Emergency Food and Shelter Program

 

History:

Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) is a program created by Congress in 1983 to help meet the needs of hungry and homeless people throughout the United States and its territories by allocating federal funds, awarded through the Department of Homeland Security, for the provision of food and shelter.

EFSP National Board:

Chair: Federal Emergency Management Agency – U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Secretariat and Fiscal Agent: United Way Worldwide

Members: National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; Catholic Charities USA; The Jewish Federations of North America; The Salvation Army; American Red Cross

During its 37 years of operation, the program has disbursed over $4.5 billion to over 14,000 local providers in more than 2,500 counties and cities.

EFSP Guiding Principles are:

  • Efficiency—fiscal administration, reporting, and procedural guidance to Local Boards and Local Recipient Organizations (LROs)
  • Accountability—good steward of taxpayers’ dollars through reasonable oversight and transparency
  • Responsiveness—prioritize the allocation of supplemental funds to the neediest areas in the nation
  • Partnership—promote and strengthen collaboration between non-profit organizations and the public sector
  • Facilitating—maximizing appropriate local decision-making through clear guidance and training

EFSP Funding Categories (see pages 63-77 in the manual): 

  • Served Meals
  • Other Food
  • Mass Shelter
  • Other Shelter
  • Supplies/Equipment
  • Rent/Mortgage
  • Utilities

Resources: 

  • For an overview of the EFSP Manual, click here.
  • Addendum to Program Manual, click here.
  • For more information about EFSP,  visit efsp.unitedway.org.

Application for funding (if applying for both phases, the agency must complete both applications):

Phase 39
Phase ARPA-R

For more information regarding applying for EFSP, please email info@uwcv.org