Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn how to apply for food bank grants to help you get started

Before you can start your food bank program, you will need some start-up cash. It can help you pay for a storage space and getting full or part time staff on board to handle the logistics.

I recommend: Visit the Mazon Foundation's website and check out what they fund. Try to build your organization to fit neatly into their posted guidelines. This way you will have a greater chance of getting food bank funding even from a different organization. To find more grant opportunities, go to the Grants website, which is part of the federal government's E-Grants Initiative. Check out the Applicant Resources section to learn how to apply for and submit grant proposals properly.

Learn how to run a successful food bank org

Once you have the funds you need, it's important to use them well so they can reach as far as possible. One way to do this is to hire volunteers for all but one or two staff positions. Doing some research in this area while you're still getting on your feet will be a great help.

I recommend: Get in touch with Harvest Project America. This organization, which works to help American families get enough to eat, provides food bank guidance just for the asking. Then read New Jersey Online's article on how to manage volunteers, since they are at the heart of any successful food bank.

Determine the best way to get food for your food bank program

Your food bank program will be pretty useless unless you have food to distribute. Charitable food distributors may be able to help you, but you'll also have to know how to procure food on your own.

I recommend: Visit the national food bank directory at FoodPantries to find other food banks in your area. Contact a few of them to see what they do. This is a noncompetitive business and many will be glad to share. Then go to Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County's site. It has an excellent article on how to run a food drive. Try some of the ideas yourself or pitch them to local community groups.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Good places to look for help with your food bank program are local churches, schools and social organizations. Remember, you are providing a community service. Don't forget to get the community involved.

Guide to Food Bank Organizations

Food bank organizations need companies to help them save the community's hungry

By Kelly Shetsky

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Donate to charitable food bank organizations to help your community

Companies can have a huge impact on food bank organizations in their area. Monetary donations go the furthest because food banks can buy much more for the dollar than you can. Food bank grants go a step further and allow organizations to work toward eradicating the hunger problem.

I recommend: Food for the Hungry is an international food bank program that uses USAID special funds. Through USAID, every dollar that's donated translates into $18 of help through food bank grants. Make a company donation to the faith-based organization through the matching funds grant program. The Greater Boston Food Bank allows you to become a monthly donor or become a matching gift company.

Become a food bank volunteer to make a difference

Food pantry organizations rely on volunteers to help them end hunger in America. They depend on the volunteer work of millions of Americans who know that they can make a difference. Get your company involved in the local community by signing up as a food bank volunteer. Employees can tutor kids at a Kids Cafe, transport food to pantries, repackage donated food or perform clerical work.

I recommend: Second Harvest is a renowned food bank program that spans the nation, distributing food to more than 200 member food banks. The America's Second Harvest Network obtains and sends out more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products every year. Search for volunteering opportunities in your community. Community Harvest is a not-for-profit organization that provides immediate food assistance to people in need in Indiana. Organize a food drive through your company to benefit Community Harvest. Use MagicYellow to find local food banks in dozens of cities.

Advocate for food pantry organizations

Advocacy is key to food bank agencies. To truly make a difference, you must stay up-to-date on legislative and policy developments that pertain to hunger issues. It's also important to stay updated on food bank activities.

I recommend: Food Bank of Central New York is a not-for-profit food bank org with the goal of eliminating hunger through food distribution. The organization provides more than 600 programs through the state. Register for the Advocacy Alert Signup so you can stay on top of the issues. The Community Foodbank of New Jersey fights poverty and hunger by distributing food and products, creating new programs and providing education and training. All sectors of society are involved, including corporations. Become an advocate by staying up-to-date on issues and by getting involved in events.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Give as much time as possible as a food bank volunteer. Get your neighbors, friends, children and business colleagues involved, too.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Food bank grants

Apply for food bank grants when you need to fund the purchase of food or equipment for your food bank organization.

I recommend: Mazon details the information you'll be required to put on a food bank grant. It also explains the philosophy behind the grants and restrictions placed on these funds.

Food pantry

A food pantry is created by individuals in a community when they believe a portion of the citizens are financially unable to acquire the staples.

I recommend: The Community of Christ takes the setup of a food pantry seriously. Read its discussion of how to access and distribute items in a food pantry and the significant role that personnel can play in managing food pantries.

Food drive

A food drive is an organized effort to collect food and other supplies from individuals and gather them in a central place where they can be distributed to those in need.

I recommend: The Second Harvest Food Bank offers practical advice on how to implement an effective food drive. It also lists the foods most food bank organizations need to make the drive successful.

Financial accountability

Because food bank organizations depend upon donations and government funding, proving financial accountability to its sponsors is essential to an organization's continued success.

I recommend: In making the case for its own financial accountability, Food for the Hungry offers any food bank organization a template for proving its trustworthiness with the monies it has received.

Hunger

The overriding mission of any food bank organization is to eliminate hunger in its various forms.

I recommend: The Greater Chicago Food Depository explains the many faces of hunger. Find out about hunger statistics and which groups of people are most affected by hunger.

Brown-bag program

Brown-bag programs signify a community's efforts to gather food and supplies that senior citizens depend on most.

I recommend: Read about the brown-bag program at the Golden Harvest Food Bank.