OUR CAMPAIGNS & THEIR IMPACT
Kids and other vulnerable groups don’t have lobbyists.
To change the policy, hunger groups need the right tools.
Solving Hunger gives them the tools.
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In South Carolina, it’s getting 10,000 more children fed by eliminating the reduced-price meal category.
In Vermont, it’s feeding all kids in school, no matter their parent’s income. Hungry kids can’t learn.
In Connecticut, it’s feeding all kids breakfast in school, minimizing the growth in school meal debt.
In New Jersey, it’s getting more kids eligible for school breakfast and lunch, a precursor to universal meals.
In Kentucky, it’s allowing kids to eat their breakfast in their classrooms, so they don’t have to choose between getting to class and getting the nourishment that they need.
In North Carolina, it’s helping schools and school districts to onboard onto school meals, allowing more federal funds – and fewer state funds – to be used to feed eligible children.
In New York, it’s getting 80% of children in the state fed in school, relieving stress on families in a high-cost state.
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Solving Hunger is different.
In traditional philanthropy models, hunger organizations receive the funds and spend them how they best see fit to accomplish the mission.
In a different approach Solving Hunger partners with those organizations and provides additional firepower:
Hires the professionals to develop the strategy
Funds the media campaign to push the message
Conducts public opinion polls to educate legislators and governors
Leverages its relationships in state houses and in Washington, DC
Helps guide the campaign from start to finish
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We have won 25 campaigns across 20 states.
We have a 76% success rate.
We fund hunger groups with an advocacy component.
We fund hunger groups with statewide reach.
We fund hunger groups with strong leaders, who are willing to try new approaches to solving urgent problems.
We fund hunger groups who want to work collaboratively, as a team, recognizing that solving this problem requires more than a nonprofit can provide on its own.
Scroll down to see the states where we’ve already been successful.
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Our founder, Bradley Tusk, believes that food is a right.
He has volunteered at food kitchens, weekly, for the last thirty years.
He realized that foodbanks wouldn’t be as necessary if we just solved the problem of hunger in America.
He sees a nation with 40 million hungry people — and over 34,000 of its citizens who are worth over $100 million.
He knows that with $6 million, we have fed almost 13 million people.
This is a solvable problem.
No one should be hungry in America.
Click to read Bradley Tusk’s OpEd on his vision to end hunger.
Solving Hunger spent
$6 Million to help feed
13 Million Americans and unlocked
Nearly 2 Billion for Hunger programs
That is how you solve hunger in America.
We’ve won 25 campaigns in 20 states with a 76% success rate to feed those who are going hungry.
We have helped pass breakfast after the bell legislation, expanded access to SNAP for college students and senior citizens, and universal school meals bills.
No Kid Hungry Kentucky + Tusk Philanthropies
Campaign Results
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South Carolina
Working with Wholespire of South Carolina, legislators eliminated the “reduced-price” meal category for 10,000 children in the state. Now, for just $1.5 million/year, those 10,000 children eat for free.
Related News:
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Kentucky
Working with Feeding Kentucky, we passed a law to end Barriers to Breakfast, which allows schools to let public school children to eat breakfast in their first 15 minutes of their first period class, without losing valuable instructional time. The law has no fiscal impact on the state, and will allow nearly 273,000 children to get the nutrition that they need.
Related News:
Kentucky Students Get Breakfast
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Arizona
In 2021 we worked with the Arizona Food Bank Network to expand access to SNAP for more than 160,000 seniors. By reducing the paperwork required of low-income seniors, this five-year pilot program will allow greater access to nutrition to some of Arizona's most vulnerable people.
Related News:
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California
In 2021 we worked with other organizations to help Nourish California pass permanent universal school meals legislation, becoming one of two states in the country to do so, impacting more than 6.1 million K-12 students, and leveraging over $1 billion in its first year of operation.
Related News:
All CA Public School Students Now Have Access to Free Breakfast & Lunch
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Illinois
In 2016 we helped Share Our Strength pass breakfast after the bell legislation, leveraging more than $53 million in federal funding for 175,000 public school children.
The state went on to pass universal school meals legislation, but despite our best efforts in 2024 with Illinois Public Health Institute to get them to fund the program, universal school meals is not yet a reality in Illinois.
Related News:
IL Senate Unanimously Passes Bill to Expand School Breakfast
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Maine
We worked with Preble Street to pass Breakfast after the Bell legislation in 2019, which expands food access for more than 45,000 K-12 students, by leveraging an additional $13 million federal dollars into the state.
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Maryland
Working with Maryland Hunger Solutions, we passed Hunger Free Campus legislation in 2021, which expands food access for nearly 100,000 food insecure students across the state. The bill secured $150,000 in annual funding from the state.
Related News:
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Massachusetts
Alongside Project Bread, we passed breakfast after the bell legislation in 2020. The bill leveraged more than $25 million in federal funding for 150,000 public school students.
Related News:
New Bill Requires Breakfast to be Served During School Hours
“Breakfast After the Bell” Signed into Law
Massachusetts Legislature Passes Breakfast After the Bell Legislation
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Nevada
We worked with the Food Bank of Northern Nevada to urge state officials to extend universal school meals for Nevada children for the 2022-23 school year. As a result $76 million will be spent to feed 493,000 K-12 public school children in Nevada.Description goes here
Related News:
Legislators green-light millions in federal funding for free school lunches, mental health services
Nevada committee approves $75.9M for free public school lunches
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New Jersey
In 2022, we helped Hunger Free New Jersey raise its federal poverty level from 185% to 200%, ensuring that 25,000 more students would be eligible for free school meals at a cost of $19.4 million annually. This followed work with the organization in 2018 to pass Breakfast After the Bell legislation, which increased food access for more than 300,000 K-12 students, leveraging an additional $43 million of federal funding.
Related News:
Universal free lunch is ending in schools. This plan could bring it back for some N.J. kids.
Bills to Enhance Food Security Pass Senate
NJ school lunch bills that expand free meals for K-12 kids signed into law
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New York
We worked with Hunger Solutions New York in 2018 to pass breakfast after the bell legislation, leveraging more than $5 million for childhood hunger.
Related News:
Feed Breakfast to All – After the Bell
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North Carolina
In 2016 we worked with Benefits Data Trust to expand access to SNAP for more than 115,000 eligible seniors.
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Oregon
Working with Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, we helped pass the Student Success Act in 2019, which taxes businesses and uses the revenues for K-12 education funding. The law helped leverage more than $1 billion in funding annually for public schools and students, and up to 30% of the funds can be used for child nutrition programs and other student support services.
Related News:
What Policymakers Got Right with Student Success Act
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Pennsylvania
In 2017 and 2018 we worked with Share Our Strength to pass breakfast after the bell legislation, increasing food access for more than 1.7 million K-12 students.
Despite our campaign in 2024 with the School Nutrition Association of Pennsylvania to get Pennsylvania to expand their meal program to include lunch, they have yet to do so.
Related News:
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Tennessee
In 2018 we developed a coalition of partners, including No Kid Hungry and the Tennessee Justice Center, to pass Breakfast after the Bell legislation. The bill increased food access for more than 935,000 K-12 students with a commitment of $500,000 to help establish the program.
Related News:
Governor & State Leaders Commended on Breakfast After the Bell Legislation
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Texas
We worked with Feeding Texas in 2021 to expand SNAP access for more than 250,000 seniors in the state by simplifying the certification and recertification process for those living on fixed incomes and those with disabilities. This change leveraged $363 million in federal dollars.
Related News:
SNAP Benefits Now More Accessible for Elderly, Disabled
Feeding Texas, Food Banks Work to End Senior Citizen Hunger
Food Banks Join Together for Passage of Helping Hungry Seniors Bill
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Utah
In 2020 we worked with Utahns Against Hunger to pass Start Smart Utah, a breakfast after the bell initiative, which leveraged more than $1 million in federal funds for food access at public schools.
Related News:
School Breakfast Bill Signed by Governor
Students Could Eat Breakfast in Class Under New Bill
New Report Underscores Importance of School Breakfast Participation
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Vermont
After a two-year effort, Vermont became the first state to continue to fund what was previously a covid-related federal program to feed breakfast and lunch to all K-12 public school children, regardless of their ability to pay. Vermont became the third state to pass Universal School Meals, behind California and Maine, although Vermont’s plan will require renewal in 2023.
Related News:
Legislature Passes Universal School Meals Bill
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Washington
We worked with Share Our Strength in 2016 to pass Breakfast after the Bell legislation, increasing food access for more than 1.1 million K-12 students.
Related News:
New Law Offers Breakfast After the Bell Program
Lawmakers Back "Breakfast After the Bell" to Feed Hungry Students