Talbot County Empty Bowls

Name

Talbot County Empty Bowls

Legal name

Talbot County Empty Bowls (operating as Empty Bowls Talbot Fund)

Website

https://talbotcountyemptybowls.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief Nonprofit Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Community fundraising events
• Hunger relief programs
• Food insecurity outreach
• Nonprofit charity initiatives
• Food pantry funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Annapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Ticket Sales: Community dinner tickets sold at $30 per person for annual fundraising events. Guests receive a hand-painted bowl to keep and soup donated by local restaurants.
2. Corporate and Individual Sponsorships: Sponsorship tiers (Silver Spoon, Crock Pot, Bowl of Soup, Cup of Soup) with recognition benefits including tickets, social media mentions, and table signage.
3. General Donations: Tax-deductible donations collected through Mid-Shore Community Foundation's donation platform. Donations go directly to local food pantries.
4. Grants: Foundation grants such as Qlarant Foundation's $4,000 grant in 2025, and grants enabling community groups to paint bowls at no cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Talbot County Empty Bowls is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds through annual community dinner events, bowl painting programs, sponsorships, and direct donations. It distributes 100% of the proceeds to nine local food pantries and three meal providers serving food-insecure residents of Talbot County, Maryland.

Product overview

Talbot County Empty Bowls is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a grassroots community initiative focused on eliminating food insecurity in Talbot County, Maryland. The organization functions as a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. Its primary offerings include annual community dinner events where hand-painted bowls are used to serve soup donated by local restaurants, a bowl painting program involving local artists and students, a food pantry directory listing county hunger relief organizations, and ongoing community outreach at events like the Easton Farmers Market. All funds raised through these activities are distributed directly to local food pantries serving Talbot County residents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Community Dinner Events Flagship fundraising event where community members purchase tickets at $30 per person to enjoy soup and bread served in hand-painted bowls created by local artists and students. The event raises funds distributed to Talbot County food pantries serving food-insecure residents.
• Bowl Painting Program Community engagement program where community members paint ceramic bowls at Kiln Born Creations or community spaces. Painted bowls are used at annual dinner events and sold/donated to support the hunger relief cause.
• Direct Donation Processing Tax-deductible donation processing service channeled through the Mid-Shore Community Foundation's fcsuite platform, with all funds going directly to Talbot County food pantries.
• Corporate and Individual Sponsorships Tiered sponsorship packages (Silver Spoon, Crock Pot, Bowl of Soup, Cup of Soup) offering recognition benefits including event tickets, social media mentions, and table signage for the annual community dinner.
• Fundraising Raffles Raffle entries sold at $10-$20 per entry for special events such as BluePoint Hospitality and Piazza Wine Dinner raffles, with prizes including restaurant gift cards and dining experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• $320,613+ distributed to Talbot County food pantries since 2009
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Mid-Shore Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Fiscal sponsor and fund administrator for Talbot County Empty Bowls. The Empty Bowls Talbot Fund is a component fund of MSCF, a public 501(c)(3) charity. Contributions are fully tax-deductible. MSCF processes all donations and provides administrative support.
• Talbot County Hunger CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in addressing food insecurity. Partnership enables coordinated distribution of funds to food pantries and joint awareness campaigns about hunger in Talbot County.
• Kiln Born CreationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for bowl painting workshops. Located at 1 S. Washington Street, Easton. Reservations available at 410-770-9091. Community members paint bowls that are donated to the annual Empty Bowls dinner.
• BluePoint HospitalitymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRestaurant group including Bas Rouge, The Wardroom, The Stewart, Sunflowers and Greens, Weather Gage, Bonheur, Bumble Bee Juice, Roma, and Bordier. Donates soups for events and provides gift cards for raffles.
• Local Restaurants (Soup Donors)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipating restaurants donate soup and bread for community dinners. Includes Bistro St. Michaels, Bluepoint Hospitality, Garden and Garnish, Hambleton House, Piazza, Pope's Tavern, Tea at the General Store, The Ivy Cafe, Old Brick Inn, Oxford Inn, Gourmet by the Bay, Doc's Downtown Grille, and Panera Bread.
• Panera BreadmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonates bread for annual community dinners. Ongoing partner supporting Empty Bowls events.
• The Royal Oak MusiciansminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides live music entertainment at annual community dinners, contributing to the festive community atmosphere.
• Local Schools and The Academy Art MuseumminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHigh school art classes and The Academy Art Museum's pottery studio contribute hand-painted bowls for community dinners.
• Food Pantry PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNine food pantries and three meal providers receive distributed funds. Includes: Helping Hands/Tilghman Island Food Pantry, Care Packs, Neighborhood Service Center, Harvest of Hope Food Pantry, St. Michaels Community Center, Tilghman Food Pantry, Royal Oak Methodist Church, Scotts United Methodist Church Pantry on the Go, St. Vincent de Paul, and St. Mark's Pantry.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Capital Area Food Bank: Regional food bank serving the Washington DC / Maryland suburbs. Comparable as a regional hunger-relief intermediary that aggregates donations and distributes to local pantries, similar in mechanism to Empty Bowls' role in Talbot County.
• Manna Food Center: Montgomery County, MD-based food bank and pantry operator. Comparable community food assistance nonprofit at a similar organizational scale, distributing food through partner pantries and direct service programs.
• Maryland Food Bank: Statewide food bank serving Maryland including the Eastern Shore. Direct functional peer in food distribution and pantries across the same geography where Talbot County Empty Bowls raises and deploys funds.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: Largest U.S. hunger-relief nonprofit operating a nationwide network of 200+ food banks. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in the food assistance space that Talbot County Empty Bowls ultimately funds at the local level.
• Meals on Wheels America: National network providing meals to seniors and food-insecure individuals. Comparable as a community-based, donor-funded nonprofit focused on direct food delivery to vulnerable populations — the same end-customer served by Empty Bowls-funded pantries.
• No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength): National campaign ending childhood hunger via grants to local anti-hunger programs. Comparable mission overlap — addressing child food insecurity (15% of Talbot County children) — and similar grant-based funding mechanics.

Emerging players

• Food Recovery Network: National student-led nonprofit recovering surplus food for hunger relief. Comparable grassroots, volunteer-driven hunger-relief model and similar reliance on community partnerships and events to fund operations.

Others

• Mid-Shore Community Foundation: Fiscal sponsor and partner of Talbot County Empty Bowls. Comparable as a community foundation that houses donor-advised and component funds, processes donations, and channels resources to local nonprofits on the Eastern Shore.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TalbotCountyEmptyBowls

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

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 Talbot County Empty Bowls