APPLICATION PERIOD FOR ANNUAL CONFERENCE NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS TO OPEN APRIL 15
To assist Member programs unable to attend the 2016 Meals on Wheels Annual Conference and Expo without outside financial support, we are pleased to offer up to 100 scholarships of $750 each to be applied toward registration and/or travel.
Any Meals on Wheels America Member program can apply for the scholarships beginning Friday, April 15, and we especially encourage programs with a small staff to use this opportunity to submit an application through the Online Grants Management System. We are fortunate to be able to offer so many scholarships this year thanks to our ongoing relationship with Subaru.
To be eligible to apply for a scholarship, a Member program must be in good standing at the time of application submission and remain in good standing until the scholarship payments are distributed and all subsequent reports have been submitted. Scholarship award recipients will be required to register and pay full Conference Registration fees in advance of July 1. Reimbursement checks for the full amount of the scholarship award will be provided onsite at the Conference.
NEED-BASED CRITERIA
To qualify for a scholarship, Member programs must demonstrate that one or more of the following hardships has adversely impacted available funding for continuing education or for attending conferences:
- A decrease in their overall 2016 senior nutrition revenue/funding budget (in comparison to 2015):
- Initiation of a waitlist
- A growing waitlist
- A notable change in the demographic composition of the program’s service area or the need for services:
- A high percentage of the client population served near or below the poverty line
- A high percentage of rural clients
- An ethnically diverse population
- An increase in demand for services in the 60+ population
- An increase in demand for services from Veterans and former service members
- An increase in demand for services from multi-generational households
- Some other demographic or geographic challenge not mentioned above
- A weather-related emergency or natural disaster this past year that affected your facilities, operations and/or service delivery (i.e., extreme snowfall, extreme cold/heat, fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, etc.)
- Some other extraordinary hardship, not otherwise described by the categories above.
Members will be asked to complete a simple online application form with related questions. Applicants will be evaluated based on how the demonstrated hardship impacts their ability to otherwise attend the Annual Conference, and how their program and clients will benefit from attendance. Please note that, if qualified, only one scholarship will be awarded per Member program.
The application will be posted in the Online Grants Management System between April 15 - 29, 2016. Scholarship recipients will be notified by May 26, 2016.
MAKE YOUR PLANS TO ATTEND TODAY!
Early-bird Registration rates are available through July 1, 2016 and additional discounts are applied for Meals on Wheels America Members and when you attend with one or more of your colleagues. Our discounted Conference room block is limited and rates will expire on August 1 or sooner if the block has filled. You can book your stay online or by calling 1-888-777-6779. Be sure to mention the group discount code "Meals on Wheels America."
Visit
www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/conference for more information about registration, agenda and accommodations.
POTENTIAL SAVINGS ALERT
Unemployment Services Trust (UST), a trusted Meals on Wheels America Member Discount Program partner, recently published a blog on a potential savings opportunity that could benefit your program. According to Section 3303(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, nonprofits have the opportunity to opt out of the state unemployment insurance tax system and instead reimburse the state only for the unemployment benefits paid to their former employees. Learn more about if this opportunity is right for your program here.
INTRODUCING MEMBER-ONLY DISCOUNTED WHOLESALE MEALS THROUGH VALLEY
The latest addition to the Meals on Wheels America Member Discount Program allows Meals on Wheels America Members to expand meal capacity, choice offering and geographic reach. Our new partnership with Valley Services, Inc. offers cost-effective meal purchasing and direct drop shipments to meet your clients' needs.
Every frozen meal provided through Valley's well-established Traditions Meals Solutions brand meets the 1/3 dietary reference intakes (DRI) requirement of Older Americans Act nutrition programs and can enable you to support more seniors in your area. It's also the perfect solution for senior congregate dining centers, care transitions and any scenario requiring quality, ready-to-heat meals.
In addition, meal offerings meet the demands of almost any special dietary requirement:
- Regular
- Diabetic
- Gluten Free
- Renal
- Vegetarian
- Puree
Once you set up a Meals on Wheels America Member account with Valley, you'll place your discounted meal orders through them directly. The menus change every six months.
OPTIONS FOR ANY PROGRAM
Whether your kitchen is already operating at capacity, you're looking to meet the medical and dietary requirements of your clients, or you want to serve clients who are outside of your routine coverage area, purchasing discounted wholesale meals though Valley can meet your unique needs.
DIRECT TO FACILITY PURCHASES
- Allow your program to receive packed meals, palletized and shipped directly to your facility or distribution center. These flash-frozen meals can be re-packaged with your additional meal components so that your specific nutrition goals are met.
- Perfect for medium to large programs with freezer capacity to store 30+ cases of meals. (Each case contains 10 meals.)
DIRECT TO CLIENT PURCHASES
- Allow your program to send a small quantity of meals directly to a client's door when you are unable to deliver them in person.
- Perfect for any size program with clients in a limited-delivery area or with specific dietary needs.
PRICING, MENUS & MORE
Log on to www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/wholesalemeals for Member-only pricing, sample menus and to learn more about using Valley's discounted frozen meals to expand capacity, choice offering and geographic reach. Feel free to contact Steven Skelton at steven@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 706-436-3999 to discuss purchasing options or to get started by setting up a Meals on Wheels America Member account with Valley.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
Did you know that we have an online discussion group where Members just like you are actively collaborating with their peers on crucial topics? Contribute and learn about these topics by joining our LinkedIn Discussion Group here. A few of the most recent conversations in the group include:
- Best practices and products for transporting various meals;
- How and when to recognize donors; and
- Recommendations on emergency preparedness for inclement weather conditions.
UNDERSTANDING THE VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES AMONG HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATION DECISION MAKERS – HOW YOU CAN EFFECTIVELY PITCH TO THEM – WEBINAR, APRIL 5
Understanding the role and needs of various decision makers within specific health care organizations is a critical factor in the development and design of your value proposition proposals to these potential customers. This free webinar on Tuesday, April 5 will identify some of the key decision makers within health care organizations and the important issues that will resonate with them and maximize the development of your uniquely designed value propositions.
IN THIS WEBINAR YOU WILL:
- Identify strategic personnel within health care organizations to who you can target your nutrition services value proposition;
- Align previously discussed key reference points with the identified health care personnel; and
- Review primary objections and responses.
WEBINAR: Understanding the Variety of Perspectives Among Health Care Organization Decision Makers – How You Can Effectively Pitch to Them PRESENTER: Sharon R. Williams, Founder and CEO of Williams Jaxon Consulting, LLC
WHEN: Tuesday, April 5, 2016
TIME: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT
FEE: FREE
REGISTER NOW
THE 6 C’S OF BOARD DEVELOPMENT: CASH, CLOUT, CONTACTS, CREDENTIALS, COMMUNITY & COMMITMENT – WEBINAR, APRIL 7
Join us on Thursday, April 7 at 3:30 p.m. EDT for a Meals on Wheels Leadership Academy webinar designed to teach both you and Board of Directors the foundational policies and procedures needed to run an effective and efficient organization. Presenter Pat Bohse, an accomplished nonprofit management and training consultant, will guide you through an in-depth discussion and provide examples on the key elements that are needed to sustain and grow an organization.
IN THIS WEBINAR YOU WILL:
-
Learn existing policies and procedures created to aid in organizational and Board development;
- Hear helpful examples of organizational growth; and
- Hear from an experienced management and training consultant dedicated to “Helping Organizations Change Their Worlds.”
WEBINAR: The 6 C's of Board Development: Cash, Clout, Contacts, Credentials, Community & Commitment PRESENTER: Pat Bohse, President of Bohse & Associates, Inc.
WHEN: Thursday, April 7, 2016
TIME: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT
COMPETENCY: Organizational Planning
CREDIT(S): 1
FEE: $25
REGISTER NOW
LEVERAGING GOODWILL: INSPIRING DEEPER VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT THROUGH BETTER ONBOARDING – WEBINAR, APRIL 14
This year, Meals on Wheels programs have a unique opportunity to expand their volunteer teams through the Ad Council volunteer recruitment campaign. A solid onboarding and human resources strategy will help you make the most of this investment in your program’s success. In this webinar, presenter Tobi Johnson, president and founder of VolunteerPro, will help you develop a solid game plan for welcoming, screening, and deploying large numbers of volunteer prospects quickly, efficiently, and without a lot of extra stress. She’ll also share how to offer and match volunteers with the right opportunities that will inspire and grow the sustained commitments you need for long-term success.
IN THIS WEBINAR YOU WILL:
- Learn how to design high-impact, high-satisfaction volunteer roles;
- Explore how to support the needs of volunteers at different levels of engagement;
- Discuss how to manage a volunteer onboarding process to scale and still maintain personalized connections without extra effort; and
- Learn how to tap the skills of volunteers and co-workers to help, so you aren’t left “doing it all.”
WEBINAR: Leveraging Goodwill: Inspiring Deeper Volunteer Engagement Through Better Onboarding PRESENTER: Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA
WHEN: Thursday, April 14, 2016
TIME: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT
COMPETENCY: Planning for the Future
CREDIT(S): 1
FEE: FREE
REGISTER NOW