|
The Finances of Running Summer Food
Financial Planning
Running a summer food program is a rewarding experience,  and careful planning is essential and will make your program successful for both the participants and your organization. Summer food sponsors in Oregon are reimbursed a set amount for each eligible meal served to children. This reimbursement is intended to cover the costs of purchasing food, transportation, operating the program, and other related costs. However, it may not cover the entire cost.
The more kids you can attract to your site, the more reimbursement you will receive and the more you will be able to take advantage of buying in bulk. Keep this in mind as you plan your menu and your activities – find ways to attract kids to your site so that running the site is cost effective for you.
If you are just starting as a new sponsor, there are resources available to help your program get off to a stable financial start. These resources may also be valuable for returning sponsors who are interested in improving their program’s financial health.
- The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) is always the best place to start if you have concerns or questions. Call their experienced staff if you have specific questions about finances or reimbursement.
- Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force (OHRTF) staff may be able to help you or point you in the right direction when it comes to finances or start-up costs.
- Talking with a long-term sponsor who is on sound financial footing can also be helpful, and both ODE and OHRTF are happy to help refer you to a sponsor who can act as a mentor.
- Tufts University’s Center on Poverty and Nutrition has published an especially helpful guide entitled 50 Ways to Run the Summer Food Program on a Low Budget.
Helpful Guidelines
There are also a few key guidelines that will help you keep your accounting department happy!
- Make sure that your budget includes:
- Food costs: Take advantage of bulk purchasing. If you aren’t able to directly purchase in bulk, it may make sense to purchase your meals from a group that can buy in bulk.
- Preparation costs
- Transportation costs: plan your routes carefully if you have multiple sites, and
 consolidate drivers if you have fewer sites at the beginning or end of the summer.
- Staff costs: hire trained and experience staff -- a certified nutritionist might be useful, but will cost more.
- Overhead expenses: utilities, maintenance, janitorial services, etc.
- Plan your menus carefully.
- Plan menus appropriate for school-age children to help prevent waste. Determine which foods are most popular among children and which items they throw away.
- Work with other Summer Food site sponsors in the area to use the same vendor in order to get a better discount on the food ordered.
- Hot meals attract kids. If at all possible, offer hot meals at least part of the time.
- Accurately estimate the number of needed meals. At the beginning of the summer you may need to fine tune your estimation method. Keep in mind that holidays, extremely hot or wet weather, and big local events might impact how many children attend.
- Monitor your budget throughout the summer. If you are getting off track, make corrections as early as possible so the problems don’t compound.
- Submit your reimbursement requests to ODE each month. If there are problems with your reimbursement request, you will get feedback earlier and can make any necessary corrections promptly.
You may also find that there are grants available to help you with equipment costs, programming or other needs. The Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force can help you research and identify potential funding sources.
Resources
- Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs:
- Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force:
- Phone: 503-595-5502
- Website: www.oregonhunger.org
|
