Fact Sheet: Meals on Wheels Funding Explained

Meals on Wheels America, the national leadership organization, does not rely on or distribute federal funding. Federal funding flows from the federal government to State Units on Aging. From there, states allocate these funds to Area Agencies on Aging, which then distribute them to approximately 5,000 community-based senior nutrition providers as reimbursements for services delivered.

The primary source of federal funding for the network is the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program, which covers 37% of the costs to serve over 2 million seniors annually. The exact percentage a local provider receives varies depending on their unique funding formula and sources of federal support, as each state administers its own system with a unique funding formula. However, we know that 9 out of 10 providers receive federal funding, and for more than 60% of providers, that funding represents half or more of their total budget.

Meals on Wheels represents a proven and successful public-private partnership, and federal funding is crucial to its continued existence and its ability to meet the rapidly growing need in communities across the country.

This fact sheet sheds light on how local Meals on Wheels providers are funded and the need for increased federal funding to meet the growing need and rising costs.