Progress 06/01/23 to 05/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:1)Approximately 100 Community Food Project grantee organization staff who attended the program director meeting and who are on the listserv we created. 2)Approximately 275 CFPCGP applicants or potential applicants who inquired about the program or our services 3)An unknown number of potential applicants who examined our materials about CFP and read our notices about grant availability through numerous listservs, partner groups, and colleagues. These include non-profit organizations working on food, farming, public health nutrition, gardening, sustainable agriculture, community economic development, planning, and anti-hunger work; academics, tribal entities, public sector and Cooperative Extension organizations in allied fields. Many of these organizations serve low-income communities or communities of color. 4)NIFA staff, especially those managing the CFPCGP and related programs. 5)Roughly 250 individuals working on food and farming projects or similar efforts who attended our Community of Practice webinars. Changes/Problems: It has taken longer to establish technical assistance for grantees and to expend some expected Year 1 funds for the following reasons: Our CFP grant started earlier than we had anticipated. Our experience is that historically most CFP grants had started either October 1 or September 1. We had expected it to do the same. The relatively short time between being notified of the award and the start date led to project co-director Fisher only being partially available in July-September, and not fully available until October. Coming from another position where he was executive director, he needed adequate transition time to leave his prior organization in a place to succeed. The early start date of the grant was compounded by the immediacy of finding a suitable venue for the December CN PD meeting and the release of the RFA in August. Both of these efforts took up much of our time in 2023. The PD meeting was highly expedited, as usually we would expect an additional three to six months to plan such an event. That urgency resulted in less time to take on other tasks. In addition, the RFA received an unusually high response for assistance from applicants. We had anticipated about 100 requests for assistance based on previous experience with New Entry and CFSC. However, we received over 270 requests, which significantly ate into our ability to accomplish other tasks, or to establish any systems or conduct planning. We were unaware of the 2023 grantee class until later in the fall, when we were immersed in PD meeting planning. The tight scheduling of the PD meeting also left us with limited time to do any discussions with the grantees about their technical assistance needs. With regards to underspending the grant, administrative requirements led to $500,000 being allocated to the first year, when we had anticipated our budget to be roughly $300,000, or one quarter of the $1.25 million award. In addition, the cooperative agreement of $64,299 from GusNIP to support our work in organizing the PD meeting resulted in much lower staffing expenditures for the project directors than budgeted. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Describe opportunities for training and professional development provided to anyone who worked on the project or anyone who was involved in the activities supported by the project. Training activitiesare those in which individuals with advanced professional skills and experience assist others in attaining greater proficiency. Training activities may include, for example, courses or one-on-one work with a mentor. Professional developmentactivities result in increased knowledge or skill in one's area of expertise and may include workshops, conferences, seminars, study groups, and individual study. Include participation in conferences, workshops, and seminars not listed under major activities. Professional development: The NIFA Community Nutrition Program Director provided information on grants management, communication, food loss and waste, and related topics for the 390 attendees, coming from CFP, FASLP and GUSNIP awarded projects. Through a peer to peer process, the meeting also provided very helpful information about other grantees' works to each other. Finally, a keynote talk from Zella Palmer of Dillard University informed attendees about the historic contributions to Creole cuisine from Black women across the past three centuries. Professional development: The Community of Practice calls hosted in conjunction with the Wallace Center took place in February, March, April and May and covered topicsrelated to land access, shared leadership, cooperatives, and the long term impact of CFP. In the two that have taken place as of this writing, 125 persons have attended. Training: We helped 270+ potential and actual applicants learn about the CFP grant program, their eligibility, aspects of the proposal process, what makes for a successful project and proposal, and grant management and budgeting processes and requirements. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This is not a research project and as such the results are not disseminated. They remain endemic to the body of applicants and grantees. As stated above, outreach about the CFPCGP was extensive and described above. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?? Obj. 1:Expand current outreach to expand applications for CFP nationally, especially among communities and constituencies with low historical participation. We will distribute the next Request for Applications (RFA) to applicants who approached us for assistance in 2023; to listservs reaching approximately 20,000 subscribers; on Wallace Center's website; on ISED's website; and to over 35 allied groups and networks of national and regional reach.Timing: Within 14 days of release of RFA We will research networks, funders, non-profit associations, and key community food groups in these states to help us do outreach to potential grantees.Timing: Research, Summer 2024 with distribution of RFA within 14 days of its release Obj. 2:Provide technical assistance to parties eligible to apply for CFP to plan appropriate projects and commensurate fundable proposals. We will update our Planning and Grantwriting guides and release them along with outreach notices.Timing: Within 14 days of release of RFA We will create a new system by which applicants seek our assistance. Applicants will fill in an intake form, and will be asked to review existing USDA materials and our new materials (see below). We will offer one-on-one consultation to applicants, depending upon their needs and for up to 2.5 hours. Assistance consists of answering questions about program design, budgets, matching funds, forms, as well as reviewing draft proposal sections.Timing: From release of RFA until grant submission deadline We will develop a variety of new materials to assist applicants. These include an FAQ, and separate documents including instructions for various NIFA-required forms and budgets.Timing: Summer 2024 We are planning to hold two webinars on the CFP Grant Program. One will discuss the assistance ISED is able to provide, and go over our various resources.Timing: Within 4 weeks of the release of the application.The second will explain the purpose and impact of CFPCGP, with examples from current or previous grantees.Timing: Winter 2025 Four grantsmanship webinars are planned in conjunction with Wallace Center, to provide broad training in federal grantwriting.Timing: Summer-Fall 2024 Obj. 3:Support CFP funded entities in evaluating their programs and communicating the collective results of all CFP grants to USDA. We are hiring Robert Tornberg, formerly of the University of Syracuse, as our evaluation consultant. He will help develop a survey instrument grantees will use to report on their previous year's outputs and outcomes. We are working from indicators developed by the previous TA grantee, New Entry.Timing: June 2024 The survey will be sent to current grantees, ideally with NIFA's assistance. Grantees will be invited to attend a Zoom meeting to ask any questions about the survey.Timing: Summer 2024 A draft of the report will be presented to NIFA for feedback, with a final version completed by September 2024. We will modify the survey and data collection process for 2025, with the goal of completing the final report by May 2025. Obj. 4:Build capacities of funded CFP entities to successfully plan and implement their CFP initiatives. We will continue to post information on our website and refer grantees to relevant information clearinghouses at Wallace Center, Farmers Market Coalition, and other groups.Timing: On-going. Based on a survey completed by CFPCGP grantees, we have identified priorities for technical assistance: grant reporting, grant management matters, evaluation, financial sustainability/fundraising, food policy, community food assessments.See details below for details on how we intend to meet these goals. We will be continuing the on-line CFPCGP Community of Practice monthly calls until the end of 2024. Future topics include financial sustainability, community engagement, land access, shared leadership, building collaborations, equity and evaluation, and project management tools. These calls take place on the fourth Tuesday of the month. After the last call in November, Wallace Center and ISED will re-evaluate this strategy and decide on potential topics and changes for 2025.Timing: June 2024- November 2024, skipping August. March 2025-May 2025 We had planned a national conference in San Diego in December. However, staffing transitions at our partner Wallace Center forced us to abandon this plan. Instead, ISED plans to host a national food systems conference for 300-400 persons at location TBD.Timing: Spring 2025 We are planning on holding curbside consulting opportunities at the national conference and possibly during breaks in the virtual program director meeting.Timing: Fall 24/ Spring 25 Obj. 5:Connect parties at the local, regional and national levels to share experiences, learn from each other, and build a cohesive field of practitioners. At NIFA's request, we will support the virtual community nutrition program director meeting through finding a virtual meeting platform, managing registration, assisting with the agenda, and other logistical support.Timing: Fall 2024 We will propose workshops on CFP with grantees for at least one large conference to build attention for the program, ideally in locations where CFP is underrepresented.Timing: Fall 24-Winter 25 We will continue posting information on our website and refer grantees toinformation clearinghouses at Wallace Center, Farmers Market Coalition, and other groups.Timing: On-going. Details on TA to Grantees Based on the results of the March grantee survey, we will prioritize the following areas. Reporting Grantees are struggling to use REEport. NIFA staff are best positioned to help out grantees. We will ask NIFA staff to hold a webinar, or do office hours, or hold a support call(s) to troubleshoot with whomever needs help in this area. If they are unable to do so, we may need to find a contractor who has experience in this area. Timing: Starting in Spring 2024 and on an on-going basis NIFA related questions These includebudget revises, no-cost extensions, PD changes, etc. We will inquire as to how NIFA can support these folks, sharing what we have learned in these surveys. We will connect NIFA with grantees with specific questions. We will ask NIFA to hold informal calls/office hours on specific topics. Timing: Starting in Spring 2024 and on an on-going basis Evaluation We will help grantees track their accomplishments, understand the differences between outputs and outcome, support their data collection, and work with them on principles-based evaluation strategies. The new evaluation consultant may provide a course over a series of videocalls, or as part of the virtual PD meeting. We may be able to provide some limited amount of one on one mentoring. Timing: Plan developed Summer 2024 with implementation in Summer/Fall 2024. Repeat trainings with new grantees in Winter 2025. Food Policy We will work with Mark Winne to develop best strategies for meeting grantees' needs, such as holding office hours for organizations to meet with Mark and problem solve, or via curbside consulting. Launch technical assistance as decided. Timing: Summer 2024- On-going Community food assessments(CFA) ISED staff to identify previous CFP grantees who have done superior CFAs and provide stipends to them to lead a series of calls for grantees. Timing: Summer- Fall 2024 Fundraising/Sustainability Grantees are looking for support in identifying additional funding for their projects as well as to continue their projects after their CFP grants run out. FSLN is doing a series of grantsmanship webinars in the summer open to all. We will encourage them to attend these sessions. We will provide mentoring/ one on one support with TBD fundraising consultant, including up to five hours for projects whose grants are ending. Timing: Summer 2024- Fall 2024

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Obj. 1:Expand current outreach to expand applications for CFP nationally, especially among communities and constituencies with low historical participation. Previous to our TA grant, the number of applications received by CFP had declined from historical highs. In 2023, we conducted outreach widely through listservs and partner groups both nationally and in targeted locations. This list reaches tens of thousands of individuals and organizations. The primary outcome of this outreach was a dramatic increase in the number of CFP grant applications. Exact numbers have not been released by NIFA yet. We have identified those states in which few or no CFP awards are currently in place and comparing them to states with the highest rates of obesity and food insecurity. This will give us direction as to where we should direct extra outreach in the next year. Obj. 2:Provide technical assistance to parties eligible to apply for CFP to plan appropriate projects and commensurate fundable proposals. The application process for CFPCGP is complex and time-consuming. Community groups are challenged by the multiple requirements, language, and forms. To assist them in navigating the system, we did the following: We updated our planning and grant writing guides from previous versions. These documents were placed on the Wallace Centerwebsite, and widely distributed to applicants requesting our assistance. We provided assistance to 272 organizations interested in applying for a CFP grant, totaling 122.75 hours. Our report on lessons learned provides an analysis of the type of help groups requested, their challenges in applying for a CFP grant, as well as recommendations for changes in the RFA. We participated in the NIFA-run CFP webinar in Fall 2023. We are planning 4 grantsmanship webinars with Wallace Center for Summer 2024, and by the close of this grant period, will have dates, speakers, topics, and a curriculum developed. The outcomes of this process include less stress on applicants as evidenced by their gratitude for our assistance; potentially better applications (although without a baseline of information, this is challenging to prove); and potentially a more competitive grant-making process.Similarly, another outcome would be fewer ineligible proposals, as a percentage of total grants, due to these being informed of their ineligibility. Obj. 3:Support CFP funded entities in evaluating their programs and communicating the collective results of all CFP grants to USDA. ISED's role is to support USDA's annual report to Congress on the impacts of CFP.Given the heterogeneity of the CFPCGP, collecting outputs and outcomes can be challenging. We are building off the good work done by our predecessors, who created a comprehensive set of indicators to guide this reporting. We have modified this survey instrument, aligning it with the priorities stated in the RFA, and are ready to launch this survey by the end of May. The target audience is the set of current CFP grantees. We are also in the process of contracting with an evaluator to develop outcome-based indicators, and in the next grant period to help train them in data collection. As this work is still in progress, outcomes will be forthcoming in the next grant period. Obj. 4:Build capacities of funded CFP entities to successfully plan and implement their CFP initiatives. Many CFP programmatic activities are complex in nature and require programmatic support. Many grantees are small organizations, with limited access to organizational resources. Finally, the complex nature of NIFA requirements, and in many cases the fact that a CFP grant may be their first NIFA award, all point to the need for comprehensive technical assistance. To better understand these needs, we surveyed CFP grantees at the Program Director meeting in New Orleans. Subsequently in March, we sent them a more detailed survey to which 50% of grantees responded. To summarize these responses, we found the following: Grantees are most interested in support on evaluation, reporting (REEport), fundraising, community food assessments, food policy, and grant oriented issues such as budgeting/meeting deliverables. They would like assistance through regular consultations with TA providers, webinars, and to a lesser extent written reports and guides. We are also currently in the process of conducting short interviews with every CFP awardee from 2023. By the end of this process in May, we will have a summary that will inform our 2024-2025 technical assistance strategy. By the end of the grant period: We completed extensive planning to hold a national conference with the Wallace Center for San Diego, December 10-13, 2024. Unfortunately, at the last minute, because of staff transitions at the Wallace Center, they had to pull out of hosting the event.Between now and the end of May, we will identify a new venue, new budget, in which ISED/TSNE is the primary sponsor, and Wallace Center plays a backing role. Starting in February, ISED and Wallace Center have held monthly videocalls as part of a year-long community of practice. These 75-minute calls feature CFP grantees. They are directed at CFP grantees and applicants to help them understand the program, as well as to cover a variety of topics which will help them implement better programs. These include past and future events: 2/28. The Impacts of Community Food Projects with former grantees, Pam Roy, Farm to Table, and Doria Robinson, Urban Tilth. 48 pp 3/27. Cooperatives for Food Sovereignty, with CFP grantees Steph Wiley, Brooklyn Packers; and Dr. Reggie Flynn, North Flint Reinvestment Corporation.82 pp 4/24. Land Access. With CFP applicant Steve Schwartz, Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative, and grantee Margaret DeVos, Southside Community Land Trust 5/22. Shared Leadership. With CFP grantee, Heather Fenney, Maira Quintanilla, Cristian Marroquin, Community Services Unlimited Distributed REEport guide and video to the grantee listserv. We will ask NIFA staff to troubleshoot with whomever needs help in this area. With regards to NIFA related matters, such asbudget revises, no-cost extensions, PD changes, etc,we will inquire as to how NIFA can support these folks. With regards to food policy, we will hold an informational call with interested grantees to assess their interests and needs. As part of this call, they will connect grantees with the food policy networks listserv, on-line resources, and network. We will work with TA providers to develop best strategies for meeting grantees' needs. With regards to community food assessments, ISED staff will send the assessment guidebook "What's Cooking in Your Food System" and other documents to the CFP listserv. ISED staff will provide ad hoc support to new grantees informed by the above-mentioned interviews. The outcomes of these activities to date have been to better understand the nature of existing CFP projects and their technical assistance needs. Future outcomes, manifested in the subsequent grant period are expected to include improved functioning of CFP projects, fewer challenges to the completion of deliverables and navigating the NIFA granting system, as well as enhanced ability for grantees to meet their stated outcomes. Obj. 5:Connect parties at the local, regional and national levels to share experiences, learn from each other, and build a cohesive field of practitioners. The target audience for this objective is both CFP grantees and their colleagues who may be applicants or potential applicants.To help build these connections, we have completed the following: Established a listserv for CFP grantees By the end of May, our website will be live. It will enable applicants to access technical assistance as well as USDA and ISED resources. We played a key role in supporting NIFA's Community Nutrition Program Director meeting in NOLA in December. Approximately 390 persons attended.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Submitted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Updated CFP Grantwriting Guide: We updated a previously-written grantwriting guide for applicants interested in applying to the CFP program to address new elements of the request for applications. This guide was made available to all applicants who approached us for help.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Updated CFP Planning Grants Guide. Similar to the grantwriting guide, this document provides key information on the planning grants and what makes for a successful grant application. This guide was made available to all planning grant applicants who approached us for help.