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Open (Posted) Date
Closed Date
Funding Opportunity #
USDA-FNS-SNAP-20-ETNPG
More Information Grants.gov Link
https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/327798

FY 2020 and FY 2021 SNAP E&T National Partnership Grants

Summary

In September 2020, USDA provided more than $6.7 million in SNAP E&T National Partnership Grants to help four national non-profit organizations expand program capacity to serve SNAP participants. These grants are intended to support new organizational capacity to provide to network members or affiliates training and other technical assistance so that network members or affiliates may become third-party SNAP E&T providers. FNS reserved the right to use the FY 2020 solicitation and competition to award additional grants in the subsequent fiscal year, therefore, in September 2021, USDA awarded approximately $2.6 million on two additional grants to help national non-profit organizations expand program capacity to serve SNAP participants.

Purpose

The purpose of this grant competition is to support grants to non-profit national organizations with broad member or affiliate networks that provide direct workforce development services to low-income and low-skilled individuals, including SNAP participants. Grant funds will be used to support new organizational capacity to provide to network members or affiliates training and other technical assistance so that network members or affiliates may become third-party SNAP E&T providers.

Key Objectives

  1. Expand the number of skill-based, employer-driven SNAP E&T providers that move SNAP participants toward economic self-sufficiency.
  2. Create new capacity to provide technical assistance though activities such as, but not limited to, organizing conferences and meetings; developing and supporting peer-to-peer learning networks; creating technical assistance materials such as toolkits, checklists, and curriculum; promoting best practices by hosting webinars and site visits; and providing professional development opportunities for member or affiliate staff.
  3. Provide technical assistance on SNAP E&T to member or affiliate organizations so they can become SNAP E&T third-party providers. Technical assistance should cover increasingly more complex issues over the life of the grant and/or be provided to additional member or affiliate organizations.
  4. Increase expertise on SNAP E&T among member and affiliate organizations so that they can become third-party SNAP E&T providers.

Grant Awardees

FY 2020 Awardees

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) will partner with the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) and National Community Action Partnership (NCAP) to use a phased approach to deliver intensive technical assistance to two cohorts of community colleges and Community Action Agencies to increase knowledge of the SNAP E&T program. It will develop tools and resources on the operational and service delivery aspects of the SNAP E&T and create a Resource Clearinghouse. It will also deliver intensive technical assistance throughout these networks as trusted brokers to both state agencies and community providers at large. By providing the right combination of tools and support, ranging from awareness-raising and marketing to more complex guidance on program administration and effective service delivery models, these sustained national educational partnerships will increase capacity and sustainability of third-party partners in SNAP E&T and expand the number of skill-based, employer-driven SNAP E&T providers that move SNAP participants toward economic self-sufficiency. APHSA expect to create between 80-120 new SNAP E&T providers.

Goodwill Industries International (GII) will contract with Goodwill of North Georgia to provide intensive technical assistance to three cohorts of ten local Goodwill organizations. Cohort members will pursue new SNAP E&T third-party partnerships or expand existing third-party partnerships, including becoming state intermediaries. GII will also train ten mission leaders from within the GII network as SNAP E&T subject matter experts (SMEs) so they can support local Goodwills as they pursue state partnerships. GII will expand general training for the entire GII network, and will use SNAP E&T SMEs in the second and third years of the grant as they become capable of supporting members not selected for cohorts. Webinars, annual conference sessions, dissemination of training materials and individual consultations will be some of the methods used. GII expects twenty-five local Goodwills will become new SNAP E&T providers or expand or strengthen their existing services.

National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) will partner with Third Sector Capital Partners and Seattle Jobs Initiative (SJI) to work with its network of more than 500 workforce boards, developing materials based on existing levels of expertise (“tiers”) and will provide intensive technical assistance across two cohorts of fifty-five workforce boards (“phases”). For each cohort receiving targeted technical assistance, SNAP E&T coaches will provide one-on-one coaching and support to individual members and active tiers. NAWB will create a Project Advisory Board comprised of US Department of Agriculture, US Department of Labor, and other government, employer, and provider stakeholders to help develop and guide the technical assistance, and make available materials developed through the grant to all NAWB members. NAWB expects that 70 workforce boards will become new SNAP E&T providers or intermediaries.

Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) is partnering with Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) and Seattle Jobs Initiative (SJI) to provide technical assistance to the 400 employment social enterprises (ESEs) within its network. REDF will spearhead cross-organizational capacity building to develop new organizational capacities to provide high quality and customized SNAP E&T training and technical assistance to ESE network members and affiliates. It will offer a webinar series on SNAP E&T fundamentals and build a Resource Platform that will be a repository of E&T best practices that can be accessed by network members. It will also provide specialized training, technical assistance and peer mentorship for up to 40 participating ESEs.

FY 2021 Awardees

Using the authority granted under the FY 2020 Request for Applications (RFA), FNS awarded two FY 2021 SNAP E&T National Partnership grants in rank order:

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) will build expertise and capacity across its network of 100-plus affiliate community-based workforce organizations to become SNAP E&T third-party providers. To achieve this, LISC will first build internal capacity through subject matter experts and a technical assistance consultant, Seattle Jobs Initiative, for expertise on the SNAP E&T program and in building training tools. The project will expand on a cohort basis, allowing for an increasing number of prospective third-party providers to participate as well as expanding the complexity of the SNAP E&T technical assistance offerings over the course of the grant period. Technical assistance will cover programmatic, financial management, and compliance topics that are critical to both becoming and maintaining success as a SNAP E&T third-party provider.

Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA) will work with its member network of approximately 119 organizations in 37 states to deliver a two phase, cohort model training and technical assistance. The goal of training and technical assistance will be to reach up to five network member organizations per year (15 network members total) with information needed to become E&T third party partners. The two-phase model will begin with class modules taught to groups in an online format in phase one. Phase Two will be composed of customized technical assistance and coaching for participating organizations. Training in Phase One will cover topics such as "SNAP 101," benefits and challenges associated with being an E&T provider, case management, and administrative and financial management. Technical Assistance in Phase Two will provide participating network organizations with support in implementing SNAP E&T programming or working with state SNAP agencies to become third party partners. JVS Boston is the only NJHSA member that is a current E&T provider. They will be assisting NJHSA with staffing and provide technical knowledge of administering an E&T program.

Page updated: August 27, 2024