About CSNS

Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports (CSNS) is a cohort program developed by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) and No Kid Hungry, a national campaign run by Share Our Strength. Its goal is to align the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with other federal, state, and local nutrition supports to combat hunger for children and families.

Cohort 2

CSNS 2.0 sites drew on lessons learned in the first cohort to leverage real-time data, couple language justice with cultural humility, and innovate the delivery of services to meet participants where they are, with the goal of increasing access to SNAP and connected nutrition supports. 

The selected sites also participated in cohort learning, sharing best practices and opportunities for policy and practice changes that help reduce hunger. The selection process and grant administration for cohort 2 were guided by APHSA’s Community Impact Council, a group of six individuals with lived expertise navigating the human services benefit system. 

Get a high-level overview of CSNS 2.0—the project’s goals and outcomes—by reading our blog, SNAP and Nutrition Supports Alignment: CSNS Case Study Highlights.

Case Studies

Reports & Resources

CSNS Cohort 2 Blog Series:

The CSNS blog series shares insights and stories from each team involved, highlighting the program’s impact on service delivery and community engagement.

1. The Power of Partnership: When Community Guides the Way
2. Applying Lived Experience to Public Service: Reflections on My Journey Working Within CSNS
3. Human-Centered Service: How Coordinating SNAP and Nutrition Supports is Transforming Caroline County
4. Building Chairs and Bigger Tables: Including the Voices of Lived Experts in Government Innovation
5. Breaking Barriers to Food Access: North Carolina’s SNAP Coordination Story
6. Empowering Change: My Journey as a Community Impact Council Member
7. Designing with Community in Mind: Shaping San Francisco’s Mobile Benefits Center

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Cohort 1

CSNS 1.0 sites worked to reduce cross-departmental silos, facilitate partnerships with community organizations, improve the experience of families accessing nutrition supports, and leverage data and technology to address systemic barriers and promote equitable access to nutrition benefits. The projects varied in approach and were customized to the vision and challenges of each agency. Project activities ranged from designing automated data exchanges between SNAP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to enable targeted outreach to eligible families, using data analytics to understand gaps in food access better, and engaging people with lived expertise to inform the human-centered design of food security programs.

Case Studies

Impact Reports

Reports & Resources

Cohort 1 of the CSNS project was supported by an Advisory Council with diverse expertise in strengthening access to nutrition support through the redesign of public programs. The members include:

• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Center for Law and Social Policy
• Code for America
• Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

Learn More

Find out how the CSNS project has influenced policy.

• APHSA and Share Our Strength Joint Letter to FNS on WIC Modernization
• APHSA Comment Letter on Engagement and Accountability RFI 10/03/22

CSNS Project Staff

The CSNS project is led by a strategic partnership between No Kid Hungry as the funder and APHSA as the grant administrator. To center community voice, this project is guided by APHSA’s Community Impact Council–a group of five individuals with lived expertise navigating the benefits system. The Community Impact Council will evaluate proposals for cohort 3 through a customer-centered lens, complementing APHSA and No Kid Hungry’s proposal reviews and continue to guide APHSA’s administration of the grant. 

Community Impact Council Team

APHSA Team

Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Team