STL2015

START PLANNING YOUR 2015 SUBARU SHARE THE LOVE EVENT TODAY!

The Subaru Annual Share the Love Event gives our Member network a fantastic opportunity for the eighth straight year to propel the Meals on Wheels movement and grow funding that will support Members all year long. Together, we can forge valuable community partnerships with Subaru retailers and their loyal customers to rally support for our seniors through this national fundraising and awareness campaign.

Up to $15 million is up for grabs this year and it’s our job to remind Subaru customers that our seniors should not be forgotten.

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS

1 – Subaru will donate $250 to the customer’s choice of participating charities for every new vehicle sold or leased between November 19, 2015 and January 2, 2016. The four national charities are: Meals on Wheels America, ASPCA, Make-a-Wish and the National Park Foundation. In addition, each local Subaru retailer has the option to add up to two Hometown Charities of their choice to the mix.

2 – Meals on Wheels America Members will reach out to their local Subaru retailers to plan awareness-increasing activities and joint promotions during the Share the Love Event. Even if the retailer in your area is unable to partner with your program, your craftiness in promoting the Event through social media, outreach and other events can make a big difference. See if there’s a local retailer near you!

3 – The more new Subaru owners who select Meals on Wheels America to receive their $250 donation, the more we will be able to reward Member participation in the Share the Love Event and subsequent grant opportunities throughout 2016. Last year’s Event generated nearly $1.3 million in grant funding to Meals on Wheels America Member programs.

4 – To tie it all up, Member programs that actively participate will be rewarded for their contributions to creating a successful Share the Love Event for everyone involved. Your program could be awarded up to $20,000 in unrestricted funds to meet critical needs and feed more seniors. Learn more!

LEARN MORE ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED

Join us for our always-popular Share the Love 101 Webinar on Wednesday, October 28 at 3:30 p.m. EDT. You'll get a crash course on all of the resources and support available to you, hear directly from fellow Members on past successes, and gain insight on getting the most out of your participation.
REGISTER NOW

GET STARTED TODAY – NEW TOOLKIT AVAILABLE

We've created a comprehensive toolkit to help you along every step of the planning, relationship-building and grant application process! Visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/sharethelove to get started today!

As always, we're here to help. Feel free to contact Lauren Fielder, our Member Communications Manager, with any questions or concerns at lauren@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1621.

INTRODUCING THE NEW 2016 MARCH FOR MEALS LOGO

The most common post-March for Meals feedback we get from you is that you’d like all of the logos, templates and toolkit resources sooner. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to launch the Member toolkit and host a March for Meals 101 Webinar earlier than ever before. Last week, we kicked-off the 2016 planning process with the reveal of the all-new March for Meals logo created to align with our new national brand.

If your organization is one of more than 100 Member programs that have already adopted the national brand, either with a customized logo or the Member badge, this new logo will even further enforce the powerful unity of the network at large.

As a standalone image, our goal for the logo was to represent the energy and harmony needed to propel the Meals on Wheels movement. Looking forward, we’re excited to bring it to life through a design overhaul of the March for Meals website and an animated campaign video to help you generate excitement in your own communities.

STYLE GUIDE AND LOGO FILES

This year, we've created a helpful March for Meals Style Guide to assist you in using the logo in various formats. Please note that colors present differently on the web than in print, so be sure to use the web version logo (RGB) for web and the print version logo (CMYK) for print use only. We've separated the logo files below for each use. Before you use the March for Meals logo, please make sure you are aware of our Terms and Conditions.

Web Logos – These logos should be used on your website, in emails, on social media, etc.

Simple Print Logos – These logos should be used for any simple letters and flyers you print in-house.

Design Logos – These vector (EPS) files can be utilized by a graphic designer or someone with design software and knowledge if you're having anything professionally printed or produced. (You won't be able to view the vector files unless you have appropriate design software on your computer.)

For any additional logo files or assistance, please contact Jeff Fritz at jeff@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

CAMPAIGN DESCRIPTION YOU CAN USE FOR PITCHING

The month of March mobilizes hundreds of local Meals on Wheels programs across the country to reach out to their communities and build the support that will enable them to serve America’s seniors all year long. The 14th annual March for Meals campaign is led by Meals on Wheels America and gives the businesses, organizations, governments and volunteers who contribute so generously in their communities an opportunity to support homebound seniors in a variety of ways to make America stronger and healthier.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR

The 2016 campaign will begin on Tuesday, March 1 and end on Thursday, March 31. Community Champions Week – the special week when we invite local officials, celebrities, athletes and other prominent community figures to speak out, deliver meals and raise awareness – is scheduled for Monday, March 21 through Friday, March 25. It’s good to keep these dates in mind as opportunities to recruit Community Champions arise during the upcoming months.

Keep an eye out for more helpful 2016 March for Meals resources before the end of the year!

PREPARING YOUR PROGRAM FOR THE AD COUNCIL CAMPAIGN:
A MUST-ATTEND NEW TOWN HALL SERIES

An important aspect of the Ad Council campaign planning is the research phase that tells us how we can effectively turn individuals who respond to our PSAs into committed, long-term volunteers. This will be the primary topic of the first in a series of Ad Council preparation meetings to be delivered by Meals on Wheels America President and CEO Ellie Hollander over the next few months.

Please tune in on November 5 from 3:30 p.m. until 4:30 pm EST to:

Get briefed on what the research told us about volunteers, volunteer prospects and what they expect from us;
Hear the creative strategy that will dictate the messages and tone of our upcoming PSA campaign; and
Learn how you can begin preparing today to convert volunteer prospects into dedicated volunteers — and what we and the Ad Council Member Advisory Committee are doing to make that easier for you.

This Member-only meeting will be of particular interest to your organization’s leadership, everyone involved in volunteer recruitment and management, and those involved in communications.
REGISTER NOW
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at adcouncil@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

Hope to “see” you there!

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

STUDY SHOWS TRANSPORTATION DIFFICULTIES ARE MORE CRITICAL
THAN LIMITED ACCESS TO A GROCERY STORE FOR SENIORS

In new research covered in the London School of Economics and Political Science’s blog on American Politics and Policy, Katie Fitzpatrick and co-authors have found little evidence that living in a food desert affects food-related distress among the elderly.

Rather, transportation difficulties are more critical than limited access to a grocery store. Elderly individuals residing in a food desert without a vehicle are 12% more likely to report experiencing food insufficiency than food desert residents with a vehicle. Additionally, SNAP recipients living in food deserts are 11% more likely to receive Meals on Wheels.

Read more about this study that can help bolster your efforts to garner support in your own community here.

WHAT ELECTION SEASON MEANS TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE YOURS

Election season and lobbying can be tricky to navigate as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The IRS holds 501(c)(3)s to a set of rules that, if not followed, can put your tax exempt status at risk. With election season coming up, here are some do’s and don’ts for your program to follow:

LOBBYING

A communication from your program is considered lobbying if it refers to or reflects a view on a specific piece of legislation or legislative proposal. As a 501(c)(3), you are allowed to lobby certain political positions. However, you cannot put more than 20% of your budget toward lobbying expenditures. Time and resources spent researching, planning, drafting, editing, and publishing any lobbying communication still count as lobbying activities, so make sure to track them carefully.

Here are some examples of actions that could be considered lobbying:

Sending an email reflecting a certain view on a current ballot initiative;
Urging your supporters to contact their legislators about an upcoming piece of legislation; and
Speaking with a government official to try to influence a vote.

TAKING A STANCE ON CANDIDATES

The IRS strictly forbids 501(c)(3) organizations from endorsing political candidates and any violation of this rule could threaten your tax exempt status. Here are some examples of actions that could be deemed endorsement:

Supporting or opposing candidates on your website or in any other communications;
“Liking” one candidate’s page on Facebook (or similar online forums) and not another’s;
Accepting a friend request from one candidate and not the other;
Linking to a website that supports or opposes a candidate; and
Allowing staff members to use organization property for political activity.

While endorsing a candidate or spending a large portion of your budget on lobbying is not allowed, you and your program can discuss specific policy issues in an “educated, neutral and non-biased” way. In fact, elected officials rely on you as the experts in serving seniors to educate them on how they can best represent the views of their constituents. Doing so is not only permitted under federal law, but is an invaluable opportunity for us to raise awareness on the escalating needs of our senior population.

Read the IRS’s set of complete lobbying rules here.

ASSOCIATION UPDATES

MORE THAN A MEAL PHASE TWO WILL PROVE
MEALS ON WHEELS’ ECONOMIC VALUE

We’re taking a definitive step in proving the economic value of Meals on Wheels by launching Phase Two of the More Than a Meal Pilot Research Study: More Than a Meal 2.0. To do so, we will demonstrate the positive healthcare outcomes clients experience and quantify the associated healthcare cost savings that result from receiving daily home-delivered meals.

This study is an expansion of the research we conducted from the first successful phase of the More Than a Meal Pilot Research Study. You’re probably aware that those findings helped senior nutrition programs like yours prove what we all know anecdotally and through personal experience: Meals on Wheels does, in fact, deliver so much more than just a meal. These results, released in March 2015, also continue to help Members prove to stakeholders what a substantial health difference Meals on Wheels provides to seniors receiving daily-delivered meals.

TAKE PART

The more programs like yours that take part, the more data we have to put into the model and produce powerful conclusions. Take this quick survey to let us know you’re interested and what kind of client data your program has available so we can best assess your participation in the More Than a Meal 2.0 research study.

Questions? Reach out to Director of Project Management and Impact Uche Akobundu, at uche@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

CONGRESS DEBATES BIPARTISAN BUDGET DEAL AND FY16 FUNDING FOR SENIOR NUTRITION PROGRAMS

On the last day of the federal fiscal year (September 30), Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution (H.R. 719) to keep the government open until December 11. H.R. 719 essentially provided flat funding for federal programs, including those supported through the Older Americans Act. While leaders on Capitol Hill debate longer-term budget decisions, such as the Bipartisan Budget Agreement announced last night, we have a limited window of opportunity to make our case for increased federal funding this fiscal year and urge Congress to end sequestration in 2016 and beyond.

REQUESTING MORE FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS

We recently worked with the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP) to send a letter to leadership in Congress and all Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to urge them to support a total of $821 million for OAA Nutrition Programs in any final FY 2016 funding agreement. We also called for an increase of $5 million for Title VI Native American Nutrition Programs.

You can the read the letter here.

HOW YOU CAN STAY INVOLVED

We encourage you to use this time between now and December to invite your program’s Members of Congress on a meal delivery or site visit and/or educate them, as well as their staff, about the escalating need and how the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks you provide enable independence, improve health and save taxpayer dollars. Use our Find Your Elected Officials tool to identify your Members of Congress and take advantage of our advocacy tools and resources found here for ideas on how to engage with them. Also, be on the lookout for more updates and actions you can take coming soon; including a new advocacy and awareness campaign focused on the growing number of seniors on Meals on Wheels waiting lists.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Advocacy team:

Erika Kelly, Chief Advocacy and Government Affairs Officer
erika@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1604

Crystal Espie, Public Policy Manager
crystal@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1613

NEW MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA ADDRESS

You can find us at our new address, below. And, as always, feel free to reach us on our main line at 1-888-998-6325, too!

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VOTE TO END HUNGER: A NATIONWIDE GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN NOW LIVE

We’ve joined forces with national anti-hunger organizations to launch a new, national grassroots campaign called Vote to End Hunger (VTEH).

The campaign launched earlier this month at the Iowa Hunger Summit with one main goal in mind: to leverage the 2016 election process, within the parameters of 501(c)(3) status, to make hunger and poverty higher political priorities so that the next President and Congress will take action.

In order to achieve this goal, VTEH will focus on educating voters and candidates about hunger and poverty by raising awareness and empowering individuals and organizations to take action through local grassroots efforts, such as town halls, social media, candidate forums, etc. To help elevate these important issues on the campaign trail, the campaign is prompting supporters to ask all presidential (and congressional) candidates this important question:

“If elected, what will you do to end hunger, alleviate poverty and create opportunity in the US and worldwide?”

LEARN MORE ABOUT VTEH

Learn more about the goals, vision, principles and the ground rules participating organizations have committed to here and feel free to sign up for the newsletter and learn how you and/or your organization can get involved at votetoendhunger.org. Questions about what VTEH means for Meals on Wheels? Reach out to our Chief Advocacy and Government Affairs Officer Erika Kelly at 571-339-1604 or erika@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES & BENEFITS

LOCK IN CURRENT MEMBERSHIP RATES FOR 2016 NOW

You may already know that we recently announced a new dues structure for the Association that is based on program size, as defined by senior nutrition operating budget. This change will apply to all new Memberships and renewals due on or after January 1, 2016. Lock in the 2015 rate of $150 per Member organization by renewing by December 31, 2015. Simply email membership@mealsonwheelsamerica.org to receive a 2016 dues invoice at the 2015 dues rate.

Questions? Contact our Chief Membership Officer Keith Greene at keith@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1610.

**GRANTS UPDATE: DRIVING THE MOVEMENT AND BANFIELD PET INITIATIVE**

Catch up from where we left off with both the Driving the Movement grant opportunity and Meals on Wheels America Pet Assistance Program.

DRIVING THE MOVEMENT: REVIEW PROCESS UNDERWAY AND WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT

More than 300 Member programs have submitted grant applications for the $500,000+ made available through the 2015 Meals on Wheels Driving the Movement grant program, powered by Subaru. The purpose of this grant program is to increase our Members’ measurable impact and to fill the funding gaps needed to finance some of your most pressing needs. And, many Members didn’t hold back from asking for those needs to be funded!

Grant applicants will be notified by email about their potential grant awards by November 16, 2015. Final reports will then be due by grant recipients no later than December 15, 2015. Recipients will be able to spend their grant funds through the end of the first quarter 2016.

BANFIELD PET INITIATIVE IS NOW MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA PET ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

You may already know that Banfield Charitable Trust's (BCT) incredibly impactful Pet Assistance Grant program has been placed in the trusted hands of Meals on Wheels America. We are excited to be able to continue this legacy of enabling our Members to start and sustain valuable pet assistance programs that keep your seniors and their pets together.

We also want to remind the recipients of the October 2014 BCT Pet Assistance grants to please file your final reports by Saturday, October 31, 2015. If you’re one of these programs, be sure to visit the Meals on Wheels America grants management system. If you haven't yet created an account on this system, simply follow these instructions.

A new Pet Assistance Program Grant cycle will be announced in Spring 2016 – stay tuned!

QUESTIONS ABOUT GRANTS?

Contact our Chief Membership Officer Keith Greene at keith@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1610.

SAVE ON DANNON PRODUCTS WITH OUR GROUP PURCHASING PROGRAM

The Meals on Wheels America Member Discount Program makes it even easier to meet the nutritional needs of your seniors with new discounts available on Dannon Yogurt products through our Group Purchasing Program with Premier. These substantial savings are available exclusively to Premier members through a special agreement with another one of our trusted partners, US Foods. And, you can start taking advantage right now!

All Dannon products are available to Premier members. However, two products in particular are a perfect fit for senior nutrition programs:

Dannon Creamy is pourable, easy to swallow, and can serve as a meat alternative for clients due to its high protein concentration.
Oikos Pro is a Greek yogurt option that packs a lot of protein and has a low cost per serving.

For more details on these and other products, click here or contact Steven Skelton, Business Services Manager at steven@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 706.436.3999. Not a Premier member? Sign up today!

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 hot topics by joining our LinkedIn Discussion Group here. A few of the most recent conversations topics in the group include:

Expanding services to include medications for clients;
How and when to recognize donors; and
Recommendations on emergency preparedness for inclement weather conditions.

REDUCE UNNECESSARY UNEMPLOYMENT COSTS

Every dollar counts when it comes to making ends meet and serving more seniors in your community! The Unemployment Services Trust (UST), a trusted Meals on Wheels America partner, offers protection against unnecessary unemployment costs, and may even provide significant unemployment tax savings for eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. UST has served the nonprofit community since 1983 and offers its members access to one-on-one unemployment claims advice, e-Filing capabilities, audits of state charges for errors and 100% representation at claims hearings.

In 2014, UST identified over $34 million in unemployment claims cost savings for its program participants!

And, if you’re a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with 10+ employees, UST will provide you with a 2-year savings projection, free of charge! Click here to start taking back the dollars for your seniors now.

Questions? Contact Steven Skelton, Business Services Manager, at steven@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 706-436-3999.

WEBINAR: AN INTRODUCTION TO BLOOMERANG

Bloomerang is a leading donor management software solution that specializes in helping nonprofits just like yours increase revenue and overall donor retention. Join Bloomerang Vice President of Sales Wayne Robbins on Wednesday, November 18 to receive an overview of the company’s services and learn how your program can create real results through this tool. Bloomerang is also offering discounts of up to 22% for Meals on Wheels America Member programs. You’ll walk away from this webinar with a better understanding of this special software and how your program can utilize its features to their fullest.

In this webinar you will:

Receive an overview of Bloomerang;
Gain a better understanding of the importance of donor retention; and
Learn how this product can be helpful for your program.

Webinar: An Introduction to Bloomerang
Date: Wednesday, November 18
Time: 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST
Presenter: Bloomerang Vice President of Sales Wayne Robbins
Fee: FREE
REGISTER NOW

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

A.I.M. Council, Inc. dba Meals-on-Wheels, Santa Paula, CA
Bloomington-Eden Prairie Meals on Wheels, Bloomington, MN
Flathead County Agency on Aging, Kalispell, MO
Fresno-Madera Area Agency on Aging, Fresno, CA
Hazelwood-Greenfield Meals on Wheels, Pittsburgh, PA
Idaho Falls Senior Citizens Community Center, Idaho Falls, ID
InterServ, St.Joseph, MI
Mid-East Community Action Agency, Kinston, TN

North Sioux City Senior Service Center, North Sioux City, SD
Parker Community Senior Center, Parker, AZ
Prairie Grove Senior Center, Prairie Grove, AK
San Joaquin County Aging & Community Services, Stockton, CA
Sauk County Aging & Disability Resource Center, Baraboo, WI
Senior Round Table, Walla Walla, WA
Seniors Assistance Center, Norridge, IL
Silver Valley Seniors, Inc., Osburn, ID

Simi Valley Council on Aging, Simi Valley, CA
South Big Horn Senior Center, Inc., Greybull, WY
Southern Area Agency on Aging, Martinsville, VA
Surrey Services for Seniors, Inc., Devon, PA
Uptown Area Senior Adult Ministry, Inc., New Orleans, LO
Vallejo Senior Citizens, Inc., Vallejo, CA
Voluntary Action Center Meals On Wheels, DeKalb, IL
WCI Nutrition Project, Quincy, IL