here - Healthy Cities Illawarra

Chapter
9
Funding - How Much do you Need?
Securing funding is, for most breakfast programs
in this region, an ongoing issue. Many breakfast
programs in other countries actually implement a
nominal charge for each child, greatly assisting
the program to be sustainable. Illawarra breakfast
programs however, when surveyed, reported
that such a ‘user pays’ model would not work
here – they felt that charging would discourage
children, particularly the most disadvantaged,
from attending. Nevertheless, charging at
a subsidised rate could be a consideration
depending on local circumstances and the
nature of the breakfast program, for example
early opening of the school canteen.
In all likelihood however, you will need to seek
financial support from outside the school for the
breakfast program. There is fierce competition
for the community charity dollar from other
worthwhile causes, whilst business, government
and other community organisations tighten their
purse strings in an increasingly unpredictable
economic climate. To increase your chances
of funding success for your breakfast program
it is wise to do your homework. Firstly, how
much money do you need? Potential sponsors
or donors will be more likely to consider your
proposal if they know from the beginning what
they will be ‘up for’. An estimate of how many
children, how much per head, and how often the
program will run, is a start. For new programs
this could be a bit tricky but if you’ve conducted a
needs assessment as previously recommended
in Chapter 3, Before You Start, you should be
able to provide a sound estimate of the number
of children you expect to attend.
The cost of providing breakfast per child can be
itemised, for example 2 pieces of bread, 250ml
20
of milk, 1 piece of fruit, 1 serving of baked beans,
based on proportional cost of the goods at current
retail prices. Many potential sponsors appreciate
this level of calculation. Alternatively, it may be
simpler to use an estimate of, for example, $1
- $2 per child depending on any other sources
of support available to the program, and the
‘complexity’ of the menu to be offered.
Other operational costs to consider are one-off,
start up expenses such as the cost of a fridge,
toaster, cutlery and crockery, storage facilities
such as free standing cupboards or large plastic
containers, even games and books/magazines if
they are to be a part of your breakfast program.
You may wish to include a small wage for a
breakfast program coordinator, a volunteer
training allowance, promotional costs such as
paper, and funds for special occasion breakfast
days. Remember to resist the urge to inflate the
budget if there is a large funding pool, and only
include costs you can justify.
Tallied up, the amount needed may appear rather
intimidating for smaller business/community
organisations to consider within their means.
Don’t rely on them assuming you will take less,
they may automatically discount your proposal.
Once the amount of funding required to operate
the breakfast program is established, calculate
how much is required to run the program on a
weekly/monthly/term/annual basis, and itemise
other large capital costs such as a fridge. Then
provide these individual estimates to potential
funding organisations enabling them to donate/
sponsor within their means. Put the effort in to
presenting a justifiable, clear and concise budget
- professionalism will beat ‘guestimate’ every
time when it comes to the investment of money.