What Citymeals on Wheels does

Citymeals on Wheels is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1981 that delivers nutritious meals and provides companionship to approximately 22,000 homebound elderly residents across all five boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island). The organization has delivered over 72 million meals since founding and is supported by 17,000 dedicated volunteers, with internal staffing reported at 11-50 employees. Operations are executed through a partner network of more than 30 meal centers — including JASA, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, Heights and Hills Community Council, Stanley Isaacs Meals On Wheels, and the Upper Manhattan Partnership for Senior Independence (Isabella) — that prepare and distribute meals to recipients on a 7-day, 365-day basis.

The service portfolio extends beyond daily meal delivery into weekend and holiday meals, breakfast boxes targeting the most food-insecure recipients, emergency food packages stocked at 50,000+ units, mobile grocery services, shopping assistance, and connectivity programs aimed at reducing isolation. Citymeals operates under a non-standard funding structure in partnership with the City of New York: 100% of public donations are directed to meal preparation and delivery, while administrative expenses are absorbed by board member contributions and designated grants. Fundraising is anchored by the annual Power Lunch event at the Plaza Hotel, which has raised over $33 million cumulatively.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Third-party validation includes BBB Accredited Business status and a Charity Navigator 4-star charity rating. Corporate sponsorship includes American Airlines and Fiji Water as official sponsors. The organization has publicly committed to ending elder hunger in New York City by 2040, signaling long-horizon mission-driven growth.

Name

Citymeals on Wheels

Legal name

Citymeals on Wheels

Website

https://citymeals.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Citymeals on Wheels is a New York City 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 that delivers nourishing meals and companionship to 22,000 homebound elderly residents across all five boroughs, supported by 17,000 volunteers and 30+ partner meal centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Citymeals on Wheels is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides a continuous lifeline of nourishing meals and vital companionship to New York City's homebound elderly residents. The organization funds, coordinates, and supplements weekend, holiday, and emergency meal delivery through a network of partner meal centers and 17,000 volunteers across all five NYC boroughs, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Product overview

Citymeals on Wheels is a nonprofit meal delivery organization serving homebound elderly residents across all five boroughs of New York City. The organization provides a unified lifeline of nourishing meals and vital companionship to older New Yorkers. Its core services include Weekend & Holiday Meals, Breakfast Boxes, Emergency Food, Mobile Grocery, Shopping Assistance, and Connectivity Programs. The organization has delivered over 72 million meals since 1981 and serves 22,000 neighbors with support from 17,000 volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekend & Holiday Meals Hand-delivered Saturday and Sunday meals throughout the year, and meals for holidays, provided to homebound elderly New Yorkers.
• Breakfast Boxes A second daily meal for the most food-insecure recipients among the homebound elderly served by Citymeals.
• Emergency Food Distribution of shelf-stable meals during emergencies and in advance of harsh winter weather to homebound elderly.
• Mobile Grocery Additional food delivery for elderly recipients most at risk for hunger.
• Shopping Assistance Support for recipients with grocery credits and help getting to the store.
• Connectivity Programs Programs designed to build community and reduce isolation for older New Yorkers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered over 72 million meals since 1981
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• City Harvest: NYC's largest food rescue organization; addresses the same underlying hunger-relief mission in NYC and overlaps with Citymeals' beneficiary ecosystem, but recovers surplus food rather than preparing/delivering meals directly to homebound seniors.
• Hunger Free America: National anti-hunger advocacy and direct-service organization headquartered in NYC; comparable in addressing food insecurity among vulnerable populations but primarily focused on SNAP enrollment, advocacy, and research rather than meal logistics.
• Lenox Hill Neighborhood House: One of Citymeals' own meal-center partners and a major NYC social services agency serving seniors; comparable in senior-services mission and local NYC footprint, functioning as both a peer and a downstream distribution partner.

Direct peers

• DOROT: NYC-based nonprofit serving older adults with home visits, kosher meals, and social connection programs; comparable target demographic (homebound NYC seniors) and overlapping service lines such as companionship and wellness programming.
• God's Love We Deliver: NYC-based nonprofit that cooks and home-delivers medically tailored meals to people living with severe illness and seniors; highly comparable in geographic footprint, volunteer-driven delivery model, and reliance on charitable funding.
• Meals on Wheels America: National umbrella organization supporting a network of local Meals on Wheels programs; directly comparable to Citymeals in mission, service model (home-delivered meals to homebound seniors), and beneficiary profile, though operating at national rather than single-city scale.

Broad incumbents

• AARP Foundation: National nonprofit focused on low-income older adults, including food insecurity and social isolation programs; comparable in mission and beneficiary profile but operates at national scale through policy, grantmaking, and program partnerships rather than direct meal delivery.
• Food Bank for New York City: NYC's largest hunger-relief nonprofit, distributing food through a citywide pantry and program network; comparable in citywide food-security mission and donor base, but operates at wholesale/scale-distribution level rather than individual home delivery.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/citymeals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 Citymeals on Wheels