9 Ideas to Fund Your Taste Test Box

If you are ready to purchase your Taste Test Box, but you need additional funding, here are 9 ideas. Taste Test Box is a perfect tool to introduce nutrition, hands-on learning, STE(A)M, farm to school, and family engagement.

  1. Grants: Consider including the Taste Test Box into grants that focus on farm to school, high quality early education, STEAM, and nutrition education. Examples of grants that could include Taste Test Box kits: Action for Healthy Kids, USDA Farm to School, Georgia Shape, Whole Kids Garden, Fuel up to Play 60

  2. CACFP. In Georgia, federal CACFP funds can be used to purchase Taste Test Boxes. You must be an early care or afterschool provider to receive CACFP funds.

  3. Snap Ed. In Georgia, SnapEd funds can be used to purchase Taste Test Box kits. If you currently receive SnapEd funding, this may be a great fit.

  4. Special Program Funds. Taste Test Box kits meet criteria and standards for early care, Head Start, STE(A)M, and other programs. Head Start, Title 1, 5 and 21st century funds might also be good fits. Check with your school administrator to review your local plan for including healthy, safety and STE(A)M activities.

  5. Professional Development Funds. Taste Test Box is not just for kids-- it’s also a great turn-key tool for professional development. Ask your school director if there are funds for professional development that would be appropriate for this use.

  6. FACS Teachers: If your school participates in Family and Consumer Science (FACS), teachers can use local, state, and/or federal funds at each school’s discretion.

  7. Parents: If you have an active parent group, Taste Test Box kits are a great way to support hands-on nutrition education.

  8. Sponsor: Local businesses love supporting great classroom activity with impact. If your program is seeking a sponsorship for over 500 students, please let us know and we can help identify a sponsor.

  9. Post on DonorsChoose! If you are an early care provider, post a project on Donors choose. The PNC Foundation and DonorsChoose.org have joined together to help preschool teachers obtain more classroom resources through DonorsChoose.org's education funding platform. Go here to learn more.

Erin Croom