FAQs

1. 1. How many contractors does SNAP-Ed have in Michigan right now?
2. In Michigan, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) oversees SNAP-Ed and has established two SNAP-Ed State Implementing Agencies: the Michigan Fitness Foundation (MFF) and Michigan State University Extension (MSU Extension).At MFF, SNAP-Ed is implemented through a network of local implementation agencies (LIAs) that deliver comprehensive, evidence-based programming that meets identified community needs. Currently, MFF works with approximately 40 LIAs that implement SNAP-Ed programming across the state. For more information on SNAP-Ed in Michigan, refer to the Backgrounder (PDF document).

 

1. 2. How long have the [SNAP-Ed] projects been going? Are they on a cycle?
2. Funding for SNAP-Ed is a yearly allocation. MFF SNAP-Ed local implementing agencies are on a federal fiscal year contract and operate on a year-to-year basis. While funding is determined annually, MFF has partners who have been delivering SNAP-Ed work for more than 10 years.

 

1. 3. Is MFF sending out an application package process to review?
2. The application and all other required documents for the RFA are located on the ‘How to Apply Page’ of the SNAP-Ed at MFF website: snap-ed.michiganfitness.org/how-to-apply.

 

1. 4. Would the required contract itself be available to review?
2. Accepted applicants will go through a collaborative process with MFF to design a coordinated SNAP-Ed program. This will include development of a custom program summary and budget, at which point the final funding amount will be determined to reflect project design and based on the availability of funds. This process will be completed before a contract is issued.

 

1. 5. Is [staff time] included in the budget?
2. The program budget includes reasonable and necessary expenses, such as: staff salary and fringe; supplies, materials, and curriculum; postage, shipping, and equipment; local program travel and conference/workshop travel; contracted staff or other third-party contracts; and space/miscellaneous expenses.

 

1. 6. Are the slides from the technical assistance sessions available?
2. Slides from the two technical assistance sessions are posted in the ‘Technical Assistance’ section on the ‘How to Apply’ webpage: https://snap-ed.michiganfitness.org/how-to-apply#technical-assistance.

 

1. 7. Is SNAP-Ed programming only offered in schools and hospitals?
2. MFF partners with a wide range of local implementing agencies including intermediate school districts, hospital systems, health departments, community development organizations, and small grassroots non-profits. SNAP-Ed programming is delivered to eligible audiences and in eligible settings. For more information on SNAP-Ed target audiences and settings, please see the Backgrounder (PDF document).

 

1. 8. How often do you require [program] delivery to and interaction with participants?
2. SNAP-Ed programming is aligned with identified community needs. Local implementing agencies (LIAs) are imbedded in the community they serve and have an understanding of community needs. During the collaborative program design process, MFF will work with LIAs to identify and align programming to local community needs and organizational capacity.

1. 1. Does SNAP-Ed fall under the USDA Farm to School?
2. Farm to School and SNAP-Ed are separate programs under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Farm to School strategies have been in SNAP-Ed to improve access to local foods in Pre-K to 12 school settings.

 

1. 2. Does the Letter of Qualification need to be sent ASAP?
2. The Letter of Qualification is a required component of the application itself and must be submitted along with the rest of the application by April 21, 2021 at 4:00 pm EST.

 

1. 3. Can you describe the Letter of Qualification?
2. The Letter of Qualification (LOQ) asks for your organization’s contact information and certification of eligibility to participate in an MFF SNAP-Ed Community Impact Project. Note that the LOQ must be submitted on your organization’s letterhead and signed by an authorized representative (electronic signatures accepted). The LOQ can be downloaded from the ‘Documents’ section of the ‘How to Apply’ webpage: https://snap-ed.michiganfitness.org/how-to-apply#documents.

 

1. 4. We received [SNAP-Ed funding from MFF] a few years ago and did the MyGarden^TM program with six schools. That was a capacity-building grant that included PSE. Is [the Community Impact Project] considered a capacity-building grant?
2. There is a wide range of organizations that collaborate with MFF to deliver Community Impact Projects. Some are seasoned SNAP-Ed implementers, while some are brand new to SNAP-Ed. MFF will work with you to customize a technical assistance plan that is flexible and customized to your needs.

 

1. 5. We have our own curriculum that we use. Is this something we can do?
2. SNAP-Ed interventions and strategies must be evidence-based and implemented with fidelity. USDA Food and Nutrition Service has specific criteria that must be met to for an intervention or strategy to be considered evidence based. More information on evidence-based interventions and strategies in SNAP-Ed can be found in the Backgrounder.

 

1. 6. Are there Nutrition Education Reinforcement Items (NERI) available with this grant?
2. Nutrition Education Reinforcement Items (NERI) are take-home items for participants that reinforce SNAP-Ed programming and messaging. They include a variety of items promoting fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity and include SNAP-Ed core messages. MFF provides program-aligned NERI to local organizations implementing Community Impact Projects.

 

1. 7. Is this a reimbursement grant?
2. Yes, SNAP-Ed funds are Federal pass-through funds and, therefore, distributed on a cost-reimbursement basis.

 

1. 8. [For clarification on reimbursable expenses] Are expenses incurred and then submitted the next month for payment?
2. Yes, an organization incurs allowable, reasonable, and necessary expenses to implement SNAP-Ed activities, pays those expenses, submits those expenses via a monthly invoice to MFF, and is reimbursed for those expenses after MFF review of the invoice.

 

1. 9. What is the duration [for which] expenses are reimbursable?
2. Reimbursement covers allowable expenses incurred to implement approved SNAP-Ed activities within the contract period.

 

1. 10. [In the CIP RFA Backgrounder] Are there best-case examples of programs or initiatives that are ‘best in class’? What were some of the learnings afterwards?
2. There are no specific examples in the CIP RFA Backgrounder. Each local SNAP-Ed program is rooted in community needs and programming to meet those needs looks different across communities and organizations. One resource that may be helpful in learning more about SNAP-Ed strategies and interventions that have been used across the country is the SNAP-Ed Strategies and Interventions: An Obesity Prevention Toolkit for States (Toolkit): https://snapedtoolkit.org/. Please note that the Toolkit is not an exhaustive list, and not all of the interventions listed are fully SNAP-Ed allowable or are appropriate for use in Michigan.

 

1. 11.When is the Project Manager assigned [to a Community Impact Project]?
2. If you apply and are selected to participate as a Community Impact Project, you will be assigned a MFF Project Manager to begin working with you on the collaborative program design process.

 

1. 12. [Our organization] is applying for the first time [as a Community Impact Project], but we plan to assume an established MFF SNAP-Ed project. There is currently a Project Manager assigned to that project. Will that Project Manager stay the same, and if so, should we be having conversations about the transition process?
2. If your application is successful, your organization will be assigned a MFF Project Manager to work with you through the collaborative design process. Project Manager assignments may shift each year, but we try to maintain continuity and avoid any workflow disruption. During the collaborative design process, MFF will work with Community Impact Project organizations to identify programming that best aligns with community needs and organizational capacity.

 

1. 13. Is this application for FY22?
2. The request for applications is for the FY 2022 funding year (October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022).

 

1. 14. We are [currently] doing remote education with students. If things remain remote, what [will that look like for the Community Impact Project]?
2. COVID-19 has changed how many organizations deliver SNAP-Ed. There are organizations that provide remote programming and/or a hybrid of remote and in-person programming. MFF will collaborate with Community Impact Project organizations to determine the best approach to meet community and organizational needs.

 

1. 15. Is it fair to say the application process more conceptual? MFF is looking for transparency for what [an applicant would like] to do and [will assess] if the applicant has the resources and infrastructure to implement [SNAP-Ed]?
2. The application is focused on sharing your knowledge of your community, its needs, and your organization’s experience with working in the community. You will not propose specific programming in the application. Instead, programming details will come out of the collaborative design process. Application review will focus on if there is a foundation upon which an organization can build a SNAP-Ed program.

 

1. 16. What are the funding options as far as amounts available?
2. Community Impact Project organizations will work with MFF to create a budget that matches the locally-relevant SNAP-Ed program package and timeline determined during the collaborative program design process. Funding is subject to the availability of funds.

 

1. 17. Will there be an evaluation plan?
2. Yes, if funded, you will work with MFF to develop and implement a customized, comprehensive evaluation plan for your SNAP-Ed program.

 

1. 18. Will evaluation resources be available in Spanish? Online?
2. There are evaluation tools that are available in Spanish and online.

 

1. 19. Will there be a specific number of organizations selected?
2. There is no maximum number of the SNAP-Ed grants awarded through MFF; the number of grants awarded depends on available funding. There are typically 35-50 organizations delivering on-the-ground programming during a funding year.

 

1. 20. In terms geographical locations, in what areas does MFF program? Urban vs rural?
2. To see where MFF SNAP-Ed programming is happening across Michigan, visit the Map to Healthy Living at https://map2healthyliving.org/. MFF works with a wide range of organizations to deliver local SNAP-Ed programming, such as rural and urban intermediate school districts, health care systems, health departments, community-based organizations, and other non-profits.

 

1. 21. When will [decisions be made about applications]?
2. Review of applications typically occurs between May-June, with notifications going out in the summer. Selected applicants then move through a collaborative program design process with MFF. Last year, that process wrapped up in early fall, and most contracts were issued in October.

 

1. 22. When does funding start?
2. Funding begins when the contract has been fully executed. Last year, most contracts had a start date of October 1.