Attachment E.1 Grantee Introductory Email to SFAs

Attachment E.1: Grantee Introductory Email to SFAs

OMB Control Number: 0584-0524

Expiration Date: 12/31/2022

Dear [SFA Contact Name]:

We are excited to be partnering with you on the implementation of the 2019-2022 Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) Project in [LIST GRANTEE REGION]

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has selected Abt Associates, an independent research company, to conduct an evaluation of the 2019-2022 Summer EBT Project. The 2019-2022 evaluation will help FNS better understand how Summer EBT helps families feed children during the summer months and learn more about the role of SFAs in Summer EBT. As part of this evaluation the study team is conducting short interviews with SFAs and holding focus groups with parents/caregivers of children in school districts that participate in Summer EBT. The study team is conducting the interviews and focus groups to learn more about SFA and family experiences with Summer EBT, successes and challenges of participating, and how benefits are used.

We recommended your SFA, [NAME OF SFA], to participate in the evaluation, since you are a key partner in our work to provide benefits to families in [NAME OF REGION] through the Summer EBT project.

We think your perspective, opinion and experience with Summer EBT implementation will be important to include as part of the SFA information in the evaluation. We hope that you will participate!

A member of the evaluation team from Abt Associates will contact you via email and telephone in the next week to provide more details about the study, answer any questions you might have, and to discuss the interview and focus groups.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me [INSERT GRANTEE NAME] at [INSERT GRANTEE PHONE NUMBER] or e-mail [GRANTEE EMAIL].

We appreciate your participation and assistance.

Sincerely,

[GRANTEE NAME]

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is conducting this study to obtain information about the experiences of the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Project by grantees, retailers, school districts and participants. Participation in this study is voluntary and the information collected will be used to understand how Summer EBT projects are implemented in varying settings. This study does not collect personally identifiable information. Information collected in this study will be kept private to the full extent permitted by law. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0524. The time required to provide this information collection is estimated to average 1 minute per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: USDA/Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 ATTN: PRA (0584-0524) .