CLA’s Lunch at the Library Partner Project Funding Opportunity

Grant Funds Available for All California Public Libraries to 

Support Nutrition Services & Programming for Children and Youth

Fall 2024, Winter 2024/2025 and/or Spring 2025

California Library Association’s Lunch at the Library Partnership Project has grant funds available for all interested California Public Libraries to support meal and nutrition services for children and youth. Working in partnership with the California State Library's Lunch at the Library program, CLA’s Partner Project provides grants to complement and extend the State Library’s Summer 2024 Lunch at the Library grant activities.

**To submit an application and for further information visit the application portal HERE.**

Which California public libraries can apply?

● California public libraries that have applied for and already received 2024 Lunch at the Library summer funding that are looking to expand the scope of their meal related programming to fall, winter and/or spring ‘24/’25 nutrition/meal/snack programming and enrichment; build or maintain partnerships with nutrition providers/community food banks, engage in nutrition/meal/snack promotion and outreach.

● Any California public library that would like to engage in fall, winter and/or spring ‘24/’25 nutrition/meal/snack programming and enrichment; build partnerships with nutrition providers and/or community food banks; engage in nutrition/meal/snack promotion and outreach.

Why Apply?
CLA’s Lunch at the Library Partner grant opportunity supports the Lunch at the Library program and helps connect more families with the USDA Summer Food Service Program; it increases and strengthens library and food bank partnerships; and supports other innovative efforts that connect more families to both nutritious food and library programming and services.

The program supports California public libraries establishing themselves as key community food and nutrition resources and/or distribution hubs throughout the year, resulting in increased summer meal attendance and awareness. Funds support efforts to establish libraries as essential partners, distributors and/or promoters of nutrition and meal information and resources to address nutrition and food insecurity year round, thereby increasing the number of families looking to the library as a nutrition resource when food insecurity is at its highest, during the critical summer months. 

When?
Applications for Fall and Winter 2024 and/or Spring 2025 funding will be accepted on a first come first served basis through February 15th, 2025. Funds should be encumbered by May 30th, 2025.

What activities can funds be used to support?
Funding can be used to support a wide range of activities including:

● Library Meal Sites and Enrichment Programming & Supplies: Jurisdictions serving fall, winter and/or spring ‘24/’25 meals and/or snacks and providing enrichment programming at library sites.

● Pop-Up Libraries at Community Meal Sites: Jurisdictions taking pop-up library programming out to community meal sites outside of regular school hours or during breaks (fall, winter and/or spring ‘24/’25).

● Food Bank Distribution Partnerships: Partnerships with food banks that support the distribution of produce and grocery staples at the library or at other food bank distribution sites and that provide enrichment programming and connections to library resources and services (fall, winter and/or spring ‘24/’25).

● Youth Development: Jurisdictions providing teens with workforce readiness skills as they assist with meal programs at library and/or community meal sites.

● Farm to Table Programming: Jurisdictions connecting children, teens, and families with locally sourced, sustainable food, and provide related hands-on food education and enrichment activities (fall, winter and/or spring ‘24/’25) as part of a library or community meal/snack program.

● Innovative Approaches & Ideas for Library Outreach and Promotion Efforts: Funds can support libraries that implement innovative and larger-scale efforts to promote and connect more children, teens, and families with nutritious meals and food resources during the summer.

● Research, Planning & Site Visits: Not serving summer meals at your library? Not providing pop-up programming at a community summer meal site? Curious and interested? Funds are available to support program planning and site visit travel to observe successful library fall, winter and spring meal sites and pop-up library sites.

● Libraries as Conveners: Funds can help libraries develop and build local or regional networks and coalitions that focus on connecting more families with nutritious summer meals and foster collaboration in working together to reduce summer hunger.

For details on unallowable costs visit the application portal HERE.

How do I apply for CLA’s Lunch at the Library Partner Project funding?

Complete a California Library Association’s Lunch at the Library Partnership Project Funding Application and upload the 2 requested documents.

**To submit an application and for further information visit the application portal HERE.**

Please contact CLA’s Lunch at the Library Partner Project team at latl@cla-net.org with any questions you have or ideas that you’d like to share. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Patricia Garone & Kari Johnson, Co-Project Coordinators
The CLA Lunch at the Library Partner Project
latl@cla-net.org

The CLA Lunch at the Library Partner Project is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.