A return-on-investment analysis estimated the economic benefits of the IL SNAP-Ed program per dollar spent. A model was constructed using program data and prior literature to estimate the number of obesity and food insecurity cases prevented by IL SNAP-Ed. Altarum’s Value of Health model was then used to estimate the total value of future health and economic improvements from the prevented cases.

An estimated 5,060 cases of obesity and 570 cases of food insecurity were prevented across Illinois children and adults in a single year.

• For a single year of programming, IL SNAP-Ed was estimated to generate total discounted future societal benefits between $76.0 million and $135.3 million.
• For a single year of programming, IL SNAP-Ed was estimated to generate future benefits for:
  • The federal government between $23.9 million and $43.5 million
  • State and local governments between $5.4 million and $9.4 million
  • Households and the private sector between $46.7 million and $82.4 million