National CACFP Sponsors Association

What National CACFP Sponsors Association does

The National CACFP Sponsors Association (NCA) is a nonprofit membership association founded in 1986 and headquartered in Round Rock, Texas, that supports administrators and operators of the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). NCA serves child nutrition professionals across family home child care, child care centers, Head Start programs, at-risk afterschool programs, emergency shelters, adult day care facilities, and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors, with the broader network reaching over 4.5 million children and adults who receive meals daily through CACFP participation. The association operates as an advocacy, education, and resource body rather than a technology company, providing Washington DC representation on Child Nutrition Reauthorization and other federal policy matters.

NCA delivers value through a tiered membership structure — Individual NCA Membership at $75/year, CACFP Sponsor Membership at $150/year, SFSP Sponsor Membership at $150/year, and Organization Membership at $375/year covering up to five staff — plus paid training events such as the Special Diets Boot Camp ($149-$249) and the annual National Child Nutrition Conference. Core product surfaces include the CACFP Professional Certification Program offering CACFP Management Professional (CMP) and CACFP Child Nutrition Professional (CNNP) credentials, the Find a Food Program Sponsor directory, a Resource Directory, the Crediting Handbook, the CACFP Nutrition Calendar and training program, and an online Learning Center. The technology stack is composed of third-party SaaS rather than proprietary systems: GrowthZone powers the member portal and billing, PathLMS underpins the Learning Center, and Zoom delivers virtual events with real-time captions in Spanish and 34+ languages.

The revenue model is predominantly recurring subscription membership (annual cycles from October 1 through September 30) supplemented by transactional event registration and bulk printed material sales. Distribution is executed through self-serve online channels, with primary go-to-market delivered via content marketing on cacfp.org, a weekly eNews, social media, virtual events and webinars, the annual conference, and an ecosystem of 41 national allies and 39 industry partners spanning USDA, Sesame Street in Communities, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association, the YMCA, FRAC, General Mills, Sysco, Dole, Gerber, WK Kellogg, and Dairy MAX.

Name

National CACFP Sponsors Association

Legal name

National CACFP Association

Website

https://cacfp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

National CACFP Sponsors Association is a 40-year-old nonprofit trade association supporting administrators of the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program, providing tiered memberships, professional certifications, and training to child nutrition providers serving over 4.5 million children and adults daily.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Nutrition Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Nutrition & Meal Programs (CACFP/Snack Programs) (EDACAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA), Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Child nutrition programs
• Food program administration
• Nonprofit association services
• Professional certification training
• Nutrition education resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Round Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Primary revenue stream from tiered annual memberships including NCA Membership ($75/year), CACFP Sponsor Membership ($150/year), Organization Membership ($375/year for up to 5 employees), and SFSP Sponsor Membership ($150/year). Membership year runs October 1 - September 30.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from paid events including Special Diets Boot Camp ($149-$249 depending on membership status and timing), virtual summits, and conference registrations.
3. Bulk Materials Sales: Discounts on bulk printed materials for sponsoring organizations including Child Nutrition Today Magazine, Meal Pattern Reference Cards, and CACFP Nutrition Calendar & Training Program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

National CACFP Sponsors Association is a nonprofit membership association that supports administrators of the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program through tiered annual memberships ($75-$375), a national professional certification program (CMP and CCNP credentials), annual conferences, virtual training boot camps, a Learning Center, sponsor and resource directories, and printed materials marketplace. Its members include sponsoring organizations, child care centers, family child care providers, afterschool programs, adult day care facilities, emergency shelters, state agencies, food banks, and universities across the United States.

Product overview

The National CACFP Sponsors Association offers a membership-based platform providing education, information, and resources for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) community. The organization operates a tiered membership structure with Individual NCA Membership ($75), CACFP Sponsor Membership ($150), SFSP Sponsor Membership ($150), and Organization Membership ($375) for up to five staff members. Core offerings include professional certification programs (CMP/CNNP designations), annual conferences (National Child Nutrition Conference), virtual training events (CACFP Virtual Summit, Special Diets Boot Camp), online learning center, and resource directories including the Find a Food Program Sponsor directory and Resource Directory. Additional services include the CACFP Nutrition Calendar with training modules, Crediting Handbook, State Agency Directory, and Marketplace for printed materials. The association serves over 4.5 million children and adults who receive meals and snacks through CACFP participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NCA Membership (Individual) Individual professional membership at $75 per year providing access to the Member Info Hub, member-only resources, training materials, nutrition calendars, conference discounts, virtual event access, job posting abilities, policy updates, and advocacy representation in Washington DC.
• CACFP Sponsor Membership Organization membership at $150 annually for CACFP Sponsoring Organizations, including one NCA membership plus discounts on bulk printed materials, a Find a Food Program Sponsor directory listing, program referrals, Board of Directors leadership opportunities, and voting rights.
• SFSP Sponsor Membership Organization membership at $150 annually for Summer Food Service Program Sponsoring Organizations, including one NCA membership and a listing in the Find a Food Program Sponsor directory.
• Organization Membership (Multi-Staff) Organization membership at $375 annually providing up to five (5) NCA Memberships for staff members of a single organization.
• CACFP Professional Certification Program National certification program offering CACFP Management Professional (CMP) and CACFP Child Nutrition Professional (CNNP) credentials to child nutrition professionals seeking recognized career qualifications through continuing education and assessment.
• National Child Nutrition Conference Annual in-person conference providing training, networking opportunities, and education for the CACFP community, hosted in Chicago with multi-day programming across the child nutrition profession.
• CACFP Virtual Summit Annual online training event featuring multiple sessions and CEU opportunities for CACFP professionals delivered virtually.
• Special Diets Boot Camp Full-day virtual training event covering disability inclusion, religious food practices, gluten cross-contact, and menu modifications for CACFP operators, offering up to 8.0 CEUs.
• CACFP Nutrition Calendar and Training Program Annual printed and digital calendar product combining a five-hour training module, parent provider monthly newsletter templates, motivation moment poster series, and monthly activity pages for nutrition education in CACFP programs.
• Learning Center Online platform delivered via PathLMS providing webinars, training plans, and continuing education courses including the CACFP Leadership Institute for professional development of CACFP professionals.
• Find a Food Program Sponsor Directory Online directory enabling families and providers to locate CACFP Sponsoring Organizations by category including Adult Care, Affiliated Centers, At-Risk Afterschool, Emergency Shelters, Family Child Care, Head Start, Unaffiliated Centers, and Summer Food Program sponsors.
• Resource Directory Comprehensive online directory of CACFP resources including meal patterns, crediting handbook, templates, toolkits, activity pages, and USDA resources organized by category for child nutrition professionals.
• Crediting Handbook Reference handbook for CACFP crediting decisions providing quick and reliable information for everyday crediting decisions including identification of creditable foods in CACFP meal programs.
• State Agency Directory Online directory linking users to state government agencies that administer the CACFP program across different U.S. states.
• CACFP Marketplace Online e-commerce storefront operated by NCA offering printed materials, Child Nutrition Today Magazine, Meal Pattern Reference Cards, resources, and CACFP merchandise, with discounts on bulk orders for sponsoring organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4.5 million children and adults served meals and snacks daily through CACFP participation

Named customers6 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered key partner, core partner and partner.

• Sesame Street in Communitieskey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigh-profile collaboration providing child nutrition resources and educational content through the Sesame Street in Communities platform, supporting healthy eating habits for young children.
• Team Nutritionkey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDA Team Nutrition partnership providing evidence-based nutrition education resources and training materials to child nutrition professionals.
• USDAcore partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partnership with USDA Food and Nutrition Service supporting the Child and Adult Care Food Program through resources, guidance, and program administration.
• National Child Nutrition Foundationkey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partnership supporting child nutrition initiatives and programs to improve food access and nutrition education for children.
• Afterschool AlliancepartnerOthersNational ally working to ensure children have access to safe, enriching afterschool programs and meals.
• American Academy of PediatricspartnerOthersNational ally providing health and nutrition guidance for children in CACFP programs.
• American Heart AssociationpartnerOthersNational ally supporting heart-healthy nutrition standards in child care feeding programs.
• Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)partnerOthersNational ally working to improve and implement nutrition programs including CACFP to reduce hunger.
• National Farm to School NetworkpartnerOthersNational ally supporting farm to CACFP initiatives connecting local foods with child nutrition programs.
• No Kid Hungry Campaign by Share Our StrengthpartnerOthersNational ally campaign working to end childhood hunger through CACFP and summer meal programs.
• YMCA of the USApartnerOthersNational ally bringing together people from diverse backgrounds to support community nutrition and health programs, serving 6% of US population.
• National Head Start AssociationpartnerOthersNational ally representing Head Start programs that participate in CACFP for nutritious meal service.
• National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)partnerOthersNational ally representing family child care providers who participate in CACFP.
• General MillspartnerOthersFood industry partner providing nutritious cereal and grain products for CACFP programs.
• GerberpartnerOthersInfant food manufacturer providing products meeting CACFP crediting requirements for infants.
• Dole Packaged FoodspartnerOthersProduce company providing fruits and vegetables for CACFP meal programs.
• Dairy MAXpartnerOthersDairy company supporting child nutrition through dairy products in CACFP programs.
• Food for Good by PepsiCopartnerOthersCorporate food service partner providing nutritious meals for child nutrition programs.
• SyscopartnerOthersFood distribution partner supporting CACFP sponsors with supply chain logistics.
• WK Kellogg CopartnerOthersCereal manufacturer providing breakfast and grain products for K-12 schools and daycare providers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Share Our Strength (No Kid Hungry): Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign is a major national anti-hunger initiative working to end childhood hunger through CACFP and summer meal programs. It is a documented National Ally of NCA, with overlapping mission focus on federal nutrition programs and child food access, operating a similar national advocacy and resource model.
• Food Research and Action Center (FRAC): FRAC is a national nonprofit organization working to improve and implement federal nutrition programs including CACFP to reduce hunger. FRAC operates with similar advocacy, research, and policy functions to NCA, and is documented as a National Ally. FRAC and NCA share overlapping missions around anti-hunger work and federal child nutrition policy.
• Afterschool Alliance: Afterschool Alliance is a national nonprofit advocacy organization working to ensure children have access to safe, enriching afterschool programs and meals. Afterschool meals through CACFP are one of NCA's primary customer segments (At-Risk Afterschool Programs), and Afterschool Alliance is a National Ally with parallel advocacy and resource distribution structures.
• National Farm to School Network: National Farm to School Network is a national organization supporting farm-to-school and farm-to-CACFP initiatives connecting local foods with child nutrition programs. It is a documented National Ally of NCA, with overlapping mission focus on child nutrition, local food sourcing, and provider support through similar nonprofit structures.
• National Head Start Association: National Head Start Association is a membership association for Head Start programs, many of which participate in CACFP for nutritious meal service. NHSA operates a similar nonprofit membership model with conferences, advocacy, and member resources, and is documented as one of NCA's 41 National Allies, reflecting direct overlap in target members and mission.
• National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC): NAFCC is the national membership association representing family child care providers, which constitute one of NCA's primary customer segments (Family Home Child Care Providers). NAFCC is also a National Ally of NCA, indicating parallel association structures serving overlapping membership populations with shared concerns about CACFP administration.
• School Nutrition Association: The School Nutrition Association is the most direct comparable - a national nonprofit membership association serving school nutrition professionals with a similar tiered membership model, annual conference, certification programs, advocacy in Washington DC, and resource library. Both organizations serve USDA federal child nutrition programs and operate on parallel structural templates.

Broad incumbents

• American Academy of Pediatrics: The American Academy of Pediatrics is a larger, established national professional association providing health and nutrition guidance for children in CACFP programs. It is a National Ally of NCA with broader pediatric scope but overlaps in nutrition guidance, child health advocacy, and professional credentialing authority across pediatric and child nutrition domains.

Others

• USDA Food and Nutrition Service: USDA Food and Nutrition Service is the federal government agency that actually administers the CACFP program. NCA's Core Partner status reflects the deep operational dependency; USDA produces Team Nutrition training materials and sets all CACFP regulations, making it simultaneously an enabler, partner, and potential competitive threat to NCA's training and certification offerings.
• Sesame Workshop (Sesame Street in Communities): Sesame Workshop operates Sesame Street in Communities, which provides child nutrition educational content and is a Key Partner of NCA. While not a direct peer, it functions as a content and brand enabler whose resources are distributed through NCA channels, providing high-visibility content that strengthens NCA's member value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/NationalCACFP
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalCACFP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nationalcacfp
• Instagraminstagram.com/NationalCACFP

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National CACFP Sponsors Association