Who We Are

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Who We Are & What We Do

The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) is the charitable arm of the School Nutrition Association, with an independent board of directors made up of school nutrition directors and industry partners.

OUR MISSION: Advancing school nutrition programs by providing resources to school nutrition professionals.

OUR VISION: Well-nourished students prepared for success.

Supporting School Nutrition Program Sustainability

Through collaboration with the School Nutrition Association, allied partners and donors, the School Nutrition Foundation is committed to:

  • Identifying and supporting school nutrition research, trends and innovations
  • Sharing best practices with the school nutrition community
  • Providing scholarships to SNA members for professional development and continuing education


“THE KEY INGREDIENT TO OUR SUCCESS AND FUTURE GROWTH RELIES ON THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR SPONSORS.

Take a look at our financials and donors and get an overview of accomplishments, programs and services in our annual report.”

OUR STRATEGIC FOCUS

Since its inception in 1946, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) has met the needs of students' health and well-being by providing nutritionally balanced, low-cost and free lunches every school day. For too many students, school lunch is their only hot meal of the day. Despite extensive efforts to boost consumption of healthy school meals, lunch participation continues to decline.  According to USDA's school lunch participation statistics, as many as 2 million fewer students have chosen lunch each day since 2012. This is a notable and unfortunate loss, resulting in fewer students eating lunch and getting the nutrition they need to support obesity prevention and their physical, intellectual and emotional health.

 

While breakfast participation continues to increase, recent data reveal a slowing of participation in school breakfast. School meals are a key factor in student attendance and success at school. The Foundation seeks to accomplish the goal through four areas of emphasis:

Supporting School Nutrition Program Sustainability

We want help grow and strengthen school nutrition programs by developing planning tools (to expand program offerings), providing leadership development (to help operators develop skills to be leaders among community stakeholders), and expanding scholarship programs.

Conducting and Disseminating Relevant Research

In order to increase participation, we need to understand the barriers related to participation. Despite significant efforts among the school nutrition professionals and industry partners to improve the quality of school meals, negative perceptions remain. We want to understand the objections of parents and other community stakeholders and use this awareness to create solutions for school nutrition professionals.

Inspiring Innovation

School nutrition professionals are employing amazing, innovative tactics that are designed to encourage more students to eat healthy meals – not just at school, but to embrace new foods and flavors in their everyday lives! SNF seeks to foster innovation by identifying and sharing these initiatives with the school nutrition community and with the general public.

Improving Nutrition Literacy

Students, parents, and consumers are bombarded with information on what constitutes healthy eating and nutrition. School meal operations and school nutrition professionals have a significant role to play in conveying information about healthful, nutritious meals and general wellness. SNF seeks to create a connection between school, home, and community through innovative programs that introduce school cuisine to new audiences.

Contact the Foundation:

To learn more about the School Nutrition Foundation and our efforts to advance school nutrition programs and empower school nutrition professionals, we encourage you to contact our team today.

SNF Staff
General Information

2900 S. Quincy Street, Suite 700
Arlington, VA 22206

Main Phone: (703) 824-3000
Main Fax: (703) 824-3015

Email: snf@schoolnutrition.org

Patricia Montague, CAE, Chief Executive Officer
pmontague@schoolnutrition.org

Sherry Carrigan, Staff Vice President of Business Development & Meetings
scarrigan@schoolnutrition.org

Sarah Murphy Youssef, Program Manager
smurphy@schoolnutrition.org

Dana Clerkin, Fund Development Consultant
dclerkin@schoolnutrition.org

More

Board of Directors

Meet the SNF Board, working for you and the school nutrition community.

Financial Information

Take a look at our annual report and other financials to learn more about SNF.

Partners

The key ingredient to our success relies on the continued support of our sponsors.

DONATE WHAT YOU CAN TO HELP

Your tax free donations helps SNF support scholarships, research, and professional development programs for the men and women who work in school nutrition.

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