Community Food Projects RFP out and help is available thru CFS Coalition

**A*@aol.com**

PLANNING TO APPLY FOR A COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECT (CFP) GRANT?

THE CFS COALITION CAN HELP.

The USDA’s Community Food Projects (CFP) Competitive Grants Program is an 
important funding source for community-based food and agriculture projects. 
The Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) can provide the following 
resources to help you understand the program and submit a strong proposal. 
This assistance will be available by February 8.  CFP proposals are due to 
USDA by March 22, and ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT THE USDA WEB SITE: 

<A HREF="http://www.reeusda.gov/1700/funding/rfacfpcgp.htm";>
http://www.reeusda.gov/1700/funding/rfacfpcgp.htm</A>

1) One-on-one assistance

CFSC’s technical assistance specialist for CFP proposals, Hugh Joseph, will 
be available to answer your questions and provide advice.  He can help you 
decide whether or not to apply for a grant, clarify CFP program guidelines, 
address technical questions, and/or refer you to others with expertise in 
specific areas.  Last year, Hugh provided assistance to 38 organizations, 
some of which received CFP grants.  Many applicants found the advice to be 
extremely helpful.

If you would like to use this service, it is important to first review the 
guide described below.  Then contact Hugh by sending a request by email to 
hjoseph@tufts.edu.  He will then reply by email and set up a time to talk by 
phone, and/or to make a referral to others for additional assistance.

The CFSC will sponsor up to one hour of assistance per CFP grant applicant at 
no cost to you (e-mail and/or phone time).  If you would like additional 
assistance, it will be available at a fee of $60 per hour.

2) Guide to Preparing Winning Proposals

This 28-page document, written by Hugh Joseph for CFSC, provides a wealth of 
specific information on what types of projects are eligible for funding, how 
to develop a strong proposal, and how USDA evaluates proposals.

"A Guide to Preparing Winning Proposals for USDA’s Community Food Projects 
2002 Grant Cycle" will be available by February 8 at the CFSC website at: 
www.foodsecurity.org /funding.html.  (In the meantime, the 2001 version is 
available, and very few changes are expected in the 2002  version).

If you are not able to access this document on the web site, contact CFSC at 
cfsc@foodsecurity.org or (310) 822-5410 to request that a hard-copy version 
be sent to you.

3) Community Food Projects Program Request for Proposals and Staff Contacts

To see the Request For Proposals (RFP) issued by USDA’s Community Food 
Projects Program for 2002, go to www.reeusda.gov/crgam/cfp/community.htm, or 
call Liz Tuckermanty at (202) 205-0241 to request a copy.

The RFP lists contacts for CFP staff, who can address technical questions or 
provide interpretation of RFP language. 

Types of questions CFSC has helped CFP applicants address include the 
following:

1.   I am partnering with other groups that do various activities.  How can 
we combine these in a way that  links multiple activities into a coherent 
whole and addresses the CFP requirements?

2.  I have a great idea for a project, and I want to get others on board.  
What do I need to do to get this project to a stage at which we can ask for 
CFP funds? 

3.  The RFP looks for community participation.  How important is this?  How 
do we build community involvement into the design of the project?

4.  The RFP looks for one-time funds for a new project, but we already have 
lots of good things going and want to expand them.  Does this count?  What 
funding can we get for existing activities, and what has to be "new"?

5.  Planning seems to be a big part of the CFP process, but it seems the 
grant won't fund planning per se.  What should planning involve and how can 
we fund it?

6. My project is working toward promoting local food production for all the 
community, not only for low-income people.  How do we address that in 
applying for this grant, which focuses on serving low-income people?

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