HGSF programmes that respond to community needs, are locally owned and incorporate some form of parental or community contribution, which can be through payment in-kind, for example, through donated food or labour. These tend to be the strongest programmes and the ones most likely to make a successful transition from being assisted by donors to being entirely government-led. Programmes that build this component in from the beginning and consistently maintain it have the most success.

Although the Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O'MEALS) does not require communities to provide financial resources, community members play an important role in the programme through their participation in Parent Teacher Associations (involving school stakeholders) and School Based Management Committees (involving district level stakeholders). The cooks are also employed from within the local community, strengthening the opportunities for income-generation and community development. In addition, community members with an interest in the programme can participate in monitoring activities and reporting problems as they occur.