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Part III: Farm to School Grant Template

Assistance in Applying for Farm to School Funding

Farm to

School Task

Force

January

2013

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FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT TEMPLATE

Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 4

What is the Farm to School Grant Template? .......................................................................................... 4

Grant Template ........................................................................................................................................ 6

Overview ................................................................................................................................................... 6

Obesity as a Nationwide Health Problem ............................................................................................ 6

Childhood Obesity in Colorado ............................................................................................................ 7

Community Agriculture and Economy ............................................................................................... 10

Farm to School ................................................................................................................................... 10

Statement of Need ............................................................................................................................. 11

Specifics: Proposal Narrative .................................................................................................................. 12

Project Need ....................................................................................................................................... 12

Objectives, Activities, and Timeline ................................................................................................... 15

Evaluation ........................................................................................................................................... 16

Staffing ............................................................................................................................................... 17

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Additional Benefits ............................................................................................................................. 18

Sustainability ...................................................................................................................................... 18

Budget..................................................................................................................................................... 18

Conclusion or Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 20

References ............................................................................................................................................. 21

Last updated on January 31, 2013

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INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS THE FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT TEMPLATE?

The FTS Grant Template is a document that contains information, citations, and text that can be

used in your own grant applications. While every funder has its own set of requirements and

application instructions, there are broad similarities. Most funders want to know the what, where,

when, why, and how of a proposed request.

This template provides a way to explain the following:

General Overview

1. What is the big problem you are addressing? For many districts, you will want to tie your

equipment and/or personnel funding requests to the nationwide childhood obesity epidemic and

Colorado’s alarming rate of increase (2nd only to Nebraska). There are two main methods for

addressing childhood obesity: increased physical activity and increased intake of healthy food.

Schools are sites where both changes can occur. In terms of offering healthy food, for schools to use

fresh, local produce in their salad bars or scratch-cooking, many will need new equipment, skills,

and staffing. This template can help you connect childhood obesity to school nutrition and your

need for a facility upgrade, new kitchen equipment, or additional staff training.

2. What is Farm to School? Two sections address local food procurement from a big picture

perspective. One describes the state of our food system and how the centralization and

globalization has made it difficult for small, local producers to be competitive. Another section

describes Farm to School generally with specifics about Colorado Farm to School.

Proposal Narrative Customized to Your District

This section of the template has text that is easily customized for your own district.

3. Project need: All grants require a statement about why the requested funds are needed. This

section provides language and customizable fields in the following areas:

School district and Farm to School background information

Readiness and need

Justification

4. Objectives, Activities, and Timeline: Some grant applications require a more sophisticated

timeline that tracks objectives and activities. This section provides examples of these additional

components that can be customized.

5. Evaluation: Some grants require evidence of change. Sometimes a grant is large enough to

support an external evaluator; oftentimes, it is not. This section provides basic language around

evaluation as well as FTS evaluation tools to aid a district in implementing evaluation internally.

6. Staffing: Most grant applications include information about the key staff who will carry out the

project.

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7. Additional Benefits: If an application has space to articulate additional benefits, it is good to

use this area to identify program components that address the funders' scoring criteria.

8. Sustainability: Most funders will want to know how their investment will lead to long term

sustainability.

Budget

Every proposal will need to submit a budget. Typically, the grant application has a form to be

followed. This section provides an example table.

Conclusion or Abstract

Some applications dedicate space for the grantee to summarize their funding request. This may be

at the end of the application (Conclusion) or at the beginning (Abstract).

Grant Writing Resources

Much information has already been compiled on how to write an effective grant, sample proposals,

and other tools. Check out these resources as needed.

Grant Writing Tips recommended by the School Nutrition Association,

http://www.k12grants.org/tips.htm#Grant%20Writing%20Tips

The GrantHelpers.com blog, http://www.thegranthelpers.com/blog/

Grant Writing Basics, http://grant-writing-proposals.com/grant-writing-basics

Throughout the template you will find pullout boxes with instructions and resources.

Now, let’s get started!

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GRANT TEMPLATE

OVERVIEW

Obesity as a Nationwide Health Problem

Obesity is a major health problem affecting children in the United States. Presently 17% of all

children and adolescents are obese, which is 3 times the rate of the previous generation (CDC,

2011). Figure 1 depicts the percentage of high school students who are obese by state.

Figure 1. Percentage of High School Students Who are Obese1

Obesity particularly affects low-income children (See Figure 2). Only 22% of children living above

400% of the poverty line are overweight or obese, compared with 45% of those living in poverty

(The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, 2007).

1 Adapted from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2011). Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/obesity-

youth.htm

Grant writer instructions: Overview. In the overview section you briefly review a significant

societal problem, connect it to your organization’s challenge, and then introduce a solution (in

this case, Farm to School). You may not want to use the exact wording below, but you can use the

format and content as guidance.

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Figure 2. County Obesity Prevalence Among Low-Income Children Aged 2 to 4 Years.

Adapted from the Centers for Disease Control (2011). Available at:

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/data.html

Obese youth are more likely to have high cholesterol or high blood pressure (Freedman, Zuguo,

Srinivasan, Berenson, & Dietz, 2007), pre-diabetes (Li, Ford, Zhao, & Mokdad, 2008), and social and

psychological problems (Office of the Surgeon General, 2010). These changes in the proportion of

overweight and obese children are likely due to increased availability of high-calorie, low cost food

(Office of the Surgeon General, 2010). Children also drink more sugar beverages than ever before,

and are less likely to drink water or low-fat or skim milk (Nielsen & Popkin, 2003).

Childhood Obesity in Colorado

Although Colorado has the lowest adult obesity rate in the United States, childhood obesity in the

state has increased 23% between 2003 and 2007, second only to Nevada in increased rate of

childhood obesity.

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Figure 3. Change in Obesity Rates in Colorado vs. the National Average2

Figure 4. Childhood Obesity by Race/Ethnicity in Colorado3

One source of higher obesity among low income children is “food deserts,” or locations where

access to inexpensive, fresh, and nutrient dense foods is limited. According to the U.S. Department

of Agriculture’s (USDA) food desert locator4, almost 80,000 children live in areas defined as food

deserts in Colorado (See Figure 6). Figure 5 depicts the percentage of children who are obese or

overweight in 25 Colorado counties. Examine Figure 5 and Figure 6 to compare childhood obesity

rates in those 25 counties with Colorado food desert locations.

2 Figure adapted from the Colorado Children’s Campaign Healthy Moms, Health Kids report.

3 Figure adapted from the Colorado Children’s Campaign 2010 Kids Count in Colorado! report.

4 Available at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-desert-locator.aspx

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Figure 5. Children who are Overweight and Obese by County in Colorado (2008-2010).5

Figure 6. Food Deserts in Colorado.

5 Figure adapted from 2012 Kids Count in Colorado! (Figure 29, page 25). Kids Count focuses on a different set of

counties each year. This map represents the childhood obesity rates in the 25 most populous counties in Colorado.

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Community Agriculture and Economy

Another challenge facing U.S. communities is the dramatic decrease of small family farms in the past

30 years. Presently farms with sales of $250,000 or more now account for 48% of farm sales,

versus only 23% in 1982 (Hoppe, Korb, O’Donoghue, & Banker, 2007). Five multinational

agricultural corporations produce 42% of food sales, versus 23% in 1982 (Hoppe et al., 2007). Most

small producers earn little from the retail cost of their products, with the bulk of resources going to

transportation, advertising, energy use, and labor costs (Unger & Wooten, 2006), and are forced to

lower prices to compete with consolidated commodity markets (Kirschenmann, 2005). However, if

small farmers were able to access local markets, import substitution would occur, where buyers

would purchase locally produced rather than imported products, benefiting local markets, and

preventing stimulus “leaking” out to remote corporations (Martinez et al., 2010; Northern Colorado

Regional Food System Assessment, n. d. (c)).

Farm to School

Farm to School (FTS) is an initiative to educate K-

12 students on agriculture and nutrition, unite

schools and local farms with the joint goal of

providing local and fresh meals to students,

develop student nutrition, and support local and

regional farming communities.

In Colorado, the Colorado Department of

Agriculture has funded FTS through a Specialty

Crops Block Grant from the U.S.D.A. In 2010, the

state legislature launched the FTS Task Force

(FTS-TF). Colorado FTS supports policies that

connect schools and producers, and expand the presence of FTS throughout Colorado. Schools in

Colorado with FTS programs can have a variety of activities including sourcing local, fresh food for

school meals, nutrition and agricultural curriculum in the classroom, hands-on education through

school or potted gardens, field trips to farms, classroom visits by farmers, and local chefs to provide

culinary lessons.

There are multiple benefits to FTS. Agricultural and nutritional education connecting children to

their farming communities has been documented as raising participation in the school lunch

program (Bowers & Adams, 2002; Joshi, Azuma, & Feenstra, 2008). Increased student consumption

of nutritious and fresh food improves student academic performance, attentiveness, and decreases

obesity levels (Hollar, Lombardo, Lopez-Mitnik, Hollar, Almon, Agatston, et al., 2010; Storey, Pearce,

Ashfield-Watt, Wood, Baines, & Nelson, 2011). Not only does the mere act of increasing fruit and

vegetable consumption improve nutrition levels, but the minimization of food transportation

through purchasing locally preserves greater nutrition levels in the food (Heaton, 2001; Watada,

Ko, & Minott, 1996; Worthington, 2001; Shah & Nath, 2006). Farm to School can also enhance

opportunity for local farms and economy through increasing local spending, economic output, and

employment (Ecotrust, 2011). Lastly, FTS can reduce GHG emissions and nonrenewable fuel

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consumption through minimizing long-distance food transportation (Cowell & Parkinson, 2003;

Pirog, van Pelt, Enshayan, & Cook, 2001).

Statement of Need

[school/district name] is unable to provide healthy, local food due to infrastructural capacity limits.

[Equipment] is needed in order to [chop/process/prepare/store/serve] fresh, healthy food. Funding

from the [grant name] would overcome this barrier to providing [school/district name] children

with access to healthy meals, and facilitate the development of relationships with local producers

that could bring economic stimulus and stability to regional agriculture and our community.

This grant application will focus on a request for funding to [grant purpose] with the intention of

supporting child access to healthy school lunch and forging stable relationships with local

producers.

Grant writer instructions: Citations. Citations are important tools to persuading the grant

organization that 1. The problem is real, significant, and prevalent, and 2. Your solution is fitting.

Multiple citations were listed above, and are available in full in the References section. However,

other excellent public sources of research include:

http://wonder.cdc.gov/

http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/main.htm

http://www.farmtoschool.org/resources.php

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/

http://catalog.gpo.gov/F

http://www.eric.ed.gov/

http://www.fedstats.gov/

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/advanced/advsearchpage.action

http://health.nih.gov/

http://www.science.gov/

http://www.chna.org/Home.aspx

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SPECIFICS: PROPOSAL NARRATIVE CUSTOMIZABLE TEXT

Project Need

School District and the Farm to School Background Information

Since [date], [school/district] has participated in Farm to School through [list Farm to School

activities]. Each of these Farm to School activities have occurred in [number] of [schools/districts].

Early on [school/district] Farm to School directors realized [lessons/problems]. In order to overcome

these challenges, [stakeholders] collaborated to [solution]. These successes, garnered through

community support, encourage [school/district] to expand its Farm to School efforts, with the

knowledge that our community will ensure sustainability.

[School/district] has thus far only investigated the potential for initiating a Farm to School program.

[School/district] has been astounded by local interest from parents and producers. [State evidence

of interest here].

Readiness and Need

Readiness. Currently [school/district] is able to allot [resources] to a Farm to School program and can

take advantage of [infrastructure/systems/processes] in place to [prepare/procure] food. With these

Grant writer instructions: Project need. In the Project Need section you will describe the

current state and successes of your program [Background Information], what is not being

addressed by your program [Need], and what the sources of the gaps in your program are

[Problem]. In describing your program, you will cover the target population [School or District],

and provide statistical and empirical data to support your argument that the problem exists.

Relevant data may include:

Percent students on free and reduced lunch plan

Percent ethnic minorities

Obesity rates by county

Poverty rates by county

Documented changes in participation in school lunch program, student health indicators,

or academic performance before and after implementing FTS

Dollar amount or pounds of local produce, dairy, protein, and starches

Citation sources for data on your community and your district are listed below, respectively:

U.S. Census: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/

Colorado Department of Education: http://www.cde.state.co.us/index_stats.htm

Colorado State Demography Office: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/DOLA-

Main/CBON/1251590805419

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existing resources and relationships in place [school/district] is prepared to begin and sustain a

Farm to School program.

[School/district] anticipates several challenges to initiating a Farm to School program. [Describe

anticipated challenges]. However, a [grant name] grant would facilitate [school/district] in

addressing these challenges through providing resources to create a deliberative plan of

implementation. This planning process will assist [school/district] in preparing for and responding

to these challenges through [describe how planning process will aid school/district regarding

challenges].

Need. Presently [school/district] cafeteria is unable to [prepare/store/serve] meals, due to a lack of

[equipment]. As a result, the purchase of fresh [produce/dairy/meat] is unfeasible, and

[school/district] must purchase pre-prepared and processed [produce/dairy/meat]. Were

[school/district] to be awarded [grant name], [number of students on school/district lunch plan] of

students would benefit from substituting processed, pre-prepared meals with freshly prepared

lunches that are more likely to retain their nutritional value (Martinez et al., 2011). For example, if

[school/district] could purchase [equipment], [school/district] would be able to prepare and offer

children fresh [insert produce types]. Further, research supports the assumption that participation

in the school lunch program increases after Farm to School programs are implemented (Bowers &

Adams, 2002; Brillinger, Ohmart, & Feenstra, 2002; Joshi, Azuma, & Feenstra, 2007; Mascarenhas &

Gottlieb, 2000), which would improve [school/district] revenue, increase access to nutritious food,

heighten [school/district] demand for locally produced food, and promote sustainability in the FTS

program.

The purchase of [equipment] would further increase the number of schools able to offer the school

lunch program, as food prepared at [school] can be transported to and sold at [other school names].

[Other school names] currently lack a cafeteria/sufficient cafeteria space and equipment to serve

meals, but [school]’s increased capacity through purchase of [equipment] will permit shared

benefits among [school, and other schools].

Currently the equipment is [age] years old, and is unable to [prepare/store/serve] fresh meals. The

rural location of [school/district] is additionally problematic when considering the frequency of

food deliveries. Fewer food deliveries increase [school/district]’s reliance on processed, pre-

prepared meals. Because [school/district]’s lunch program budget and/or operating balance is only

[program budget/operating balance amount], [school/district] is unable to purchase [equipment]

without outside assistance.

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Justification

[School/district] aspires to purchase [equipment] in order to [prepare/store] fresh meals.

[Equipment] will permit [school/district] to improve school meal adherence to dietary guidelines.

The recent upgrades in school nutritional standards based on the Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010

create urgency for [school/district] to improve infrastructure in order to provide children meals

consistent with nutritional standards.

[School/district] intends to purchase [equipment] in order to prepare meals more safely. Presently,

without a cold (or a blast chiller)/hot holding equipment, [school/district] is unable to ensure that

cold potentially hazardous food is kept at or below 41°F and hot potentially hazardous food is kept

at or above 135°F, which increases risk for the growth of bacteria related to foodborne illness.

Additionally without a milk cooler, [school/district] cannot guarantee that milk temperature is

satisfactorily lowered to prevent the growth of microflora. Additional refrigeration and freezer

space will facilitate [school/district] in providing locally purchased, fresh meals year-round, without

losing food due to spoilage. An additional safety issue regards proper cleaning of dishes and

utensils. With the purchase of a dishwasher [school/district] will be able to ensure that dishes are

washed and rinsed at a high temperature to ensure fully sanitized dishes.

[School/district] allocates [$ amount] to providing sufficient energy for current [equipment]. The

purchase of an energy-efficient [equipment] would save [school/district] [$ amount] each year. That

money could instead be spent on purchasing [amount] of local [produce/meat/dairy], offering

[number] more hours of agricultural and nutritional education, or purchasing [$ amount] of school

garden equipment.

Research has demonstrated that salad bar installation increases school lunch participation (Bowers

& Adams, 2002; Mascarenhas & Gottlieb, 2000; Brillinger et al., 2002) and student consumption of

fruit and vegetables between 25%-84% (Slusser & Neumann, 2001). Recent upgrades in school

food nutrition requirements require that students6 are provided a weekly minimum of 2 1/2 --5

cups of fruit, 1/2 cup of dark green vegetables, 3/4 -- 1 1/4 cups of red/orange vegetables, 1/2 cup

of legumes, 1/2 cup of starchy vegetables, and 1/2 -- 3/4 cup of other vegetables (Food and

Nutrition Service, 2012). Currently [school/district] provides an average of proportion of X% fresh

to Y% canned vegetables. A salad bar would enable [school/district] to exceed current nutrition

standards, and increase offerings of fresh, locally sourced, fruits and vegetables. A [grant name]

award would permit [school/district] to purchase equipment necessary to install and maintain a

salad bar, such as an insulated food bar, slide trays, a sneezeguard, cold retention pans, buffet

6 Fruit and vegetable standards vary by students' grade levels. (See Food and Nutrition Service, 2012).

Grant writer instructions: Justification. Examine whether one or more of these focus areas

relates to your equipment purchase, and modify and expand. Any research or statistics from your

school/district supporting your need for a particular piece of equipment need to be integrated.

Refer to “Grant writer instructions: Citations” for a list of databases to search.

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chilling pads, and serving tongs. The purchase of such equipment would offer students the

opportunity to select a greater variety and amount of fresh fruits and vegetables.

[School/district] presently serves [number] of school lunch participants each year. However, were

[school/district] able to purchase [equipment], [school/district] would be able to serve meals in

[nontraditional setting] and/or better use cafeteria to space.

[School/district] currently employs [number] kitchen staff. A [grant name] award would permit

[school/district] to retain [number] staff and would create [number] new jobs. These estimates are

based on [rationale].

Objectives, Activities, and Timeline

Below are listed [school/district's] objectives organized temporally, starting at the beginning of the

anticipated grant period, with the final goal at the end of the grant period.

Objectives and Activities Date of Completion

Objective 1: Upgrade [school/district name] kitchen(s) to permit scratch

cooking.

Activities:

Order [equipment name] 9/12

Install [equipment name] 10/12

Objective 2: Train cooking staff at [school/district name] on scratch

cooking techniques and recipes.

Activities:

Staff attend 7 sessions on scratch cooking at [program name]. 9/12-10/12

Staff develop menus that integrate scratch cooking. 10/12

Staff begin preparing portions of every meal through scratch

cooking.

11/12

Objective 3:

Activities:

Grant writer instructions: Objectives, Activities, and Timeline. Some grant applications

require a more sophisticated timeline that tracks objectives and activities. Below are example

models with these additional components you made to address.

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Evaluation7

Currently [school/district] documents the source of its food purchases, and the number of school

meals purchased by students throughout the year. If awarded the [grant name] grant, we would be

able to initiate/expand our current Farm to School program and would likewise diversify our

tracking mechanisms. [School/district] has a successful history of both implementing and

responding to multi-method evaluations, as evidenced by [list previous evaluations and their

outcomes].

The Colorado Farm to School Task Force has developed a FTS Evaluation Toolkit,8 which we will

use to design and implement our evaluation. As shown in the table below, we will evaluate [choose

the audience(s) to be evaluated and the types of outcomes to be measured. Delete audiences and

outcomes you will not address.]:

Table 1. Farm to School Program Evaluation - Audience and Outcome Types.

Type of Audience Types of Outcomes

Students Gains in knowledge/awareness Improve attitudes/willingness to try new foods and eat

healthier

Increased satisfaction with school meal options and increased participation

Improved eating habits Improved health behaviors beyond eating Increased demand for local food

Parents Improve attitudes Increase knowledge Change eating habits

Get involved in programs

Teachers Improve attitudes Increase knowledge Change eating habits Get involved in programs

Food Service Staff & Operations

Improve staff attitudes/commitment Increased staff knowledge

Increased use of local foods, seasonal foods, salad bars, etc. Affordability of FTS program, increased revenue, and

lower purchase price for some locally sourced foods Changes in waste management Facilities changes

7 If you choose to hire a professional evaluator, contact FTS-TF for evaluator referrals at

info@coloradofarmtoschool.org. 8 Colorado Farm to School Task Force Evaluation Toolkit is available at www.coloradofarmtoschool.org.

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Type of Audience Types of Outcomes

Producers Increase awareness of FTS opportunities Improve food safety knowledge Improve food safety practices Increased local sales

Get involved in programs

School Leadership Improve attitudes and/or knowledge Change policies/funding

Community Improve attitudes and/or knowledge

Increased local food programs/activities

Project Management and Quality Assurance

In order to properly initiate/expand [school/district’s] Farm to School program, it is crucial that we

maintain both a schedule and budget. Currently at [school/district] engages in [list accountability

measures for implementing school of objectives and maintaining school budget]. These accountability

measures are appropriate for application to a Farm to School program as they similarly involve

multiple stakeholders, restricted budgets, and a need to integrate sustainability into project

management.

Staffing

The following staff [or contractors] will manage [school/district’s] Farm to School program, due to

their extensive experience with both project and financial management:

Staff Name Project

Role/Title

Project

Responsibilities

Qualifications Relevant

experience

1.

2.

3.

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Additional Benefits

A [name of grant] grant would not merely benefit [school/district], but will also impact

[collaborating schools/districts]. [School/district] currently engages in [group buying/kitchen

sharing/trainings] with [collaborating schools/districts]. [School/district] anticipates additionally

sharing [knowledge gained through developing a Farm to School implementation plan, the Farm to

School implementation plan itself, etc.] with neighboring school/districts.

Sustainability

Sustainability of [school/district's] Farm to School program is an integral component of the planning

process. Although [school/district] will continue seeking external funding through grants,

[school/district] intends to primarily sustain its program through the following measures: [lowering

prices through group buying, extending the season through food preservation, serving local food in

appropriate portion sizes to keep costs low, etc.].

BUDGET

Every proposal will need to submit a budget. Typically, the grant application has a form to be

followed. The Michigan Farm to School grant program has two sample grant applications that

include budget tables and budget narratives.

Planning Grant Application

Example: http://www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu/assets/files/grant/Sample%20Planning%

20Grant%20Application.pdf

Implementation Grant Application

Example: http://www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu/assets/files/grant/Sample%20Implementa

tion%20Grant%20Application.pdf

Below is an example of a budget table used in a Colorado grant application for food services

equipment.

Equipment Price

• Whiteboards- various sizes $100- $500

• Salad Spinner- 5 gallon capacity $150

• Rice Cooker- 22 cup capacity $225

Grant writer instructions: Additional Benefits. Many grant organizations will either overtly

or tacitly prefer to award grants to organizations that are collaborative. If you are currently

working with other schools or districts, reach out to them to co-write a grant. If you are not

presently working with another organization, brainstorm possible collaborators. It is useful to

look at the scoring criteria and use this space as an opportunity to articulate how your project

aligns with the priorities of the funder.

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Equipment Price

• Analog Scale- 25 # $80

• Digital scale- 10 # $120

• Big Stix Immersion Blender $350

• Rapi-Kool Ice Paddles $30 each

• Portable Butane Stove and Fuel $50 each

• Taylor Digital Thermometer $15 each

• Wusthof Knives (items can be purchased separately not only in sets only)

$90 for Chef’s Knife

• Sunkist Sectionizer with various blades $300 + $60 per blade

• Hobart Food Processor $3700

• Robot Coupe Food Processor $1350

• Stainless Steel Carts $150- $250

• Speed Racks $ 275- $500

• Salad Bars for Elementary and High School Levels $700- $1500

Grant applications may also require information regarding delivery cost, installation cost, and labor

cost, vendor or service provider quotes, and the number of jobs that will be created or retained

upon the award of the grant. Vendors of large equipment may be found on the School Nutrition

Association’s CN Marketplace. Local restaurant supply houses often provide ideal prices and access.

Below are several recommended Colorado school kitchen equipment vendors:

United Restaurant Supply, Inc., 725 Clark Place, Colorado Springs, CO 80915, (719) 574-3200, Contact: Tammie Taylor

Grady's Restaurant & Bar Supply, 430 W 4th St,Pueblo, CO 81003, (719) 542-5583.

Food Service Warehouse, 5670 Greenwood Plaza Blvd Ste #501, Greenwood Village, CO

8011, (303) 801-0644

Hockenbergs, 580 Burbank Street, Ste 120, Broomfield, CO 80020, (303) 466-6929, Contact:

Tom Kowal

If you are also requesting funds to support personnel, you may need to include a budget narrative.

A budget narrative explains in words how the numbers in your budget table were derived. eSchool

News 9provides this advice and example:

Budget narratives should explain every line item that appears on the budget form that contains a

dollar figure. Salary and benefit line items, for example, should explain the annual salary for the

position(s) of the people working on the project, their required experience or education, the

percentage of their time they will spend on the project, and the percentage of fringe benefits that

9 See ESchool News “A strong budget narrative can help sell your proposal” at

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/07/01/a-strong-budget-narrative-can-help-sell-your-proposal/

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corresponds to the salary amount requested. To illustrate, here is a sample personnel segment of a

budget narrative from the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools on the ed.gov web site:

Project Director (1.0 FTE): $50,000

The project director will have oversight of the program and provide supervision, recruitment,

and training of the program liaisons. At a minimum, this position requires a master’s degree

with an emphasis in social work or other related field.

Program Liaisons (2 @ 1.0 FTE): (2 x $35,000) = $70,000

Two program liaisons will be responsible for day-to-day school/community outreach activities.

At a minimum, staff will hold a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in the social services field. It

is anticipated that each liaison will be responsible for 25 annual events.

Staff Assistant (1.0 FTE): $25,000

The staff assistant will perform all clerical duties for the project staff. This position requires a

high school diploma or equivalent.

CONCLUSION OR ABSTRACT

This funding request will contribute to [initiating and/or sustaining] a Farm to School program at

[school]. The purchase of [equipment] through funding from [grant] will further contribute to

community health and economic development through increasing child access to healthy lunches,

and farmer access to stable, local markets.

Grant writer instructions: Conclusion or Abstract. Most applications have a section at

either the end or the beginning where you have a limited number of words to summarize your

request. Below is example language to use. Please complete, modify, and expand the text to be

applicable to your school(s) or district’s needs. Use this section to reiterate the major takeaway

points you want the grant awarding organization to remember about you.

Prepared by Spark Policy Institute | www.sparkpolicy.com 21

REFERENCES

Bowers, C., & Adams, P. (2002). Assessment of the Juanamaria healthy school program and salad bar

of the Ventura Unified School District. Los Angeles: Center for Food and Justice, Urban and

Environmental Policy Institute, Occidental College.

Brillinger, R., Ohmart, J., & Feenstra, G. (2002). Crunch lunch manual: A case study of the Davis Joint

Unified School District farmers’ market salad bar pilot program and a fiscal analysis. Davis,

CA: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, University of California,

Davis.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). Youth risk behavior survey. Washington, DC:

Author.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012). Trends in the prevalence of extreme obesity

among US preschool-aged children living in low-income families, 1998-2010. JAMA,

308(24), 2563-2565.

Colorado Children’s Campaign (2011). Healthy moms, healthy kids: A series on maternal and child

health in Colorado. Denver: Author. Retrieved from:

http://www.coloradokids.org/data/publications/healthymomshealthykids.html

Colorado Children’s Campaign (2010). 2010 Kids Count in Colorado. Denver: Author. Retrieved

from: http://www.coloradokids.org/data/kidscount/.

Colorado Children’s Campaign (2012). 2012 Kids Count in Colorado! Denver: Author. Retrieved

from: http://www.coloradokids.org/data/publications/2012kidscount.html.

Colorado Farm to School Task Force & Spark Policy Institute (2013). Farm to School Evaluation

Toolkit. Retrieved from: www.coloradofarmtoschool.org/schools/evaluation

Cowell, S. J., & Parkinson, S. (2003). Localisation of UK food production: An analysis using land area

and energy as indicators. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment, 94, 221-236.

Ecotrust. (July, 2011).The impact of seven cents. Examining the effects of a $.07 per meal investment

on local economic development, lunch participation rates, and student preferences for fruits

and vegetables in two Oregon school districts. Portland: Author. Retrieved from:

http://www.farmtoschool.org/files/publications_386.pdf.

Food and Nutrition Service (2012). Nutrition standards in the National School Lunch and School

Breakfast Programs. Federal Register, 77(17), 4088-4167. Retrieved from:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/Legislation/nutritionstandards.htm

Grant writer instructions: References. The more data you can use to support your grant

application, the better. However, you must cite sources and organize your source information in a

standardized format. The references below are based on APA style, however, MLA, or Chicago

citation styles are also commonly used.

Prepared by Spark Policy Institute | www.sparkpolicy.com 22

Freedman, D. S., Zuguo, M., Srinivasan, S. R., Berenson, G. S., Dietz, W. H. (2007). Cardiovascular risk

factors and excess adiposity among overweight children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart

Study. Journal of Pediatrics, 150(1), 12–17.

Heaton, S. (2001). Organic Farming, Food Quality and Human Health. A Review. Bristol, England: Soil

Association.

Hoppe, R. A., Korb, P., O'Donoghue, E. J., & Banker, D. E. (2007). Structure and finances of U.S. farms:

Family farm report, 2007 edition (No. EIB-24). Washington, DC: United States Department of

Agriculture Economic Research Service.

Joshi, A., Azuma, A. M., & Feenstra, G. (2008). Do farm-to-school programs make a difference?

Findings and future research needs. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 3(2/3),

229-246.

Kirschenmann, F., Stevenson, S., Buttel, F., Lyson, T., & Duffy, M. (n.d.). Why worry about the

agriculture of the middle? Agriculture of the Middle Project. Retrieved from

http://www.agofthemiddle.org/papers/whitepaper2.pdf

Li, C., Ford, E. S., Zhao, G., Mokdad, A. H. (2009). Prevalence of pre-diabetes and its association with

clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors and hyperinsulinemia among US adolescents: NHANES

2005–2006. Diabetes Care, 32, 342–347.

Martinez, S., Hand, M., da Pra, M., Pollack, S., Ralston, K., Smith, T., Vogel, S., et al. (2010). Local food

systems: Concepts, impacts, and issues (No. ERR 97) (p. 87). Washington, DC: United States

Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service.

Mascarenhas, M., & Gottlieb. R. (2000). The farmers’ market salad bar: Assessing the first three years

of the Santa Monica–Malibu Unified School District program. Los Angeles: Center for Food

and Justice, Occidental College. Retrieved from:

http://departments.oxy.edu/uepi/cfj/resources/FTS-October2000.PDF

Michigan Farm to School & Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems (n.d.). Sample

planning grant application. Retrieved from:

http://www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu/assets/files/grant/Sample%20Planning%20Grant%20Applic

ation.pdf

Michigan Farm to School & Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems (n.d.). Sample

implementation grant application. Retrieved from:

http://www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu/assets/files/grant/Sample%20Implementation%20Grant%20

Application.pdf

Nielsen, S. J., Popkin, B. M. (2003). Patterns and trends in food portion sizes, 1977-1998. JAMA, 289(4),

450-3.

Northern Colorado Regional Food System Assessment. (n.d.(c)). Agricultural inputs: Labor and

purchases. Northern Colorado Regional Food System Assessment. Retrieved from

http://www.co.larimer.co.us/foodassessment/inputs_labor_purchases.pdf

Office of the Surgeon General (2010). The Surgeon General's Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation.

Rockville, MD, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Prepared by Spark Policy Institute | www.sparkpolicy.com 23

Pirog, R., van Pelt, T., Enshayan, K. & Cook, E. (2001). Food, fuel, and freeways: An Iowa perspective

on how far food travels, fuel usage, and greenhouse gas emissions. Ames, Iowa: Leopold

Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State University.

Shah, N. S., & Nath, N. (2006). Minimally processed fruits and vegetables - Freshness with

convenience. J Food SciTech, 43(6), 561–570.

Unger, S., & Wooten, H. (2006). A food systems assessment for Oakland, CA: Toward a sustainable food

plan. Oakland, CA: Mayor's Office of Sustainability.

United States Department of Agriculture (1999). Team nutrition presents: A guide for purchasing

food service equipment. Alexandria, VA: Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved from:

http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/equip01.pdf

The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (2007). National Survey of Children’s Health.

Portland: Author. Retrieved from: http://www.childhealthdata.org/learn/NSCH

United States Department of Agriculture (2011). National School Lunch Program fact sheet. Food

and Nutrition Service: Alexandria: Virginia.

Ward, D. (2010, July 1). A strong budget narrative can help sell your proposal. eSchool News.

Retrieved from: http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/07/01/a-strong-budget-narrative-

can-help-sell-your-proposal/

Watada, A. F., Ko, W. P., & Minott, D. A. (1996). Factors affecting quality of fresh-cut horticultural

products. Postharvest Bio Technol, 9, 115–125.

Worthington, V. (2001). Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits, vegetables, and

grains. J Altern Complement Med, 7(2), 161–173.

Prepared by Spark Policy Institute | www.sparkpolicy.com 24