Research local, regional, and national nonprofits that support schools, childhood nutrition, social equity, and academic success. There are all kinds of organizations out there; keep your search focused and find supporters and funders that align with your program’s mission and goals. Once you identify an opportunity for collaboration, reach out and work with them to ensure the healthiest food possible is available in your school.

We also recommend researching non-traditional funders, partners, and opportunities for support. Partners can be all kinds of people and organizations—businesses who want to help build school gardens, hunger relief partners who want to help with backpack programs, or PTAs, PTOs, and businesses that are looking to give back to the community. There are numerous ways to partner with companies and institutions and gain their support for your program. Seek out in-kind donations from local businesses for lunchroom education activities. Think about local grocery stores or purveyors who share the same interest in childhood health and nutrition. Propose opportunities to market your program or schedule an event at a store as an outreach opportunity with parents and kids.

Remember to acknowledge the support you receive from funders and partners. Include thank you’s in your newsletters or on your program’s website. You can also include supporters’ names/businesses in promotional materials like event flyers. Acknowledging funding and donations publicly is a great way to make partnerships beneficial to your supporters.