2020-21 Strategic Quarterly Report April 2021
Updates in Orange = April 2021 Report Updates in Blue = February 2021 Report Updates in Purple = November 2020 Report
1. Professional Development Goal School nutrition professionals will continually improve their knowledge and skills to administer, manage, deliver, and sustain successful school meal programs. Objectives 1. Increase the number, accessibility and utilization of professional development tools, resources, and opportunities to enable member success. 2. Increase availability of training/educational opportunities to help SNA members successfully prepare for the SNS Credentialing Exam. 3. Increase availability of training/educational opportunities to help SNA members enhance their professional development with the SNA Certificate Program.
Objective 1: Increase the number, accessibility and utilization of professional development tools, resources, and opportunities to enable member success. Strategies Expand the availability of virtual professional development programming to reach more SNA members. o Provide training, innovative ideas, best practices, and resources to help SNA members sustain and grow school nutrition programs considering the COVID-19 pandemic. o Continue to develop opportunities for professional development on topics such as leadership, cultural intelligence, and inclusion. o Back to school webinar series was a success with 3 webinars held in August and September. o Introduced virtual Directors’ Best Practices conference in October 2020. Over 420 attended (surpassing 200 attendees originally expected) and more are participating in the on-demand series. https://www.pathlms.com/sna/courses/21487 Content was shared on different channels, including our website, e-blasts, and social media. o Dining Guide -- produced and marketed as a collaboration of Marketing & Comms, PD, Dayle Hayes, BIC and other members. o Strive to Thrive STEPS Challenge – logo created and website & app for the new sponsored program launching in late November. o Introduced SNA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion series with two webinars with DEI expert Dr, Nika White in October, and November. www.schoolnutrition.org/DEI Promotion of the event on social media included testimonials of attendees. o SNA’s Training Zone now has reached over 16,600 registered users. o Several webinars were held and are being held in January- March 2021 including . A webinar on USDA foods as part of the SNA/ACDA partnership series . A webinar to celebrate Black History Month and school nutrition, as part of SNA’s DEI series . And much more – visit www.schoolnutrition.org/webinars for all upcoming webinars. STEPS Strive to Thrive – launched new campaign in November with a new app and first Community Holiday Challenge with 519 attendees, 379 participants – 73% participation rate, 42% participation in meditation we had 1,788, 1975 entries gratitude journal. . Quarterly challenges will occur throughout the year, the second challenge (new year!) was launched on January 15 and already has 736 attendees. First Quarter challenge ended 3/31/2021. 843 participants – 79% participation rate, 439 active steppers (52%); Total Meditation sessions 6,378 (44% of active steppers) - 744 hours of meditation. . 2,576 did the Body Scan meditation . 2,178 did the Journey on the cloud’s meditation. . 1,624 did the Waterfall Wash meditation . 147 listened to Gratitude Audio. . 3,030 are actively writing in their gratitude journals. Training Zone has over 17,800 registered users. Back to School Summit planned for May 4 and 6 www.schoolnutrition.org/BTS 130 registrants as of April 8, 2021 Virtual ANC planning underway with 6 pre-conferences and a variety of education session formats tailored for a virtual experience. o Continuing focus on DEI sponsored by TITAN – a LINQ solution. o TITAN – a LINQ solution confirmed sponsorship of $25,000 for another year. SNA received a $25,000 CDC Foundation sub-award/grant for SNA to provide best practices guidance for re-opening schools and mitigating COVID-19 spread in schools. As part of the sub-award, SNA will promote CDC resources on the SNA COVID-19 website, SNA social media, the SNA magazine, newsletters, and conduct one webinar. Registration for webinar https://www.pathlms.com/sna/courses/29970/webinars/20568
Develop a professional development contingency plan in case SNA face to face meetings cannot take place due to COVID-19 distancing requirements. Virtual SNIC being held Jan 12-14, 2021. Theme is Leading in Times of Change. Logo and identity created. Registration is open. Keynote speakers include Lee Rubin and Sara Frasca. www.schoolnutrition.org/SNIC
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 2 Virtual SNIC was a great success with 482 registered attendees, surpassing both attendance and revenue goals. In addition to the keynote sessions, SNA introduced a variety of ways for attendees to engage with the content and interact in a virtual environment including speed networking, attendee feedback using polls and chat features, and a variety of zoom breakout sessions. The on-demand version of the conference will be available for about 30 days for conference attendees and for purchase for those who did not attend. Evaluation data is still being compiled but qualitative attendee feedback was positive “Best virtual conference yet!” Instituted a new model of attendee communications to improve virtual experience for members and adapted website to new virtual format by adding a "what to expect" section so that members are better prepared for the new conference format. Produced new takeaways document and speaker workbook/action planner in lieu of the traditional learning journal.
Explore, assess, and incorporate relevant technologies and methods to effectively and efficiently maximize delivery of professional development programming to relevant audiences. Enhance the quality of educational programming at meetings and expand on ways to leverage this content for wider reach. o Optimize available offerings on the SNA Training Zone and in the learning center area in the Virtual Expo, to include recorded sessions from SNA conferences. o Work with School Nutrition magazine to leverage and coordinate content across multiple platforms. o Successfully moved SNA webinar and virtual conferencing platform from Go to Webinar to Zoom to allow for more audience participation and chat. o Over 15,000 registered users on SNA Training Zone. o SNA is currently fielding an RFP for online conference platforms to be used for the delivery of events and educational content. Diversify SNF outreach to pursue funding resources to support SNA members during COVID-19. Integrate SNF resources with SNA professional development offerings. SNF program offerings are available through the Learning Center and Training Zone. SNF’s LEAD to Succeed programming launches on February 17, 2021. The goal is to provide the highest quality communication and leadership training for school nutrition professionals. The first of four modules in the “Communication for Impact” series will be available online on February 17, with additional training modules on the way throughout 2021. This first module is entitled “Learn to master difficult conversations” and provides self-assessments, hands-on resources, training, and case studies to help engage the audience. LEAD to Succeed was designed specifically for school nutrition professionals, in partnership with The Georgetown McDonough School of Business and with the help of a generous grant from USDA. The training materials are available at no cost to all school nutrition professionals. Lead to Succeed had a successful launch of first module. Results through April 8.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 3 A total of 701 unique users have registered and completed the pre-test. 294 completed the entire 3-hour module. Feedback is excellent. Facilitator guide with webinar launching on April 28.
Objective 2: Increase availability of training/educational opportunities to help SNA members successfully prepare for the SNS Credentialing Exam. Strategies Develop strategies and tools designed to help members build study skills useful for SNS exam preparation, including SNF seeking support for scholarships for members to prepare for and take the SNS Credentialing exam. The October Credentialing Report shows that there are 1,607 credentialed members. This is 63 less than May 2020 year-end and due to exams being postponed in the spring and summer because of the pandemic. However, exams are starting to be scheduled again with strict COVID-19 protocols in place. The December Credentialing Report shows that there are 1,603 credentialed members. This is 67 less than May 2020 year-end and continues the trend from October. Exams are currently scheduled for the Spring with COVID-19 protocols in place. In April 2021, there were 1,588 credentialed members. This is 82 less than May 2020 year- end and this is decline continues to be related to the pandemic. However, upcoming exams scheduled for late spring and summer should help reverse the trend.
Objective 3: Increase availability of training/educational opportunities to help SNA members enhance their professional development with the SNA Certificate Program. Strategies Promote the certificate program as a way to grow professionally in school nutrition especially among employees, managers and directors who do not meet SNS academic requirements. The October 2020 Certificate Program Report shows that we have 16,333 certificate holders, which is 697 less than May 2020 year-end total. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the Certificate Program and most of the decreases are within the Level 1 Certificate renewals category. However, we are seeing growth at Levels 2 and 4 certificates. The trends seen in October continue in December for the Certificate Program. The December 2020 Certificate Program Report shows that we have 16,174 certificate holders, which is 856 less than May 2020 year-end total. Most of the declines are within the Level 1 certificate category, but there is growth at Levels 2 and 4 as many members are taking additional professional development. The March 2021 Certificate Program Report shows that we have 15,910 certificate holders, which is 1,120 less than May 2020 year-end total. We are still seeing the same trends in March with pandemic related declines at Level 1, but growth at Levels 2 and 4.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 4 2. Advocacy and Public Image Policy makers, school officials, parents and school nutrition professionals will rely on SNA as the leading advocate for school nutrition programs. Objectives 1. Increase efforts to educate policy makers and other decision-makers on the value, scope, and complexity of school nutrition programs. 2. Increase advocacy support to state affiliates in order to drive policy change at state level. 3. Enhance the voice of school nutrition programs in the development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). 4. Increase efforts to enhance the public’s perception of school nutrition professionals and school nutrition programs.
Objective 1: Increase efforts to educate policy makers and other decision-makers on the value, scope, and complexity of school nutrition programs. Strategies Advance SNA influence in the Association’s public policy priorities through effective alliances and potential legislation reflecting the current environment and new school nutrition operations structure. SNA has signed onto Allied letters along with 1,315 other organizations, including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Feeding America, signed on to an allied letter by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) to the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service requesting the extension of school nutrition waivers. SNA, along with 65 other organizations, signed onto an allied letter by FRAC to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service requesting the extension of school nutrition waivers. SNA designed and presented a one-hour ed sessions at the virtual ASBO conference on the financial crisis of school nutrition programs during COVID. Participants rated the session highly. The SNA Position Paper was drafted (12.4.2020 and 12.7.2020) and posted to the SNA website in advance of LAC 2021. SNA continues discussions with Hill staff on potential legislation on elimination of the Reduce Price meal category, universal meals and other 2021 SNA Position Paper priorities. The 2021 SNA Position Paper was shared with Congress, allied organizations, and other stakeholders in advance of LAC 2021. SNA, along with FRAC, AND, NEA, CSPI, have created a small working group to seek universal meals outside of the broader CN Forum. SNA provided comments on various advocacy priorities in a ZOOM call with the Administrations’ Domestic Policy Council. As part of the FY’22 Appropriations process, SNA has submitted language seeking preservation of meal pattern flexibilities for sodium, whole grains and milk. Coordination with Texas SNA and Connecticut SNA continues to support Association efforts. A request for $1 million within the FY ‘22 Appropriations for the creation of a National Committee on Unpaid Student Meal Debt was submitted to Congressional appropriators.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 5 Sought, and received an invitation for SNA to appear before the Senate Agriculture Committee to testify on SNA advocacy priorities. Assisted witness with review of testimony and prepped in advance of Hearing. Encouraged advocates to write to their legislators in support of SNA’s 2021 Position Paper, and specifically in support of emergency funding and meal pattern flexibilities. To date, school nutrition advocates have sent 13,831 letters to their legislators in 2021. Increase strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations in support of feeding children and providing school meals across the country. Continued participation in the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (NOPREN) is allowing SNA to share policy priorities, survey data and other information with a broader group, advancing our advocacy efforts. SNA CEO participated in a podcast hosted by International Dairy Foods Association, reaching new audiences with information on the efforts of school nutrition professionals to serve students during the pandemic. SNA joined FoodCorps and the National Farm to School Network in a school meal Twitter chat during Farm to School Month. The February issue of ASBO’s magazine, School Business Affairs, will include a lengthy cover story by SNA President Reggie Ross on the importance of school meals, particularly during COVID and the need for school business officials to support these programs, financially struggling due to the pandemic. SNA is working with the American Academy of Pediatrics to develop a video and infographics highlighting the importance of school meals to student health and academic success. On January 13, 2021, SNA President Reggie Ross participated in the “Food Systems Summit 2021 Dialogues” (sponsored by USDA) and shared SNA perspectives on the major challenges to advancing sustainable food systems. Created a spreadsheet to record and identify like-minded or allied organizations and other advocates that support SNA issues related to keeping students fed. Worked with the Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy to identify SNA members to participate in their working group on implementing and expanding CEP. Encourage Congress to study school lunch participation and develop strategies to address student participation impacts from COVID-19. Consistently spotlighted school meal participation rates during the pandemic, interviewing with GAO for their analysis of school meal service and participation declines due to COVID closures, highlighting those results and SNA survey data on participation and its impact on financial sustainability in our press releases and media interviews. SNA member Angela Richey discussed participation challenges in her comments before the House Education and Labor Committee. SNA interviewed again with GAO for their follow up analysis of pandemic school meals and stressed the need for USDA to release updated participation data so Congress could see the impact of COVID on meal participation. In the absence of federal participation data, SNA is
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 6 gathering State agency data comparing 2019 and 2020 participation, with the goal of advocating for Congress to provide additional school nutrition relief funds. Worked with Congress in seeking additional reimbursement for school districts to help offset financial losses through the latest Stimulus Package passed and signed into law in December 2020. Working with Congress to identify barriers to USDA Foods and to the overall process and is seeking a GAO Study which will delve deeper. During LAC, SNA invited Members of Congress and their staff to participate in the COVID Best Practices panel discussion. Panelists highlighted pandemic participation challenges and advocated for continued waivers to support participation. Conducted an analysis of USDA data, issued a press release detailing the 30% drop in meals served and $2 billion loss in reimbursement due to the pandemic. Coverage included stories in FERN, Foodservice Director and Food Management. Thanks to SNA’s input, GAO’s latest review of the impact of COVID on school meal programs highlighted a steep drop in meal participation and the resulting financial challenges for programs. Worked extensively with the Associated Press on a pandemic hunger crisis story that highlighted participation challenges for school meal programs. The story, which quoted SNA’s President on participation declines, ran in 117 media outlets, reaching an estimated 250 million readers. Monitor emerging Federal public policy issues, including Executive and Legislative priorities that could negatively impact school nutrition programs and be prepared to address all scenarios relative to COVID-19. SNA continues to monitor legislation and regulations and keep SNA members informed on any updates. Scheduled and held critical call-in late August with USDA/FNS Deputy Undersecretary Brandon Lipps and SNA Board members to share the dire participation and financial data coming in from schools across the country as kids head back to school and plead for waiver extensions which were then approved within the next week. Continue to monitor and provide SNA Comments on all relevant Federal Register notices. SNA filed comments on the Proposed Rule on Meal Pattern Flexibilities, CN Labeling and CN Database in December 2020. SNA is actively monitoring next steps of the Biden Administration following the signing of an Executive Order signed on January 25 regarding stricter enforcement of Buy American requirements. Continue to monitor, record, or publish COVID-19 related policy or legislation regarding school nutrition programs in SNA media outlets such as the Tuesday Mornings Newsletter, SNAC bites, web stories, and eblasts. This quarter, SNA staff demonstrated its preparedness and ability to respond to scenarios by coordinating successful Action Alerts through CQ Engage that generated significant member participation and communicated SNA’s legislative priorities to Senators and Representatives.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 7 Maintain support for commodities for breakfast within annual Appropriations and other legislation. Working with House/Senate staff, SNA has secured $20 million for USDA Foods for School Breakfast Programs in the FY 2021 Agriculture Appropriations (pending conference discussions). Monitoring FY’22 Appropriations and seek to maintain continued inclusion of funds for commodities for breakfast. Monitor and support USDA’s and Congress’s efforts to simplify overly burdensome child nutrition mandates to improve efficiencies and reduce costs and work with USDA and Congress to implement new mandates. Continue to share school nutrition challenges with USDA representatives such as questions concerning entitlement amounts due to COVID as well as meal application retrievals and impact of each. Conversations are ongoing with Congressional staff using the SNA 2021 Position Paper elements as the foundation. Implement new strategies, as needed to support child nutrition program advocacy and emerging issues – such as Universal Meals – in light of COVID-19. Conducted three COVID-19/School Meal surveys to collect key data on school meal service, participation, and finances during the pandemic. Survey results were shared with Members of Congress, incorporated into all advocacy materials and shared on SNA’s new “School Meals During the Pandemic” primer on the website. Survey reports earned extensive media coverage in key Capitol Hill and national publications, raising awareness of the positive efforts of school nutrition professionals, the benefits of universal meal service during the pandemic and SNA’s advocacy efforts. Conversations are being held with Senate and House sponsors for potential introduction of a Universal Meals bill. Issues are prominently featured on SNA’s 2021 Position Paper and additional resources on Universal Meals and supplementary information provided through fact sheets. Working with former USDA Secretary Dan Glickman in drafting a document supporting Universal Meals, or “Healthy School Meals for all Students.” SNA launched a successful universal meals media outreach campaign, working with SNA’s President and PPL members to earn positive stories in key local media markets across the country to promote the benefits of providing meals to all students at no charge. In February, the campaign earned tv news and print stories in Colorado, Wisconsin, Indiana and Alabama, reaching an estimated audience of over 195,000 viewers at a publicity value of $28K. In March, SNA also earned stories in Connecticut, Georgia, Minnesota and Arizona, as well as a feature piece in Civil Eats which quoted two PPL members. Identify and educate members of the new 117th Congress, USDA, and the Administration on SNA public policy priorities. Sent recent SNA survey "Impact of COVID-19 on School Nutrition Programs - Back to School 2020" to members of House Agriculture, Appropriations, Education & Labor, Committees. This survey was also sent to the Senate Agriculture, Appropriations, and Education Committees.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 8 Submitted sample questions for us at the confirmation hearing of USDA Secretary-designate Tom Vilsack. Created a CNR Task Force 2021 to begin identifying recommendations for a reauthorization of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The SNA 2021 Position Paper was shared with Congressional staff in advance of LAC 2021. An Infographic has also been created, share, and posted which highlights the 2021 Position Paper elements. The SNA USDA Foods Task Force held its first meeting on December 16, 2020 and began discussions on recommendations for modifying the program. Task Force recommendations will be shared with USDA and Congress. SNA’s Presidential Task Force met to review applications from interested members for potential jobs in the Biden Administration at FNS/USDA. Two names were forwarded to the Biden Transition Team. Created an SNA CNR Task Force to identify areas of potential modification and change to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in advance of CNR. Created an SNA Sodium Task Force to address the preservation of meal pattern flexibilities. Held successful virtual LAC 2021 with almost 800 attendees—4 shy of the in-person LAC 2020. The first “Zoom the Hill” was held with LAC 2021 attendees with feedback being very positive. Followed up with Hill staff and Congressional members to answer questions and provide additional information after collecting feedback forms from most of the SNA members that participated in “Zoom to the Hill.” Objective 2: Increase advocacy support to state affiliates in order to drive policy change at state level. Strategies Strengthen the capacity of state presidents, state executive directors, and state legislative chairs to carry-out state and local advocacy through development of new tools and training. Shared advocacy information in the State Affiliate Newsletter. Signed onto to partner with the Congressional Management Foundation to begin a series of outreach and educational tools to arm SNA members and state affiliates for effective advocacy. Provided an advocacy update to the PPL Committee of Minnesota SNA. Hosted two webinars, along with the Congressional Management Foundation, (January 19 and February 24) on how to prepare for the “Zoom the Hill” and in advance of LAC 2021. Reached out via email to State Legislative Chairs to encourage member participation in LAC and this year’s “Zoom the Hill” by providing a list of member registrations and related resources. Working with SNA of Texas and Connecticut in reviewing and sharing legislative language relative to preserving meal pattern flexibilities for sodium, whole grains, and milk. Providing stories and resources for State Affiliate Connection Newsletter.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 9 Before and after this year’s LAC, SNA reached out to State Legislative Chairs to coordinate a successful “Zoom to the Hill” and collect feedback forms. This process led to an increase in direct communication between SNA and State Legislative Chairs. After expressing interest, some Chairs have shared advocacy-related resources and forwarded webinars to be featured in SNA newsletters. Create a database of identified state advocacy champions in each Congressional district. In progress, continue to identify and collect state advocacy champions' names as their participation in local or national advocacy issues on behalf of SNA or school nutrition is made apparent as SNA continues to monitor and engage on the state level. In progress, created a spreadsheet to list SNA members/affiliates after being identified as an advocate by participating in specified advocacy events, including Action Alerts, or demonstrating a grassroots level of advocacy. Collect and share successful advocacy stories for state and national members to utilize in their advocacy work. Shared and emphasized advocacy stories in weekly Tuesday Morning newsletter under "COVID-19 Stories from the Front Lines" and "State Snapshot" sections. Continue to share advocacy related stories in SNA’s weekly newsletter for Tuesday Morning newsletter, specifically under “Stories from the Front Lines” section. Monitor state legislative issues, especially those addressing COVID 19 and support advocacy efforts on those issues as needed. Published second and third state legislative reports and continued updating State Snapshot in weekly Tuesday Morning Newsletter to feature new legislation and policy initiatives, including universal meals, food waste, and meal distribution. Provided PP&L members with information and resources on current advocacy issues at the state level, including eliminating the reduced-price co-pay and universal meals. Published 2020 State Legislative Report and continues to monitor, record, and publish state legislation and advocacy stories in weekly Tuesday Morning newsletter.
Objective 3: Enhance the voice of school nutrition programs in the development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Strategies Participate in all opportunities available to share the perspective of school nutrition program operators on the development of the DGAs. Submits detailed comments to Federal Register notices related to school nutrition programs and the Dietary Guideline Committee. SNA’s detailed comments on Federal Register notices are published in Tuesday Morning and on SNA’s Action Network. Continue to highlight relevant Federal Register notices and publishes SNA’s related comments on Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Invited to participate in a roundtable discussion with experts in food science and technology, nutrition, and other related disciplines to discuss best practices for implementing the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The event is supported by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Jessica Gould, RD will represent SNA.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 10 Update members on the DGA development and ultimate implementation process pending issuance of final DGA 2020-2025 Report. Published a review of the final report from Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) in SNA communication vehicles such as SN Express, Tuesday Morning newsletter, etc. This review highlighted the portion of the report concluding the health and nutritious value of school meals. Regularly published and send out Policy Updates that include any USDA or Dietary Guidelines related policy memos or guidelines. Share information on the new DGAs with members when introduced and provide any required training as dictated by the DGA final Report. The new 2020-2025 DGAs were released on January 7, 2021. SNA shared the Report in electronic vehicles, on the website, SN Express and through other means with its members.
Objective 4: Increase efforts to enhance the public’s perception of school nutrition professionals and school nutrition programs. Strategies Serve as a trusted resource and utilize all media outlets to educate and promote school nutrition programs to the public, policy makers, and all stakeholders. By promoting SNA’s extensive survey data on school meals during the pandemic and offering interviews with SNA spokespersons – frontline school nutrition professionals – SNA has become the key source for national media outlets reporting on child hunger and school meal services during the pandemic: o SNA is regularly featured in key Capitol Hill outlets (Politico, Agri-Pulse, FERN) and trade publications (Education Dive, The Counter, EdNC, Food Management) o SNA leadership and member quotes were included in USDA press releases on waiver extensions, ensuring SNA inclusion in a multitude of media stories. SNA was featured by major national stories this quarter by: CBS on school meal service, participation, financial losses and USDA waivers; Bloomberg on child hunger and meal participation, USA Today on emergency meals and need for waivers; NPR on financial losses and need for waivers. Our latest survey data was shared by the New York Times and our advocacy efforts profiled by Harvest Public Media. o As a result of this outreach, SNA reached an estimated audience of more than 3 million tv viewers this quarter, at a publicity value of 1.75 million. This quarter SNA’s media outreach earned the following notable national coverage: A Washington Post story, shared on MSN.com and other outlets, featuring need for financial aid for school meal programs; a Parents.com story on COVID feeding programs, challenges and financial losses; a Marketplace story, aired on 119 stations across the country, featuring SNA and member interviews, on pandemic meal service and financial loss; an Education Dive story featuring SNA data and interviews on meal service and how districts can partner with/support SN teams. Outreach promoting SNA’s 2021 Position Paper earned a story in Politico highlighting our universal ask and citing SNA’s paper as “the first time such a prominent organization is
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 11 calling for the [free pandemic meal] policy to become permanent.” The paper was also featured in FoodNavigator, Foodservice Director and The Fern’s Ag Insider. During LAC, SNA hosted reporters from the Associated Press, Politico, CQ/Roll Call, Agri- Pulse, National Journal, FERN, Bloomberg Industry Group, IHS Markit, Foodservice Director, Food Management and Food Navigator, and earned positive coverage for SNA’s advocacy priorities. SNA’s LAC, NSBW and advocacy outreach in March earned a national tv audience of nearly 350K at a publicity value of $96K. When USDA announced the extension of pandemic waivers at LAC, SNA issued a press release, highlighting the Association’s advocacy in support of the waivers, and earned positive coverage, including a story in the Washington Post that was picked up by MSN.com and reached an estimated audience of 70 million readers. Engage in public relations advocacy efforts to promote school nutrition programs (NSBW, NSLW…) and identify additional and new opportunities to enhance existing efforts. SNA’s Back to School media outreach efforts earned positive print and television coverage in Colorado, tv coverage in Tucson, AZ and print and tv coverage in Indianapolis, IN. Promotion of SNA’s Back to School 2020 survey earned extensive media coverage, when released during NSLW. NSLW outreach also included positive posts and engagement highlighting pandemic meal service on the Tray Talk blog and Facebook page. Created Back to School flyer to promote safe, healthy school meals to families and template letter to educate administrators on financial issues for school meal programs. SNA’s TrayTalk Facebook page and blog featured a special campaign this quarter spotlighting holiday meal distribution across the country. SNA’s Tuesday Morning features “COVID stories from the Front Lines” with images of SNA members and other school nutrition staff as they provide meals to students across the country. Continue to feature “COVID stories from the Front Lines” in Tuesday Morning newsletter with images of SNA members and school nutrition professionals as they continue serve students using different methods. NSBW outreach built upon the success of the universal meals outreach campaign, promoting the benefits of free breakfast for all students during the pandemic. SNA highlighted member efforts for NSBW across the TrayTalk blog, Tray Talk Facebook page and SNA social pages. Leverage positive outcomes from School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) initiatives. SNF/PBIC grantees were utilized in the Back-to-School Series to share BIC success with a broad audience. SNF Program Manager and Consultant utilized PBIC knowledge to support the development of the Meals in Classroom Dining Guide. Use personal stories of SNA member award winners, and SNF scholarship winners and grant recipients to advance public advocacy for school nutrition programs and school nutrition professionals.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 12 Personal stories of SNA member award winner, SNF scholarship winners, and grant recipients are frequently featured in the weekly Tuesday Morning Newsletter and/or as a web story on SNA’s main website. Web articles and social media posts are frequently published about the recipients of SNF “Help Feed School Kids Now!” Emergency Feeding Grants and the support these grants have provided to communities and school districts across the country. SNF’s national partners (Save Our Strength, GENYOUth, National Dairy Council, US Apples) have also published personal stories of grant recipients and the results of their funding. Pitching local media stories profiling each of SNF’s 2021 Equipment Grant recipients. Outreach spotlights the efforts of members to meet the nutritional needs of children during the pandemic and the challenges programs have encountered due to COVID-19 and financial limitations.
3. Membership & Community School nutrition programs nationwide will be strengthened through the engagement, leadership and collaboration among SNA’s members, state associations, the School Nutrition Foundation, allied partners, and other stakeholders. Objectives 1. Increase membership and member retention among all stakeholders. 2. Increase pathways for involvement among different demographic segments if SNA membership that reflect the association’s core values. 3. Build the capacity of state associations for stronger governance and association management practices. 4. Use personal stories of SNF scholarship winners and grant recipients to increase awareness of the value of the School Nutrition Foundation as resource to SNA members.
Objective 1: Increase membership and member retention among all stakeholders. Strategies Continue to build on existing membership recruitment strategies and the +1 Membership Challenge to increase School District Memberships and individual memberships. The October 2020 Membership Report shows that we have 51,512 members. This is a decrease of 519 members compared to September 2020, 6,150 less than October 2019 and 3,036 less than the May 2020 year-end total. The overall drop in membership is related to the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be a major concern. Most decreases are in the manager and employee membership categories. A campaign to remind lapsed members about the benefits of SNA membership is underway and is gaining some momentum and we are seeing higher levels of members reinstating. The December 2020 Membership Report shows that we have 49,376 members. This is a decrease of 1,376 members compared to November 2020, 7,212 less than December 2019 and 5,172 less than May 2020 year-end total. The overall drop in membership is a major concern and a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the usual seasonal declines. The lapsed membership campaign continues as it is generating positive results.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 13 The April 2021 Membership Report shows that we have 47,428 members. This is a decrease of 755 members compared to March 2021, 7,829 less than April 2020 and 7,120 less than May 2020 year-end total. The overall drop in membership is due to the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be a major concern. However, with an increase in state conferences and ANC registration opening we are hoping to see a reverse in the downward trend. The +1 Membership Challenge campaign was on hiatus over the summer months but is set to relaunch in November with a strong advocacy focus and call to action. These campaign pieces will also be shared with State Associations. The +1 Membership Challenge has relaunched with new advocacy focused pieces and a Membership Meetup with state leaders is being planned for February to encourage the continuation of recruitment activities. The Membership Meetup was well received by state leaders and a second one is planned for the Fall. A new monthly membership campaign is being planned for the new school year. Industry Membership and the Patron Program continues to stay strong with 90 Patron Members. Quarterly Patron Forums and more engagement with industry members overall is encouraging continued involvement with SNA. Right now, it is all about the opportunities SNA will provide for industry exhibitors at the Virtual ANC21. Provide support to State Associations based on growth potential to expand school district membership and target nonmember school districts. Explore alternative membership models to ensure long-term sustainability and relevance for all member segments. Define and promote the Allied Membership category.
Objective 2: Increase pathways for involvement among different demographic segments of SNA membership that reflect the association’s core values. Strategies Utilize expertise and knowledge of the Industry Advisory Council (IAC) to identify emerging challenges and trends in the school nutrition profession/foodservice industry and gather input on topics for education sessions. Engaging with IAC members to continue to identify challenges facing school industry and operator members due to the COVID pandemic. Hosting a facilitated, IAC Planning meeting on January 27th to discuss the potential threat of new competitors in the school feeding arena. Hosting Quarterly Patron Forums to stay abreast of changes and concerns among our industry partners on several key topics. Pushing out Burbio School Opening Tracker Weekly Updates via e-blasts and social media and encouraging subscriptions to the School Calendar Insights product on a weekly basis. Hosted Virtual Level II Industry Boot Camp April 13, 14, 15. Increase collaboration between SNA Board members and the Leadership Development Committee to improve targeted recruitment efforts and monitor key demographic trends among volunteer leaders to create a more inclusive environment for SNA members of different demographic groups.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 14 Targeted recruitment by LDC and the Board of Directors continued this year. The slate of candidates continued to increase in diversity across all demographic categories even though the total number of interested candidates decreased because of COVID-19. This year, we started a series of social media campaigns highlighting the diversity of SNA's membership. We reached out to members and asked then to submit photos and blurbs reflecting on the importance of their work and their impact in their communities. We started in September with Hispanic Heritage Month, in November we shared stories about our Native American and Indigenous members and are currently collecting materials to launch our Black History Month (BHM) campaign, launched on February 2. We have received nearly 20 submissions and great feedback from board members. We will be posting assets on social media throughout the month of February. We also used the BHM campaign to promote the DEI webinar on February 4. Updated the demographic profile of the board to reflect the current Board demographics so guidance can be provided to the LDC for recruiting purposes for 2022 SNA Election to maintain a balanced board. The LDC had an in-depth discussion about virtual recruiting techniques and strategies to use to find and recruit individuals who are not usually found at in-person meetings. The LDC and Board Regional Directors paired up to host a town hall for each region each quarter. These have been well attended and there is an opportunity for individuals to learn more about what is going on at SNA and ask the LDC member questions about volunteer opportunities.
Objective 3: Build the capacity of state associations for stronger governance and association management practices. Strategies Develop new opportunities for ongoing governance and association management training for state leaders specifically in the areas of inclusiveness as it relates to Diversity & Equity, crisis leadership and association management, and Next Generation Professionals. Hosted the annual State Association Executive (SAE) meeting virtually and covered topics such as virtual events, new revenue streams, electronic voting, and membership retention & recruiting. Planned a December Virtual State Leadership Summit (VSLS) and topics will include DEI, entrepreneurialism, virtual meetings, and engaging Board members. Continued the VSLS, Regional Meetings, and monthly SAE calls. Topics have ranged from diversity & equity, to governance, to financial management, to meetings and events. Have continued the Regional meetings for state leaders and monthly SAE calls with topics determined by the participants. The April Virtual State Leadership summit focused on member engagement and state association operations and was led by an expert in chapter relationships -- 140 attendees. Provide individual assistance and coaching to state association leaders in addressing governance challenges in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative impact on associations.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 15 Continue to provide ongoing guidance to state affiliates as needed in managing challenges during the pandemic. Assess the effectiveness of governance programming for Future Leaders, state Presidents/President-Elects, and State Executives, and make modifications. SNA has been in active conversation with State Executives and hosted a focus group to ascertain their needs. As a result, we are hosting monthly calls so they can discuss items of priority in their states. Re-visioning the Future Leaders program and National Leadership Conference will begin in the new year. A plan is in place for refining and reviewing the Future Leaders program. Assess the feasibility of implementing a fee-for-service model to provide administrative support to small state affiliates who are in need because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Objective 4: Increase awareness of the value of the School Nutrition Foundation as a resource to SNA members. Strategies Market scholarship and grant opportunities to state association executive directors and staff. Continually promote the “Help Feed School Kids Now!” grant fundraising campaign which has provided more than $500,000 in grants to school nutrition members. Sharing scholarship opportunities via e-mails and SNAC Bites with state leaders to promote to members. Use personal stories of SNF Scholarship and grant winners to increase awareness of the Foundation as a benefit for school nutrition members. Provide consistent weekly website and social media information to all SNA members about the benefits of scholarships and grants, notification on the recipients of funding and results from the benefits of their funding. Explore strategies to share Foundation initiatives and accomplishments in order to reach a greater number of members and state leaders.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 16 4. Governance & Operations SNA will have a financially sustainable funding model with a nimble governance and headquarters staff structure that is aligned with the strategic plan and reflects contemporary business practices. Objectives Enhance SNA processes, practices, and structures to contribute to a sustainable and robust business model. Expand SNA’s research initiatives to continually identify trends and issues impacting school nutrition programs and the profession. Enhance assessment of association governance structure to support new Strategic Plan. Increase funding and resource to high priorities of the new Strategic Plan.
Objective 1: Enhance SNA processes, practices and structures to contribute to a sustainable and robust business model. Strategies Continue SNA digital transformation efforts to implement changes to the technology infrastructure, policies, and operations to ensure they align with the strategic plan and support long-term operational needs. SNA digital transformation efforts are underway with active work being done to integrate the Training Zone and Aptify member database. Ntiva, SNA’s new Managed Services Company, has been fully onboarded and a technology strategy roadmap has been developed to guide the transformation over the next few months. Document and maintain business continuity and emergency preparedness plans to ensure SNA is able to weather any unexpected local, national, or global events. Created a SNA Return to Work Policy for staff to clarify office access and return policies during COVID pandemic. Continue to use pulse surveys and other means of gathering employee feedback and assessing best practices across associations as we address workforce needs during the pandemic. Update systems and processes related to the organization’s member management platform with an eye to customer experience and user efficiencies. Completed a major upgrade of SNA’s member database to Aptify 6.0 version. Process of upgrading Aptify member database to web-friendly, accessible anywhere availability is in progress. Implement a new product development process to assess the feasibility of implementing new products and services to better meet member and state needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Maintain and update a competitive environment analysis to identify SNA’s competitors and the opportunities or risks they pose to SNA’s target market. Undertake a program impact evaluation as part of the 2020-21 budget process to sunset low ROI and low member value programs and make way for new initiatives. The program impact evaluation survey is currently in the field and will be analyzed and provided to the Board and strategic planning committee before the end of 2020.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 17 Created and presented financial scenarios, including benchmarks, with Board and staff that will be closely tracked, updated, and shared as the fiscal year progresses. A program impact evaluation was conducted as part of the strategic planning efforts and will be used by the SNA staff as they work to develop the operational plan for 2022.
Objective 2: Expand SNA’s research initiatives to continually identify trends and issues impacting school nutrition programs and the profession. Strategies Conduct research to identify key drivers of change affecting school nutrition programs and the profession in preparation for strategic planning. The initial qualitative survey for this effort is being prepared by Association Laboratory and will be fielded in mid-November. In-depth qualitative and qualitative member research was undertaken, and reports were provided to the Board and strategic planning committee in preparation. Develop and implement a research program to monitor the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on school nutrition programs for advocacy and training purposes. The Nutrition & Research Committee has designated a Research Agenda subcommittee to add a COVID-19 section to the current research agenda, which was approved last year. The intent of the addition of the COVID-19 section is to give researchers guidance on what research needs to be conducted. The 3rd COVID-19-themed survey report, focusing on school nutrition program finances and participation, was published in mid-October. Conducted 3rd COVID-19 Impact Survey which identified financial sustainability and declining participation as concerning issues. https://schoolnutrition.org/uploadedFiles/6_News_Publications_and_Research/8_SNA_Res earch/Impact-of-Covid-19-on-School-Nutrition-Programs-Back-to-School-2020.pdf Created and published a new School Nutrition Meals Served and Reimbursements During the COVID-19 Pandemic report, which uses the most recent USDA FNS data to compare meals served and reimbursements in 2020 versus 2019. New version of the report will be published when new USDA FNS participation data is made public. Planning a Back-to-School survey to be administered May 2021 to provide updated data around advocacy issues (financial concerns, worries about sodium targets & WG standards, other CNR priorities). Sharing the Burbio School Opening Tracker Weekly Updates with all members every Monday via e-blast, on our website and on social media. New School Calendar Insights product is now available for a small subscription fee. Use the SNA Research Agenda to solicit and drive content in the Journal of Child Nutrition Management and solicit funding for high priority research needs. The Nutrition and Research Committee has designated a Journal Subcommittee to develop an Alternative Meals-themed issue of the Journal. They plan to submit a proposal to the CEO in mid-November.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 18 The Alterative Meals-themed issues of the Journal proposal has been accepted and the call for proposals has been publicized. Redesign the research section of the SNA website to provide research basics and “how to” resources to conduct research.
Objective 3: Enhance assessment of association governance structure to support new Strategic Plan. Strategies Develop a phased implementation plan to modify SNA’s governance structure based on the 2019-20 assessment of the 2015 governance changes that accounts for disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Updated documents to continue discussions with Board on potential changes to enable a nimbler governance model. Board discussion scheduled for November 2020 meeting. Modifications to governance structures were approved by the board and are under review by the Resolutions and Bylaws committee. Proposed bylaw amendments were approved by the Board of Directors for submission to the Delegate Assembly in July. Engage in a Board self-assessment to ensure optimal, strategic performance of the governing body and develop a plan for expanding this practice to committees and councils. End of year assessment of 2019-20 Board completed and will be shared with Board once analysis is completed. Recruit diverse leadership talent for open elected and appointed national positions. Recruitment of diverse leadership talent was successful for the 2021 slate. The LDC has continued to recruit leaders for open SNA positions, and is actively recruiting in virtual environments. As state associations begin holding in-person meetings traditional recruiting activities will resume along with the continuation of virtual recruiting.
Objective 4: Increase funding and resources to high priorities of the new Strategic Plan. Strategies Engage in a targeted reallocation of financial and human resources to focus on critical areas of the Strategic Plan in response to COVID-19 and to assure the long-term sustainability of SNA. Allocating staff resources to support increased virtual training opportunities in place on in- person meetings during COVID. As staff positions have been vacated, Center heads are reviewing staffing needs in the context of future SNA needs and organizational strategy and crafting new positions (if appropriate) to ensure long term competency needs are met. Engaged in recruiting for much-needed vacant Marketing/Communication positions and staffing responsibilities have been reallocated to ensure the best use of SNA resources. Assure sufficient resources are allocated to programs of high value to members. Despite decreasing staffing and overall budget, sufficient resources have been allocated to continue the important work of the Association as demonstrated in this quarterly report.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 19 Undertook a program impact matrix in preparation for strategic planning which will be used to identify programs which provide little value to members. This data will be used to prioritize or sunset programs, as necessary. Identify and prioritize new funding opportunities for SNA and SNF. Having discussions with some allied partners about potentially jointly pursuing grant funding to support like-minded efforts to support school nutrition programs. Signed a revenue-share partnership agreement with Burbio on sales of its tracking data to SNA industry partners. Signed a consulting agreement with CDC Foundation to provide research support on school nutrition program project. Signed agreement as subcontractor on NOPREN grant on school nutrition project.
Marketing & Communications Initiatives
Business Development & Meetings: Developed logo for and marketed launch of and ongoing weekly Innovative Solutions Showcase (August-October), resulting in record-number of attendees and significantly exceeding revenue goal—ending with more than $120K. Worked with web team to obtain a new cloud video hosting solution for showcase presentations so that they could all be added to the website, extending the shelf life of the content, and providing value added exposure for industry presenters. Marketed newly virtual Industry Boot Camp. Advocacy & Public Relations: National School Lunch Week Campaign—print and digital o New sponsorships sold for toolkit, website advertising and e-blast package. o New modern storefront and direct mail piece produced with new vendor. o Produced expanded and enhanced toolkit and activity sheets to consider school lunch in a COVID-19 environment. o Worked with web team to develop enhanced artwork and animated graphics for the website. o Generated nearly $20K in sales. Promoted COVID-19 member surveys and corresponding press releases. Promoted advocacy calls to action on the website and in social media. Produced and posted annual Promotion Calendar, which featured sponsored months (4) for the first time. Marketed new Safe Meals Flyer across digital and print channels. Added SNA in the News section for SN Express to maximize media stories. National School Breakfast Week campaign Produced new expanded toolkit which has had 959 downloads. Produced new graphics and artwork for members.
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 20 Launched new NSBW shop, sales have eclipsed NSLW and are at $21K. Direct mail piece to 10K geographically targeted directors & managers ($10K sales threshold) National School Lunch Week - Secured New sponsor secured for NSLW – Kellogg now sponsors both NSBW and NSLW. First sponsor for NSLW in several years. SNA Shop has achieved record sales since switching to a new vendor (Jim Coleman). From January 1 to April 14, 2021 (YTD), SNA sold more than $160,000 worth of products and collected more than $48,000 in royalties. School Lunch Hero Day contributed greatly to this success, with $86,000 -- $40,000 in face masks alone. We have also been able to adjust our royalty arrangement on some large orders for members to give them better pricing, as well as some customizing of products to meet their needs. News & Publications: Marketed three fall SN digital supplements and Managing Menu Needs supplement via digital channels. 11th Digital Supplement produced at the end of January on advocacy with 423 clicks. eSN concept approved and in development and featured in new 2021 media kit: first issue coming out in March. Launched eSN, the first issue of our digital magazine, lunched in March. We had 43,750 unique views and are planning to add more video and graphic elements to the May issue, which will also be digital. General Marketing: Currently working on an RFP to migrate the existing website from Ektron to a more user- friendly and versatile CMS. Project should start in the spring of 2021. Implemented new in-house advertising for SmartBrief, resulting in an increase from 14,649 to 37,085 subscribers in two months (August to October) and $26,263.83 in paid revenue and with $12,753.48 pending (Q3). Reinstated marketing relationship with Career Center—approving marketing e-blasts, tracking monthly statistics, and promoting regularly in SN Express. Received seven proposals for website overhaul project. Currently assessing them and will invite finalists for a presentation in the next few weeks. SNA Election Outreach o Created new social media tools for 16 candidates to use in their campaigns. o New visibility campaign for all candidates via 8 eblasts and 3 SNA social media channels (24 posts); gave equal presence/placement to each candidate with two versions of eblasts (16 total) for each open seat via A/B testing, enhanced presence on SNA website and promoted candidate videos. Enhanced our social media presence and engagement by launching our first Black History Month (BHM) and Women's Heritage Month (WHM) campaigns. o BHM posts accounted for 4 out of 5 of posts with the most Facebook engagements of the month of February. Two BHM posts were shared more than 15 times on Facebook: Diane D. Gillie (15) and Xavier Jaramillo (20).
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 21 o On Instagram, Reggie’s BHM post was in the top three most “liked” posts of the month and was the most-commented-on post of the month of February. o For WHM, the Jeanne Reilly/Dayle Hayes post had the second-highest reach of the month on Facebook. o Chris Derico’s post was fifth in number of comments for the month on Facebook.
School Nutrition Foundation
Lead to Succeed module 1 in development and scheduled to launch February 2021. See updates on LEAD to Succeed under professional development. In March 2020, traditional fundraising initiatives by SNF were paused to focus on assisting school districts in their emergency feeding operations during school closures. A crowdfunding model was initiated to encourage contributions from outside SNA membership. To date, more than $621,000 has been raised through the donations from individuals, industry, and non-profit organizations. 203 grants have been awarded to SNA and non-SNA members during the spring and summer. $100,000 worth of grants will be awarded in Fall, 2020. An additional 21 $5,000 emergency feeding grants were awarded in January 2021 to school districts across the US. At this time, all funds from the “Feed School Kids Now!” fundraising campaign have been awarded. Staff and the SNF Board will continue to review strategies for continuing to fundraise for this campaign. Jeff Rebh from Innoseals Machines has offered to continue donating 2 Innoseal machines to each recipient of the SNF Emergency Feeding Grant. Names of the most recent grantees were provided to him. Create Virtual Fundraising Opportunities SNF initiated a virtual fundraising event - $10,000 Golden Ticket Raffle Online Event.” Two raffles were held, culminating in a live drawing event from SNA Headquarters in Arlington, VA. Revenue to SNF = $20,000. Plans are underway to hold another raffle in 2021 tied to a virtual SNA conference. The 3rd annual Golden Ticket raffle is currently taking place in March 2021 with the winner announced on St. Patrick’s Day. This online fundraiser will raise $10,000 in unrestricted funds for SNF. The 4th Golden Ticket Raffle will take place in conjunction with the Virtual ANC. Annual Giving Tuesday Campaign will take place on December 1, 2020. Promotions, targeted emails, and social media posts have been implemented to encourage donations. SNF and SNA Boards and committees, along with SNF Ambassadors are playing a role Giving Tuesday fundraising. 2020 goal = $8,000. Giving Tuesday 2020 raised a record-breaking $17,226. Recurring donors, known as SNF Monthly Mavericks, continue to provide a steady revenue source each month. Plans to increase the number of Monthly Mavericks is ongoing. Walk With a Purpose – a virtual walkathon fundraiser is in the planning process for Spring 2021, replacing the Party With a Purpose activities that are usually held onsite at SNA meetings. The SNF Board of Directors approved the Walk With a Purpose virtual walkathon which kicked off the first week of March 2021. To date, there are three industry sponsorships and 9
Strategic Quarterly Report – April 2021 Page 22 individual/teams registered. Marketing and promotions will be a priority throughout March and into April. The Walk is scheduled for April 15-22 with a kick-off pep rally help on April 14. As of April 12, 2021, Walk With a Purpose has raised $34,000 for the Foundation. The Virtual Pep Rally will be held on April 14 and to date, there are more than 100 registrants for the Zoom call. The virtual Walk will take place from April 15-22 when participants can continue to raise funds for the Foundation. The 2020 Annual Fund raised $73,607 in unrestricted funds for SNF. Planning has begun to create fundraising opportunities for the virtual ANC. SNF continues to collaborate with No Kids Hungry by advising grantees from NKH and providing resources and updates from SNA on advocacy and training. Grants and Scholarships SNF Equipment Grants o Increased number of grants for SNA members. Additional equipment companies had joined SNF by contributing to the Equipment Grant opportunities. Four (4) grants will be awarded in 2021. o THE SNF Equipment Grant Selection Committee is judging the final 16 applicants and will award 5 Equipment grants in mid-March (2 Collection grants, Hobart, Vulcan, and Winston). o The SNF Equipment Grant Selection Committee awarded five grants to the top 5 SNA members who applied for the grants. More than 567 applications were created for the Equipment Grants. Efforts to increase the number of grants will continue throughout the spring and summer for 2022. SNF Professional Development Scholarships o SNF will be awarding $21,500 in the Schwan’s Professional Development Scholarship in 2021. Twenty-three applications have been forwarded to the SNF Scholarship Selection Committee to judge during the 2nd and 3rd week of March. o Zoom call with the Selection Committee held on April 20 to determine the disbursement of funds for the professional development scholarships. SNF Conference Scholarships o SNA Industry Sponsors of Conference Scholarships have chosen to postpone the scholarships for SNA meetings that have been cancelled due to COVID. Josephine Martin National Policy Fellow o The 2021 Josephine Martin National Policy Fellow selection will be postponed until 2022 resulting in two fellows attending SNA’s Legislative Action Conference.
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