Rhode Island Community Food Bank

What Rhode Island Community Food Bank does

Rhode Island Community Food Bank (RICFB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1982 and headquartered at 200 Niantic Avenue, Providence, RI. It operates as Rhode Island's central food-distribution hub, acquiring food through donated funds, federal commodities (TEFAP), and in-kind contributions from food retailers, and redistributing it to a statewide network of 137 member agencies — including food pantries, meal sites, senior programs, and school programs — that ultimately serve approximately 89,000 Rhode Islanders each month, peaking at 102,000 during the fall 2025 federal shutdown.

The organization's core technology is an operational stack rather than a software platform: a centralized warehouse and distribution facility, an Agency Express online ordering system for member agencies, a Food Finder directory for end recipients, a Mailchimp email program, JustGiving virtual fundraising pages, SignUpGenius volunteer scheduling, and Double the Donation matching-gift processing. PCI-compliant third-party vendors handle online donations. The product portfolio extends beyond redistribution to include Kids Cafe after-school meals (400-450 meals daily from an in-house commercial kitchen), the Sankofa Initiative (community gardens, farmers' markets, and a commercial kitchen funded by a $500K Feeding America grant), SNAP/WIC outreach, Healthy Habits nutrition education, a Mobile Food Pantry serving 15 Newport County locations, and signature fundraising events such as Empty Bowls.

RICFB's revenue model is donation-driven and diversified across individual giving (one-time and Sustainers Harvest monthly), corporate sponsorships (Citizens, Stop & Shop, IGT, BankNewport, Price Rite, Washington Trust, Shaw's Foundation, Amica), foundation grants (Feeding America, Bank of America, Champlin Foundation, HarborOne), state appropriations ($2.95M FY27), and federal commodities. Leadership transitioned in May 2025 with Melissa Cherney, formerly CEO of Great Plains Food Bank, replacing 17-year CEO Andrew Schiff; Cherney was subsequently named Chair of Feeding America's Policy Engagement and Advocacy Committee. The organization holds a Charity Navigator four-star rating and Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Name

Rhode Island Community Food Bank

Legal name

Rhode Island Community Food Bank

Website

https://rifoodbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Rhode Island's central hunger-relief nonprofit, founded 1982, distributes 18.6 million pounds of food annually through a statewide network of 137 member agencies serving roughly 89,000 residents each month.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief and Food Bank Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF), School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD)

Keywords

• Hunger relief services
• Food bank distribution
• Community nutrition education
• SNAP outreach assistance
• Food pantry network

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual monetary donations from the public, including one-time and monthly recurring contributions through the Sustainers Harvest monthly giving program
2. Corporate Donations and Sponsorships: Financial contributions from business partners, corporate sponsors for events like Empty Bowls, and cause marketing partnerships
3. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations such as Feeding America ($500,000 Sankofa Initiative grant), Shaw's Foundation ($30,000), Amica ($20,000), and others
4. Government Funding: State budget allocations (currently $2.95 million in FY27), federal commodities through programs like TEFAP, and SNAP-related funding
5. Food Donations: Donated food from food retailers and distributors, as well as food purchased at wholesale cost using donated funds
6. Special Events: Revenue from signature events like Empty Bowls fundraiser featuring local restaurants and artisan bowls

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Rhode Island Community Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates as Rhode Island's central food distribution hub, acquiring food through donations, federal commodities, and purchases, then distributing 18.6 million pounds of healthy, culturally relevant food annually to 89,000 Rhode Islanders each month through a statewide network of 137 member agencies. It supplements this core distribution with Kids Cafe after-school meals, Healthy Habits nutrition education, SNAP outreach and enrollment assistance, food drives, and policy advocacy campaigns.

Product overview

The Rhode Island Community Food Bank operates as a centralized food distribution hub offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services. The core offering is its Food Distribution Network, which distributes food through 137 member agencies statewide. Supporting this are the Food Drive Program, Volunteer Program, and Agency Express Ordering System for food acquisition and distribution logistics. Fundraising products include the Virtual Fundraiser Platform (JustGiving), Sustainers Harvest Monthly Giving, and the Empty Bowls annual event. Client-facing programs encompass Kids Cafe (after-school meals), Healthy Habits nutrition education, SNAP Outreach Services, and the Food Finder Tool for direct client assistance. The Corporate Engagement Program and Advocate for Change Campaign round out the portfolio for business partnerships and policy advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kids Cafe: After-school meal program providing nutritious meals to children facing food insecurity across Rhode Island
• Healthy Habits
• Empty Bowls
• Sustainers Harvest
• Pints with Purpose

Products and services

• Food Distribution Network Centralized food redistribution service that acquires food through donations, federal commodities, and purchases, then distributes healthy, culturally relevant food to a statewide network of 137 member agencies (food pantries, meal sites, senior programs, and school programs) that deliver it to Rhode Islanders in need.
• Agency Express Ordering System Proprietary online ordering platform used by 137 member agencies to browse and order food products from the Food Bank's inventory, with digital forms for updating agency contacts and access to ordering guides and tutorials.
• Kids Cafe Meal Program After-school nutrition program serving nutritious evening meals to children at risk of hunger at three statewide partner sites, with meals prepared in the Food Bank's commercial kitchen and delivered daily.
• Healthy Habits Nutrition Education Community nutrition education program offering cooking demonstrations, workshops, and multi-week class series focused on healthy eating, food safety, and budget-friendly meal preparation for member-agency guests, families, and children.
• SNAP Outreach Services Federal nutrition benefit enrollment assistance helping low-income individuals and families apply for and retain SNAP and WIC benefits through outreach at member agencies and community events statewide.
• Food Finder Tool Online directory tool that helps Rhode Islanders locate the nearest food pantry or meal site and access other food assistance resources across the state.
• Empty Bowls Annual Fundraiser Annual signature fundraising event featuring unlimited tastings from 30+ local restaurants, handcrafted bowls for keepsakes, and live pottery demonstrations, held at WaterFire Arts Center in Providence.
• Sustainers Harvest Monthly Giving Program Recurring monthly donation program enabling donors to set up automatic contributions via credit card or bank account deduction to support ongoing food assistance operations.
• Virtual Fundraiser Platform Online fundraising tool built on JustGiving that allows individuals and groups to create customizable virtual fundraising pages to raise money for the Food Bank.
• Food Drive Program Community food collection initiative enabling companies, schools, families, and groups to organize food drives, with collection boxes, posters, and pickup services for donations over 1,500 lbs.
• Corporate Engagement Program Business partnership initiative offering workplace giving, employee matching gifts, cause marketing campaigns, group volunteering, and food drive support for corporate partners.
• Advocate for Change Campaign Policy advocacy initiative enabling supporters to contact legislators about food security legislation, with email tools, talking points, and annual advocacy day events at the RI State House.
• Volunteer Program Volunteer coordination program offering opportunities at the Food Bank warehouse (group volunteer events, box packing) and at 20+ member agency locations across Rhode Island, including community farms, meal sites, and food pantries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 89,000 Rhode Islanders per month, with 102,000 served during crisis periods
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network affiliation providing access to resources, best practices, grants including $500,000 Sankofa Initiative funding, and collective advocacy power for food security issues
• Price RitemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteadfast partner demonstrating commitment to ending childhood hunger through support of Meals4Kids program providing nutritious food boxes to families
• Stop & ShopmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonates food, funds and manpower; presenting sponsor of Empty Bowls and Souper Bowl of Caring Telethon; donates turkeys during holidays; conducts register campaigns; volunteers at Food Bank
• IGTmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteadfast champion providing ongoing sponsorship of Empty Bowls event helping stock shelves with nutritious staples, fresh produce, and culturally relevant foods
• BankNewportmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Souper Bowl of Caring Telethon and Empty Bowls event; provides operating grant sustaining efforts to serve 84,000 Rhode Islanders monthly
• Washington TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership through Empty Bowls sponsorship, annual Peanut Butter Drive, and additional grant funding to distribute healthy food across the network
• Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode IslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in RI Life Index survey collaboration with Brown University School of Public Health studying food insecurity in Rhode Island
• Brown University School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner conducting Rhode Island Voices survey to capture lived experiences of Rhode Islanders regarding hunger and food access
• Farm Fresh RIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization mobilizing volunteers to harvest surplus food from farms for distribution to hunger relief agencies
• The Guild Brewing Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPints with Purpose monthly partnership donating proceeds from special beer to the Food Bank

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National umbrella organization for the U.S. food bank network. RICFB is a member of Feeding America, which provides resources, grants, and advocacy infrastructure to affiliated regional food banks like RICFB.

Direct peers

• Greater Boston Food Bank: Regional food bank serving eastern Massachusetts with a similar hub-and-spoke distribution model through member agencies. Comparable scale and operational structure to RICFB within the same New England region.
• Worcester County Food Bank: Regional food bank serving central and western Massachusetts. Operates a similar centralized distribution model serving member agencies and shares the New England food bank peer set with RICFB.
• Foodshare: Connecticut's regional food bank serving Hartford and Tolland counties. Operates a comparable centralized warehouse distribution model through member agencies with similar mission and target populations.
• Good Shepherd Food Bank: Maine's largest hunger-relief organization serving the entire state through a member agency network. Comparable statewide distribution model and Feeding America network affiliate status to RICFB.
• New Hampshire Food Bank: New Hampshire's only statewide food bank, affiliated with Feeding America. Operates a similar centralized distribution model serving member agencies across a New England state, directly comparable in mission and structure.
• City Harvest: New York City's largest food rescue organization distributing food through a network of pantries, soup kitchens, and mobile markets. Comparable member-agency distribution model and Feeding America affiliation.
• Long Island Cares: Long Island's regional food bank founded by Harry Chapin, operating a centralized distribution model through member agencies. Comparable scope and Feeding America network member status.
• Great Plains Food Bank: North Dakota's regional food bank and former employer of RICFB's new CEO Melissa Cherney. Operates an identical hub-and-spoke distribution model serving member agencies across a multi-county region.

Others

• Farm Fresh Rhode Island: Rhode Island-based food system nonprofit and RICFB's existing partner. Focuses on farmers markets, food hub distribution, and farm surplus recovery—adjacent to RICFB's mission rather than directly competing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RIFoodBank
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6r0JG2_oV91cmvtuD2ORAw
• Facebookfacebook.com/RICFB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhode-island-community-food-bank?trk=biz-companies-cym
• Instagraminstagram.com/rifoodbank

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors4 records

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 Rhode Island Community Food Bank