 (summer): Serve lunch and run activities at 10 sites for 10 weeks, deliver food daily and keep meal counts.
- Months 6 to 9: Submit reimbursement claims, survey families and sites and pay partners.
- Months 10 to 12 (winter): Report to funders, review the season and plan Year 2.

Space. Sites are parks, libraries and common rooms of housing communities, provided by partners at no cost. Our small office is shared space in a community building.

Equipment. We buy about $10,000 of equipment once at the start: insulated food carriers, coolers and a thermometer set ($4,200), two folding serving tables and shade canopies ($2,600), a tablet and label printer for meal counts ($1,400) and reusable activity kits and book bins ($1,800). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1, I serve as Executive Director. The Program Director, paid $44,000 a year, manages sites, food and training. Seasonal site supervisors, counted as full-time equivalents and paid $26,000 a year each, run the sites, with about one full-time equivalent in Year 1, growing to two and a half by Year 5.

Food safety and child safety. We follow state and local food safety rules, keep temperature logs, label allergens and use only approved meals. Every supervisor and volunteer passes a background check, no adult is alone with a child and a written plan covers heat, weather and emergencies, including calling 911.

Costs. Food and milk are about $54,000 in Year 1, the delivery van and coolers about $8,000, enrichment supplies and books about $6,000, site supplies and training about $5,000 and administration and insurance about $10,000. Reimbursement arrives after we submit claims, and our plan holds about $13,020 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the project.

Elena Brooks, Executive Director. Fourteen years of nonprofit work, including eight years running a food program for children. She oversees the program, partnerships, fundraising and finances. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Program Director (from Year 1). Manages sites, food service, training and reporting.

Seasonal site supervisors (from Year 1). Run each site, keep meal counts and lead activities. Teachers, college students and youth workers often fill these roles.

Volunteers. About 60 volunteers, including students, retirees and parents.

Dietitian advisor. A registered dietitian who reviews menus.

Board and advisors. Seven volunteer board members, including a school nutrition director and a library manager, who meet every quarter. An attorney and an accountant review our agreements and records.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: Executive Director $54,000, Program Director $44,000 and seasonal site supervisor $26,000 per full-time equivalent. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals for each year and how we will measure them.

- Year 1: Run 10 summer sites for 10 weeks and serve about 14,000 meals. A balanced budget of about $217,000, with a small surplus of about $8,000. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 2: Run 12 sites and add a weekly literacy hour at each. A balanced budget of about $235,500, with a small surplus of about $8,100. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 3: Run 14 sites and add a mobile site for rural areas. A balanced budget of about $254,500, with a small surplus of about $8,300. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 4: Run 14 sites with stronger activities and more teen helpers. A balanced budget of about $260,500, with a small surplus of about $8,000. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 5: Run 16 sites and share our training and menus with other sponsors. A balanced budget of about $280,500, with a small surplus of about $8,500. About 5 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Meals served each day and each week at each site.
- Children who come at least three days a week.
- Books given out.
- Food safety checks passed.
- Volunteer hours.
- Family and site partner feedback.

How we review results. The Program Director reviews meal counts every day during the season. After the season, staff and the board review all results and share them with funders and partner sites. If a site has low attendance, we meet with the site partner and change the time, the activity or the outreach. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $74,000 from the Cascadia Kids Foundation for a Program Director and food and activity supplies for summer sites, for April 2027 through March 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Director salary, $44,000.
- Supplies: Food, milk and enrichment supplies, $30,000 (other funds add $16,000).

Other money in the program. This request is about 52% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $217,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $8,000 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $143,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), federal and state summer meal reimbursement $36,000, parks, library and housing partner support $16,000, businesses and individual donations $22,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $54,000; program director $44,000; summer site supervisors (seasonal, full-time equivalents) $26,000; food and milk about $54,000; delivery van and coolers about $8,000; enrichment supplies and books about $6,000; site supplies and training about $5,000; administration and insurance about $10,000; about $3,400 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $17,200 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $4,200 for insulated food carriers, coolers and a thermometer set; $2,600 for two folding serving tables and shade canopies; $1,400 for tablet and label printer for meal counts; $1,800 for reusable activity kits and book bins; $1,800 for opening stock of paper goods and serving supplies; $2,400 for attorney and accountant review of the sponsor agreement and food safety plan; $1,400 for banners, flyers in two languages and a simple website; $1,600 for food handler training, background checks and first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($17,200), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $3,000) and a cash cushion of about $51,800, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. The cash used before it balances and the cushion come to about $54,800. In all, that comes to $72,000. We start with $12,000 of our own savings and $63,000 in startup support from a local children's foundation and our board, $75,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $217,000 in Year 1 to about $280,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $143,000, $147,500, $152,500, $144,500 and $150,500 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: federal and state summer meal reimbursement from $36,000 to $60,000 and parks, library and housing partner support from $16,000 to $32,000 and businesses and individual donations from $22,000 to $38,000. We add sites and seasonal supervisors as the program grows. Grants fall from about 66% of our income in Year 1 to about 54% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $62,000, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $13,020 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Meal reimbursement where approved, parks, libraries, housing partners, businesses and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Families share their stories, and sponsors can adopt a site by name.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A change in program rules or reimbursement. We confirm rules each year with the state agency and keep a reserve.
- A food safety problem. We follow a written plan, check temperatures and train every supervisor.
- Extreme heat. We follow a heat plan and move activities indoors.
- Low attendance. We reach out through schools, housing communities and text messages.
- A grant ends. We keep savings and grow partner and donor support each year.

If you are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status through a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for you and passes them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Another way is to start smaller: three sites, six weeks and a food service partner, tracked carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach with this proposal:

- Your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current year budget.
- A list of your board members and what each one does.
- Signed letters of support from sites and partners.
- Your sponsor and site approvals from the state agency, when available.
- Your agreement with the food service partner.
- Your food safety plan and menus reviewed by a dietitian.
- Your volunteer and background check policy.
- Quotes for equipment.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and key staff.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Grant Revenue: $143,000 in Year 1, then $147,500, $152,500, $144,500 and $150,500.
- Federal and State Summer Meal Reimbursement: $36,000 in Year 1, growing to $60,000.
- Parks, Library and Housing Partner Support: $16,000 in Year 1, growing to $32,000.
- Businesses and Individual Donations: $22,000 in Year 1, growing to $38,000.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive director $54,000, program director $44,000, summer site supervisors (seasonal, full-time equivalents) $26,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: food and milk $54,000, delivery van and coolers $8,000, enrichment supplies and books $6,000, site supplies and training $5,000, administration and insurance $10,000. These grow between 4% and 7% a year.
- Equipment: $10,000 at the start, then $1,500 to $2,500 a year.
- Startup costs: $17,200, paid once from $75,000 in startup money.
- Meals: about 14,000 in Year 1, growing as sites are added. Meal reimbursement of about $36,000 in Year 1 depends on state approval and is not guaranteed.
- About 6% of each year's income is still owed to us at year end.
- Tax: none, as a nonprofit.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs