Food Bank of Northwest Indiana

What Food Bank of Northwest Indiana does

The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit hunger-relief organization founded in 1982 and headquartered in a 72,000-square-foot facility in Merrillville, Indiana. It is the only food bank serving Lake and Porter Counties and operates as a member of the Feeding America national network. The organization's core activities are food acquisition, storage, and redistribution at scale: in 2024 it distributed approximately 9 million pounds of food and is on track to exceed 10 million pounds in the current year, reaching roughly 60,000 individuals per month through a combination of a 150+ partner agency network of food pantries and soup kitchens, weekly Mobile Market distributions, and 24/7 OrderAhead automated smart lockers.

The product portfolio spans direct service and referral programs: the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) for seniors, Backpack Program for children, Pantry Pack for families, Operation Full Pack for veterans, the Diaper Bank, and the Food is Medicine program that delivers medically tailored groceries through partnerships with HealthLinc, Franciscan Health, Methodist Hospitals, Powers Health, and other regional healthcare providers. Supporting programs include SNAP outreach and enrollment assistance, retail food rescue from 40+ stores and restaurants, Homeless Street Outreach in Gary, and workforce development training in warehousing and logistics. Technology components are limited but include the OrderAhead smart locker system, an interactive Pantry Locator map, and digital volunteer recruitment infrastructure.

Revenue is sourced from federal grants (TEFAP and CSFP), nongovernmental contributions (65% of total project costs, approximately $12.1 million), corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and event fundraising (The Soirée gala and Hunger Hike). The organization reports a 93% program-expense ratio, holds a Charity Navigator 4-star rating, and is led by President & CEO Victor A. Garcia with a team of 11-50 employees and 6,000+ annual volunteers.

Name

Food Bank of Northwest Indiana

Legal name

Food Bank of Northwest Indiana

Website

https://foodbanknwi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1982 and the only Feeding America-affiliated food bank serving Lake and Porter Counties, Indiana, distributing approximately 9-10 million pounds of food annually to roughly 60,000 individuals each month through a 150+ partner agency network, Mobile Markets, OrderAhead smart lockers, and targeted programs for seniors, children, veterans, and the homeless.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief and Food Assistance

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAA

Food Assistance & Food Banks

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Hunger relief services
• Food bank distribution
• Nonprofit food assistance
• Community nutrition programs
• Food insecurity outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Merrillville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monetary donations from individuals, with 93% of donations going directly to food and food programs. $1 can provide 3 meals.
2. Corporate Sponsorships & Food Drives: Corporate contributions, food drives, and event sponsorships from businesses supporting hunger relief
3. Federal Grants (TEFAP/CSFP): Federal funding through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
4. Foundation & Grant Funding: Grant funding from foundations and corporate charitable foundations
5. Event Fundraising: Annual fundraising events including The Soirée ($150/ticket) and Hunger Hike

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that acquires, stores, and distributes millions of pounds of food annually to food-insecure residents of Lake and Porter Counties in Indiana. It operates Mobile Market distributions, OrderAhead smart lockers, a network of 150+ partner pantries and soup kitchens, and direct service programs for seniors, children, veterans, and families, supplemented by SNAP outreach, Food is Medicine healthcare partnerships, and Food Rescue from retail partners.

Product overview

The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana operates as a single-entity nonprofit hunger relief organization offering a coordinated portfolio of food assistance services. The core offerings include the Pantry Locator (an online directory of partner food pantries), Mobile Market (weekly mobile food distributions), Order Ahead Locker (24/7 automated pickup), and SNAP Outreach (benefit enrollment assistance). Direct service programs include the Commodity Supplemental Food Program for seniors, Backpack Program for children, Operation Full Pack for veterans, Pantry Pack for families, Food is Medicine (medically tailored groceries), and Diaper Bank. Supporting programs include Food Rescue (retail surplus recovery), Homeless Street Outreach, and Job Training. The organization serves Lake and Porter counties through a network of 150+ partner agencies and its own direct distribution channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mobile Market A weekly mobile food distribution service that brings healthy, nutritious food directly to communities across Lake and Porter Counties in Indiana. Open to the public Monday through Saturday, it serves as a direct-to-resident distribution channel for food-insecure individuals and families.
• OrderAhead Smart Locker An automated smart locker system that allows residents to order food online and pick up pre-ordered items 24/7, expanding food access beyond traditional distribution hours.
• Pantry Locator An online map tool that helps residents find free grocery partners (food pantries) in Lake and Porter Counties, with hours and contact information for each location.
• SNAP Outreach Program Assists food-insecure individuals with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment, helping them access federal food benefits. Provided by SNAP Outreach Coordinators and Specialists.
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Monthly grocery distribution program for seniors aged 60 and older, providing canned fruits, vegetables, peanut butter, beans, cereal, pasta, juice, shelf-stable milk, canned meat, and cheese. Serves more than 1,900 seniors each month.
• Backpack Program Weekend food support for hungry children, providing discreet backpacks filled with food to take home on weekends and school vacations.
• Pantry Pack Nutrition support program partnering with organizations including TradeWinds, Department of Child Services, Lake County Juvenile Center, and Healthy Families Lake County to serve targeted populations with supplemental food.
• Operation Full Pack Veteran-focused programming providing Mobile Market distributions or targeted boxed grocery programs for veterans in need.
• Food is Medicine Medically tailored grocery program for food-insecure patients with underlying health conditions, targeting infant/maternal mortality, diabetes, heart disease, and mental health through partnerships with HealthLinc, Franciscan Health, Methodist Hospitals, Powers Health, Edgewater Health, Community Health Net, CoAction, and Meals on Wheels.
• Food Rescue (Retail Rescue) Program rescuing surplus food from 40+ local retail stores and restaurants to prevent food waste and redistribute to pantries and soup kitchens across the region.
• Homeless Street Outreach Street-based case management and meal services in the City of Gary, operating five days a week to reach homeless individuals not in traditional shelters.
• Job Training Experiential job training program focusing on warehousing, logistics, and program implementation skills, partnering with Center of Workforce Innovation, WorkOne, GoodWill, United Way of Northwest Indiana, and Lake County Juvenile Court.
• Diaper Bank Diaper distribution program through Mobile Markets and agency partners, addressing the choice many families face between clean diapers and food.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of donated funds go directly to food and food programs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• Soirée 2026 Event SponsorsmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 May 2026Annual gala sponsors including Hard Rock Casino, NiSource/NIPSCO, Barrister Title, bp, Purdue Northwest, Powers Health, Indiana Beverage, and 20+ other local businesses.
• Allen Law GroupcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 November 2025Law firm that has donated Thanksgiving meals annually since 1994. Donated 1,200 Thanksgiving dinners (whole turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, pie) in 2025.
• City of GarymajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 November 2025City received $275,500 for food assistance through Community Development Block Grant, Gary Sanitary District, Indiana Water, and corporate donors to support residents without SNAP benefits.
• Opportunity EnterprisessecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2025Valparaiso organization operating Shared Table Food Pantry as a live classroom where clients with disabilities are trained in retail operations. Served 750 individuals since June 2025.
• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational hunger-relief organization network of 200 food banks. The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana is a member, providing access to national resources, best practices, and collective purchasing power.
• Strack & Van TilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal grocery retailer that helped save the Food Bank from closing in 1989. Historical partner that rallied community support.
• Healthcare Partners (Food is Medicine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedically tailored grocery programs with HealthLinc, Regional Health Systems, Franciscan Health, Powers Health, Methodist Hospitals, Edgewater Health, Community Health Net, CoAction, Meals on Wheels. Programs target infant/maternal mortality, diabetes, heart disease, and mental health.
• Workforce Development PartnerssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerJob training partnerships with Center of Workforce Innovation, WorkOne, GoodWill, United Way of Northwest Indiana, and Lake County Juvenile Court. Programs focus on warehousing, logistics, and program implementation skills.
• Retail Food Rescue PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMore than 40 local retail stores and restaurants donate surplus food that would otherwise go to landfill. Food Bank drivers rescue this food weekly for redistribution.
• Sojourner Truth HousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGary nonprofit assisting homeless and at-risk women and children. Distributes food and resources Tuesday through Thursday, serving more than 3,000 individuals monthly.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National hunger-relief umbrella organization of 200 food banks. Direct network membership and primary funding/distribution channel for the Food Bank of NWI; relevant for benchmarking and as a structural counterparty rather than a direct competitor.
• Food Bank for New York City: Large Feeding America food bank running pantry sourcing, mobile distributions, SNAP outreach, and nutrition education. Significantly larger scale, but the operating model and program mix are directly comparable.

Regional players

• Midwest Food Bank: Multi-state Feeding America food bank with locations across the Midwest, including Indiana. Comparable in operating model (food rescue, mobile distributions, partner agency distribution) and in leveraging volunteer labor at scale.
• Greater Chicago Food Depository: Feeding America food bank serving Cook County, IL. Comparable partner-agency model, mobile distributions, and federal program participation; while it serves a much larger urban geography just across the NWI border, the operating model is highly aligned.

Direct peers

• Food Bank of Northern Indiana: Feeding America food bank serving northern Indiana counties (including St. Joseph and Elkhart). Same state, same federal funding sources (TEFAP/CSFP), and overlapping donor/agency dynamics make it the closest direct regional peer.
• Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank: Feeding America regional food bank in Ohio with a similar mid-sized footprint, partner agency model, and federal program participation. Comparable in scale and service mix including Food Link healthcare partnerships.
• St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance: One of the largest Feeding America food banks in the U.S., serving Arizona. Comparable in operating model (agency network, mobile distributions, food rescue, and direct-service programs targeting kids, seniors, and veterans).
• Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana: Feeding America-affiliated food bank serving central and southern Indiana. Directly comparable as a state-level peer with similar mix of partner agency network, mobile distributions, SNAP outreach, and federal TEFAP/CSFP funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/foodbanknwi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/foodbankofnwi
• Facebookfacebook.com/FoodBankofNorthwestIndiana
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/food-bank-of-northwest-indiana
• Instagraminstagram.com/foodbanknwi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Food Bank of Northwest Indiana