Food Bank of the Rockies

What Food Bank of the Rockies does

Food Bank of the Rockies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit hunger-relief organization founded in 1978 and headquartered in Aurora, Colorado, with the largest contiguous service area of any food bank in the United States, spanning Colorado and Wyoming. In FY2025, the organization distributed 85.4 million pounds of food, served 383,079 individuals (21% children), and delivered an average of 195,034 meals per day. Operations are structured around a hybrid model: a B2B Hunger Relief Partner network of 800+ nonprofit food pantries and soup kitchens that order through Partner Express/Agency Express, complemented by direct-service programs including 70+ mobile pantries, Food for Kids (Totes of Hope, summer/after-school meals), Food for Health (medically tailored meals via 19 healthcare partners), the FRESH produce program (50 local farms, 900,000 lbs/month), Food Rescue (880+ retail donor partners, 49M lbs rescued), Everyday Eats senior food boxes (CSFP), TEFAP government distributions, and SNAP outreach. The technology stack is composed of standard nonprofit SaaS tools (Link2Feed, VolunteerHub, Acuity Scheduling) rather than proprietary systems.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: (1) individual and corporate donations including the FEED365 monthly giving program, where every $1 donated provides approximately 3 meals through bulk purchasing power; (2) government funding via USDA programs including TEFAP, CSFP, and SNAP outreach; and (3) in-kind food donations from 880+ retail partners (Walmart, King Soopers, Target, Sprouts, Starbucks, and major distributors), which account for 57% of distributed food. The organization reports that 96 cents of every dollar flows to hunger relief programs. Recent major capital investments include the $15 million NMTC financing from Rural Development Partners in June 2024 and the February 2026 opening of a new 270,000 sq-ft Aurora distribution center that triples cold-storage and volunteer capacity, quadruples children's program meals, scales kitchen production from 2,700 to 10,000 meals per day, and reduces operating costs by over $500K annually. The Western Slope Etkin Family Distribution Center, opened in 2022, is scaling toward 16 million pounds annually by 2027.

Name

Food Bank of the Rockies

Legal name

Food Bank of the Rockies

Website

https://foodbankrockies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Food Bank of the Rockies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit hunger-relief organization serving Colorado and Wyoming, distributing 85+ million pounds of food annually through 800+ Hunger Relief Partners, mobile pantries, and targeted programs for children, seniors, and chronically ill patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief and Food Distribution Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Hunger relief services
• Food bank distribution
• Food rescue program
• Mobile food pantry
• Community nutrition assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors, corporate supporters, and monthly giving program (FEED365) provide funding that enables food purchasing and operations. The organization leverages donated dollars with bulk purchasing power to provide approximately 3 meals per $1 donated.
2. Government Programs: Federal funding through USDA programs including TEFAP, SNAP outreach support, and Commodity Supplemental Food Program (Everyday Eats). Government funding provides food commodities and program reimbursement.
3. Food Rescue Donations: Retail partners, food distributors, manufacturers, farms, and restaurants donate surplus food which is sorted, repackaged, and distributed through the organization's network. 57% of distributed food comes from Food Rescue Program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Food Bank of the Rockies acquires donated and purchased food and redistributes it at no cost to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity across Colorado and Wyoming. It operates as a centralized hub serving 800+ Hunger Relief Partners and running direct-service programs including Mobile Pantries, Food for Kids, FRESH, Food Rescue, Everyday Eats, Food for Health, SNAP Outreach, TEFAP, and the Culturally Responsive Food Initiative from distribution centers in Aurora, Grand Junction, and Evansville.

Product overview

Food Bank of the Rockies is a nonprofit hunger-relief organization operating as a centralized food distribution hub with multiple direct-service programs. The organization functions through two primary channels: a network of 800+ Hunger Relief Partners (food pantries) that receive bulk food distributions, and owned direct-service programs including Mobile Pantries (70+ sites), Food for Kids (Totes of Hope, summer/CACFP meals), FRESH produce program, Food Rescue, Everyday Eats (senior food boxes), Food for Health (medically tailored meals), SNAP Outreach, Culturally Responsive Food Initiative, and Government Programs (TEFAP). These programs are supported by operational infrastructure including two major distribution centers in Aurora and Grand Junction, sustainability initiatives with solar power, and fundraising events. The portfolio centers on food acquisition and distribution rather than a unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hunger Relief Partner Program Program supplying 800+ nonprofit food pantries, soup kitchens, and community relief organizations across Colorado and Wyoming with bulk food via the Partner Express/Agency Express ordering platform. Partners receive food at significantly reduced cost (up to 8x value on food budget dollars) and redistribute locally.
• Food for Kids Children's nutrition program including Totes of Hope, after-school meals at 67 sites, and summer meals at 53 sites through schools, rec centers, and Boys & Girls Clubs. Provides nutritious food to children ages 5-18 across Colorado and Wyoming.
• Mobile Pantries Direct-to-community mobile food distribution program operating 70+ sites across urban and rural Colorado and Wyoming, providing free food with no income requirements. Typical mobile pantry distributes approximately 13,000 pounds of food per event.
• FRESH Program Fresh produce distribution program sourcing from 50 local Colorado farms and two food hubs, providing 900,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables monthly to Hunger Relief Partners at no cost.
• Food Rescue Program Surplus food recovery program diverting 49 million pounds of edible food annually from 880+ retail locations (including King Soopers, Walmart, Target, Sprouts, Starbucks), food distributors, manufacturers, and restaurants to Hunger Relief Partners.
• Everyday Eats (CSFP) Commodity Supplemental Food Program providing 35-pound monthly food boxes to income-qualifying Colorado and Wyoming residents aged 60+, distributed at 128 locations across 29 Colorado counties with home delivery in Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties (6,000 boxes monthly).
• The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) USDA-funded program distributing monthly food boxes containing meat, produce, dairy, and staples through 104 distribution locations in Colorado and 33 in Wyoming.
• SNAP Outreach Assistance program helping Colorado households apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, with bilingual staff available for application support across metro and rural Colorado.
• Food for Health Medically tailored food program partnering with 19 healthcare centers to provide weekly food boxes and produce prescriptions for individuals with chronic conditions including pre-diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.
• Culturally Responsive Food Initiative Program addressing cultural food preferences through data-driven sourcing, the Building Belonging Partner Program, and Language Justice Training to serve diverse communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85+ million pounds of food distributed in fiscal year 2025
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational food bank network member. Provides network resources, best practices, and national scale for food rescue and hunger relief efforts. Food Bank of the Rockies is the largest food bank in the Rocky Mountain region.
• United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting hunger relief efforts in Colorado and Wyoming communities.
• King SoopersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor retail partner in Food Rescue Program with hundreds of store locations donating surplus food. One of the largest retail donors in the 880+ partner network.
• Walmart and Sam's ClubmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiggest Food Rescue Program partners. Donate significant volumes of surplus food and goods through food rescue partnership.
• TargetmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetail partner in Food Rescue Program donating surplus food from stores.
• Sprouts Farmers MarketmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetail partner in Food Rescue Program contributing to fresh produce rescue efforts.
• StarbucksmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner donating food through Food Rescue Program and supporting volunteer engagement with employee volunteer groups.
• Food Distributors (Shamrock, Amazon, KeHE, US Foods)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor food distributors participating in Food Rescue Program, donating surplus food from supply chain operations.
• Denver HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner in Food for Health Program. Refers patients with chronic conditions (diabetes, hypertension) for medically tailored food boxes. One of 19 healthcare partners providing 544 participants with food support.
• Project Angel HeartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner collaborating on medically tailored meal programs for patients with chronic health conditions.
• CommonSpirit HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-site healthcare partner with facilities including St. Anthony Lakewood, St. Anthony North, St. Elizabeth Hospital, and Health at Home. Participates in Food for Health Program with multiple referral sites.
• Intermountain HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner with multiple sites including Lutheran Hospital, Peaks Primary Care, Platte Valley Hospital, and Saint Joseph Hospital. Refer patients for medically tailored food assistance.
• Salud Family HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner serving Latino communities with locations in Commerce City and Fort Morgan. Refer patients with chronic conditions for Food for Health Program support.
• Local Farms (50 farms)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner50 local farms in Colorado supply fresh produce through FRESH Program, including Hungenberg Produce, Petrocco Farms, Talbott's Mountain Gold, Tuxedo Corn, Milberger Farms, Hirakata Farms, Hoffman Farms. Two food hubs source from dozens of small growers.
• Ardent MillssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner with employees volunteering at Food Bank of the Rockies distribution center. Supports community engagement and volunteer programs.
• EmpowersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner with employees volunteering at Food Bank of the Rockies. Supports community volunteer engagement efforts.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Houston Food Bank: One of the largest Feeding America member food banks in the U.S., distributing well over 100 million pounds annually. Operates the same hub-and-spoke model with mobile distributions, partner pantries, and food rescue, making it the closest direct analog in scale to Food Bank of the Rockies.
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank: Major regional Feeding America food bank distributing around 80M+ pounds annually through a partner-agency and direct-distribution model. Comparable in geographic coverage and program mix (mobile pantries, senior food boxes, food rescue) to Food Bank of the Rockies.
• San Antonio Food Bank: Regional Feeding America food bank with comparable scale and similar multi-state/multi-county service area. Operates partner-agency distribution, mobile pantries, and nutrition education programs directly comparable to FBR.
• Greater Chicago Food Depository: Feeding America member food bank serving a large metro and surrounding counties through hundreds of partner pantries and direct programs. Closely comparable to FBR on hub-and-spoke distribution, partner network scale, and senior/children feeding programs.
• Mid-South Food Bank: Mid-sized Feeding America food bank with a similar mix of partner pantries, mobile distributions, and senior/child nutrition programs. Relevant comparable for FBR's operational structure and government-program reliance.
• Food Bank of the Hudson Valley: Regional Feeding America food bank serving a multi-county area with mobile pantries, partner agency distribution, and food rescue. Comparable in scale and program mix to FBR's regional operations.
• St. Louis Area Foodbank: Feeding America member food bank serving a multi-county region with partner-agency and direct distribution programs. Comparable operational model and donor/partnership structure to Food Bank of the Rockies.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National umbrella network for 200+ member food banks including Food Bank of the Rockies. Provides national brand, donated food sourcing, and best-practice infrastructure that shape FBR's operating context and standards.

Emerging players

• Project Angel Heart: Denver-based nonprofit providing medically tailored meals to individuals with chronic illnesses. Already a Food for Health partner of FBR; represents an adjacent, more specialized peer in the food-as-medicine category where FBR is expanding.

Regional players

• Care and Share Food Bank: Colorado-based Feeding America member food bank serving southern Colorado. Geographic peer within the same state, providing a directly comparable model and competitive context for FBR's Colorado coverage area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/foodbankrockies
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVUJQoSC5RoJPe9fjr74agg
• Facebookfacebook.com/foodbankrockies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foodbankrockies
• Instagraminstagram.com/foodbankrockies

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles26 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Food Bank of the Rockies