SNAP / Medicaid · Volunteer-Hour Credentialing Pilot

Verified Volunteer Hours — storyboard & outreach map

Two halves of one effort: the storyboard is the solution we pitch — volunteer hours, verified by the organization and delivered to the state as a standard JEDx record. The targeting map is who can authorize a pilot and how to reach them.

Jump to the outreach map Open the targeting sheet ↗ Download the deck (.pptx)

Live pressure point — now. SNAP compliance checks began between Dec 2025 and June 2026; first benefits can be terminated for noncompliance in June 2026. Volunteer hours already qualify — the weak link is proving them. That gap is the wedge.

What we pitch

The solution, in one flow

From the storyboard prepared for State CIOs and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Eligibility now depends on documented hours — under H.R. 1 (the Working Families Tax Cut Act, P.L. 119-21), continued SNAP and Medicaid eligibility for working-age adults is tied to 80 hours a month of work or community engagement. Volunteering counts; proving it is the problem — today proof still runs on paper forms, manual caseworker review, and repeats every six months. Eligible people lose coverage not because they didn't volunteer, but because the paperwork failed.

Volunteer orgRegistered with the state & domain-verified.
Verified attestationThe org signs the volunteer's hours.
JEDx recordSame format — a new volunteer-hours record type.
State ingestionThe endpoint the state already operates.
Eligibility keptCounted beside employment hours.
For the volunteer — show up, scan in and scan out. Each scan records a timestamp and the system calculates total hours automatically — no manual entry. The volunteer has already logged into their hours app at onboarding, so the scan just triggers an action in their existing record; nothing to download or set up at the point of scan. No forms, no mailing, no caseworker appointment.
For the state — mostly reuse, not rebuild: identity records, the employer/entity registry, the JEDx ingestion endpoint, and Candid's national nonprofit list as a seed. The new part (a scoped volunteer-hours JEDx record type + a lightweight attestation step) is deliberately small.
For the auditor — no self-reporting (only registered orgs can attest), cryptographically signed, anchored to a known identity, with a full audit trail to a named organization and attester — meeting CMS's "easily auditable" standard.
The rails already exist. Employment hours already move through JEDx (Jobs and Employment Data Exchange) — a standard led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, piloting with partner states including Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey and Texas. Employment hours have a modern rail; volunteer hours don't — yet. The pilot adds the volunteer-hours record type on the pipeline that already carries employment data.

Clarifications — Gitonga Miriam to Jim Goodell, June 2026. Jim's review questions, answered. These resolve several of the deck's open decisions.

1. What happens when the QR code is scanned — resolve a URL or launch an app?
It opens a secure link that connects to a volunteer-hours tracking system. Ideally each volunteer has already logged into their hours app during onboarding, so the scan simply triggers an action within their existing record — no new app download or setup at the point of scan.

2. If a URL, is it state-hosted or third-party?
Implemented flexibly — we could host it, a trusted third-party service could, or the state could, depending on the preferred governance model. The key requirement: it functions as a shared service where organizations can easily sign up, onboard volunteers, and report hours back to the state in a standardized way. We also have a partner with built-in KYC capabilities to ensure proper verification during onboarding, as required.

3. How are hours logged — scan in/out, or scan out and enter hours?
Scan-in and scan-out. Each scan records a timestamp; the system automatically calculates total hours and updates the volunteer's record — removing manual entry and ensuring accurate reporting.

The deck lays out six open decisions for reviewer read — KYC / identity proofing, organization onboarding, the JEDx volunteer schema, linked-claims visibility, the QR-code flow, and wallet prominence — each with a working recommendation. The June clarifications above settle three of them: the QR flow (scan-in / scan-out), KYC (a partner provides built-in onboarding verification), and hosting/governance (flexible — us, a third party, or the state, as a shared service). Where this goes next: pilot with one or two JEDx partner states, confirm the JEDx volunteer extension with the Chamber Foundation, and settle the remaining decisions. A companion storyboard is planned for Idealist.org / VolunteerMatch, framed around hosting the validation endpoint for volunteer organizations.

⬇ Download the full storyboard (.pptx)

Outreach Targeting Map

Landscape — the "why now"

  • OBBBA (July 2025) expanded ABAWD work requirements: more recipients now subject, fewer waivers. Veterans, homeless, former foster youth (18–24) newly included. Exemptions narrowed.
  • 80 hrs/month of work, education, OR volunteering required. Volunteer ("workfare") hours can be less than 80 — calculated as monthly benefit ÷ state minimum wage.
  • Timeline: Compliance demonstrations began March 1, 2026 in many states. First month benefits can be terminated for noncompliance: June 2026 (now). This is the live pressure point.
  • Scale of risk: Wisconsin alone ~36,000 at risk. State-by-state numbers are large.
  • Core gap the pilot addresses: volunteer hours must be documented/verified to count. Verification is the weak link — recipients don't comply because tracking/credentialing is unclear. This is the wedge.

Who authorizes a pilot — the chain of authority

The volunteer-credentialing pathway lives inside SNAP E&T (Employment & Training, including workfare/community service). Authority chain:

  1. State SNAP agency (the human services / social services / workforce dept that runs SNAP in each state). This is the primary authorizing actor. They write and own the E&T Plan.
  2. USDA FNS Regional Office must approve the State E&T Plan before implementation. Pilot mechanics that touch the E&T plan need regional sign-off.
  3. A third-party provider model already exists: CBOs apply to the state SNAP E&T agency to become approved providers (50% federal reimbursement). The credentialing service can plausibly slot in here.

Implication: the decision-maker is the State SNAP Director / E&T Coordinator inside each state's human-services agency. FNS regional is the federal gate. National associations are the introduction layer.

Categories of people to reach

AState SNAP Directors / E&T Coordinators — primary authorizers

The person who can authorize a state-level pilot. Title varies by state:

  • State SNAP Director (within Dept of Human Services / Social Services / Health & Human Services / Workforce)
  • SNAP E&T State Coordinator / E&T Director
  • Examples of the agency per state: PA = Dept of Human Services; TX = Texas Workforce Commission; VA = Dept of Social Services; SC = SCDSS; WI = Dept of Health Services; DC = DHS.

BUSDA FNS Regional Offices — federal approval gate

Seven current regions (being consolidated to 5 hubs — SNAP moving to Indianapolis). Each has a Regional Administrator and a SNAP Director. Approval signature authority sits at the regional office level.

RegionOfficeStates
Northeast (NERO)BostonCT, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT
Mid-Atlantic (MARO)Robbinsville, NJDE, DC, MD, NJ, PA, PR, VA, WV
Southeast (SERO)AtlantaAL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN
Midwest (MWRO)ChicagoIL, IN, IA, MI, MN, OH, WI
Southwest (SWRO)DallasAR, LA, NM, OK, TX
Mountain Plains (MPRO)DenverCO, KS, MO, MT, NE, ND, SD, UT, WY
Western (WRO)San FranciscoAK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA + territories
Note: reorganization in flux as of May 2026. SNAP staff relocating to Indianapolis hub; Chicago/Boston/Atlanta/SF regional offices slated to shutter. Relationships may be disrupted — a reason to move fast and/or anchor at state level.

CNational associations — introduction layer, not authorizers

Best path to warm intros across many states at once:

  • AASD — American Association of SNAP Directors (affinity group of APHSA). The single most concentrated channel to state SNAP directors nationally.
  • APHSA — American Public Human Services Association. Parent body. CEO: Reggie Bicha. Has a Center for Employment & Economic Well-Being. Hosts the EMWB Conference (jointly w/ AASD) — a venue to reach directors in person.
  • NASTA (TANF administrators) — adjacent, overlapping staff.

DThird-party intermediaries / capacity builders — warm intros + co-pilot partners

Organizations already embedded with state SNAP E&T agencies that could co-sponsor or introduce:

  • NCRC (National Community Reinvestment Coalition) — runs state cohorts helping CBOs become approved SNAP E&T providers; convenes state officials.
  • National Community Action Partnership (NCAP) — contact: Maribeth Schneber-Rhemrev, Dir. of Organizational Capacity Building. Works directly on CBO ↔ state SNAP agency partnerships.
  • Seattle Jobs Initiative — SNAP E&T third-party partnership expertise.

EPressure / validation allies — not authorizers, but lend urgency + reach

  • State-level legal aid orgs already publishing compliance guidance (Legal Services NYC, etc.) — they see the verification gap directly.
  • Policy consultants publicly flagging the volunteer pathway (e.g. David Rubel, cited in WI coverage).
  • Governors' offices / NGA — NGA + APHSA jointly lobbying Congress on SNAP implementation; signals state-exec appetite.

FExisting SNAP E&T providers / partners — co-pilot or onboarding path

These already hold third-party SNAP E&T relationships with state agencies. Partnering with one = inherit their state contracts and credibility instead of onboarding cold. Two sub-types: operating providers (have live state contracts) and TA intermediaries (onboard new providers; can fast-track us).

Operating national providers (live state E&T contracts)

  • Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) — largest national employment-services provider for people leaving incarceration; SNAP E&T third-party partner in each of its 30+ sites across 12 states. Built-in multi-state footprint.
  • FareStart — food-sector workforce nonprofit; SNAP E&T provider; partner in the REDF cohort.
  • Goodwill Industries International — ran FY20/FY23 FNS National Partnership grants recruiting 30+ local Goodwills as SNAP E&T providers. Huge affiliate network = many state relationships.
  • Local Goodwills / Community Action Agencies (CAAs) — the operating units actually contracted at state level.

TA intermediaries / capacity builders (can onboard us fast)

  • REDF — runs the annual SNAP E&T TA Cohort (2025 cohort = 25 orgs) + Community of Practice. Direct pipeline to becoming/expanding as a provider. Program partners: SJI, CEO, FareStart. (Also operates as "Redefine Alliance.")
  • Seattle Jobs Initiative (SJI) — 27-yr workforce nonprofit; national SNAP E&T TA + consulting; co-runs cohorts; embedded with state agencies (e.g. CA DSS).
  • NCRC — TA to state SNAP E&T agencies AND existing third-party providers; runs CBO application toolkit + 5-part webinar series; convenes regional groups (e.g. New England Workforce Innovation Group across CT/RI/MA/ME).
  • National Community Action Partnership (NCAP) — onboards CAAs as providers; rural focus. Contact: Maribeth Schneber-Rhemrev, Dir. Organizational Capacity Building (mschneberrhemrev@communityactionpartnership.com).
  • National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) — workforce boards operating as both E&T intermediaries and providers; held an FNS National Partnership Grant. Contacts surfaced: Mala Thakur (Program Mgr, Economic Mobility), Kelly Middleton Banks (Sr. Director).
  • Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) — FY22 grant w/ APHSA + SJI to onboard community colleges as providers.
  • APHSA — also a National Partnership grantee (Brandy Whisman cited); doubles as Category C intro layer.
  • SNAP E&T Third-Party Partnerships Resource Clearinghouse (snapeandtresources.com) — FNS-backed hub; not a partner but the master reference for who's operating where.
Fit note: these are employment & training providers. Our angle is volunteer-hour credentialing/verification — complementary, not competitive. Pitch: we add the volunteer-pathway verification layer their workforce programs don't cover. Strongest co-pilot candidates given multi-state footprint: CEO, Goodwill, REDF cohort.

Our positioning — credentialing partner, not just petitioner

We are a long-established volunteer-infrastructure organization. This changes the pitch from "please run a pilot" to "we are the credentialing/verification layer that makes your pilot work." Two ways to play it, not mutually exclusive:

  • Track 1 — We credential directly. Position our org as an approved third-party SNAP E&T provider (Category D model: CBO applies to state SNAP E&T agency, 50% federal reimbursement). Our verification/tracking solves the documented-hours gap that's causing noncompliance.
  • Track 2 — Partner with Idealist. Idealist holds the largest volunteer-recruitment network in the U.S. (250k+ orgs, 40M+ people). Pairing our credentialing with Idealist's opportunity inventory = recipients find qualifying volunteer slots and get verified hours in one pipeline. Strong joint pitch to a state.

Idealist relationship facts (verified):

  • Idealist + VolunteerMatch merged (announced Jan 2025, platform integration completed Sept 2025) — not a buyout. Combined org named Idealist, led by founder/ED Ami Dar. Board chairs: Bob Giannino (Idealist).
  • VolunteerMatch merged into the Idealist entity (Ideamatch, Inc.). Former VolunteerMatch staff who know our org's tenure are now Idealist staff/alumni → our warm-intro path into Idealist leadership.
  • VolunteerMatch.org and Idealist.org both still operate, plus API/syndication partners — relevant if a state wants white-labeled or embedded listings.
Recommended: open the Idealist conversation in parallel with state outreach. A credentialing pitch backed by Idealist's infrastructure is materially stronger to a State SNAP Director than either alone. (The deck's planned companion storyboard for Idealist / VolunteerMatch is this same flow, framed around hosting the validation endpoint.)

Recommended outreach sequence

  1. Anchor on 2–3 pilot states first. Pick by: large at-risk population + active volunteer/workfare program already standing up + favorable region. Strong candidates surfaced: DC (already launched a "SNAP Volunteer Program" workfare model June 1), Wisconsin (FSET, 36k at risk, press attention), Virginia (mature 32-locality E&T third-party structure), Pennsylvania (PEERs, active comms). These overlap with the JEDx pilot states in the deck — favor a state that's in both.
  2. Open Idealist partnership talk in parallel (via former VolunteerMatch contacts → Idealist leadership). Decide Track 1 vs Track 2 vs both before state pitches firm up.
  3. Direct target = State SNAP Director / E&T Coordinator in those states (Category A).
  4. Warm intro via AASD/APHSA (Category C), NCRC/NCAP (Category D), or co-pilot with an existing provider (Category F — CEO/Goodwill/REDF cohort inherit state contracts) — these get you in the room rather than cold.
  5. Loop FNS regional SNAP Director early (Category B) so the E&T-plan approval path isn't a surprise.

Open items for next pass

  • Identify our specific former-VolunteerMatch contacts now at Idealist + the right Idealist decision-maker (partnerships / Ami Dar's org).
  • Shortlist 1–2 existing providers (Category F) to approach as co-pilot — match their state footprint to chosen pilot states (e.g. CEO/Goodwill sites in DC/WI/VA/PA).
  • Pull named individuals: current State SNAP Directors + E&T Coordinators for the chosen pilot states.
  • Pull current AASD leadership/board roster (chair + exec committee = best intro nodes).
  • Confirm current FNS regional SNAP Directors for those states' regions (names, given reorg churn).
  • Map which chosen states already have an active workfare/community-service component vs. building one (warmer if already building).

Resources

Working materials

Targeting & outreach sheet ↗

Live working list of named targets, states, and contact status.

🔒 Shared with partner only

Verified Volunteer Hours — storyboard

The pitch deck for State CIOs & the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (Version A, Draft v1).

⬇ Download (.pptx)

Outreach targets — CSV

Every category A–F org and named contact from the map, ready to drop into the sheet or a tracker.

⬇ Download (.csv)