Summer Meals Capacity-Building Mini-Grants

Purpose

The Summer Meals Capacity-Building Mini-Grants program seeks to increase the number of children and youth in the City of Rochester receiving summer meals and the number of days meals are served.

Background

The Summer Meals program is federally funded and designed to provide food to youth when the regular school year is not in session. The program serves youth 18 and under who are in programs that serve, or are located near, a school with at least 50% free and reduced meals eligibility rates. The City of Rochester is designated a high-need area, making all youth in the city eligible for summer meals. The Summer Meals program (officially the Summer Food Service Program) is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service.

What can be funded?

Proposals may include requests for one or more of the following:

• A Summer Meals Volunteer Coordinator or supplemental staff to increase the Summer Meals site’s capacity to serve additional children and/or to extend the number of days of meal service.
• One-time capital purchases to increase the capacity of the Summer Meals site to serve additional children and/or extend the number of days of meal service. Examples include purchase of tables/chairs, refrigerators, and coolers.
• Additional funds to cover USDA approved snacks and meals for programs

Typical Grant Size

Up to $5,000

Eligibility Criteria

• All applicants must be an approved partner of one of the three main Summer Meals sponsors in Rochester: City of Rochester, Rochester City School District, or Foodlink, or maintains its own LEA status with NYSED for Summer Meal sponsorship; AND
• An organization, church, or government entity that has previously provided reimbursable Summer Meals through the New York State Department of Education under the Summer Food Service Program in the City of Rochester; OR
•  A 501(c)(3) organization or 509(a)(1) public organization

Previous Summer Meals Mini-Grant recipients are eligible to reapply, but priority may be given to organizations that have not received Summer Meals Mini-Grants in the past.

Application Due Date(s)

The upcoming deadline to submit an application is Friday, May 1, 2026.

All decisions will be announced by the beginning of June 2026.

Payment of grants are contingent upon confirmation of site approval by a Summer Meals sponsor or NYSED.

Application

To begin a new application or return to your account, click here.

Disclaimers

The Community Foundation is under no obligation to approve any proposals for funding. Additionally, the Community Foundation reserves the right to prioritize and select components of a proposal to fund, thus allowing for the possibility of partial funding.

All capital equipment purchased with mini-grant funds becomes the sole property of the grantee. The Community Foundation is not responsible for maintenance or repair of equipment purchased through mini-grants. Any and all liability resulting from possession, use, or failure of equipment is the grantee’s liability. The Community Foundation is not responsible for disposal costs for equipment purchased through mini-grants and encourages grantees to dispose of equipment in a responsible and legal manner.

Payment of grants are contingent upon confirmation of site approval by the sponsor and NYSED.

Contact

Berta Rivera
Rochester Area Community Foundation
500 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
585.341.4365
brivera@racf.org