MANNA FoodBank

What MANNA FoodBank does

MANNA FoodBank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the only food bank serving the 16 counties of Western North Carolina plus the Qualla Boundary, a 6,434-square-mile region anchored from a warehouse and headquarters at 99 Broadpointe Drive, Mills River, NC. Founded in 1983, the organization functions as a regional food sourcing, rescue, and redistribution hub, collecting food from farms, grocery retailers, food companies, and government programs and distributing it through a network of 300+ partner agencies, 100+ schools, and a Community Mobile Markets program that runs 35+ events per month. In FY2024-2025, MANNA distributed 23,021,359 pounds of food and provided 19,184,465 meals, with 191,320 average monthly neighbor visits; its disaster response capacity was demonstrated during Hurricane Helene in 2024, when it distributed approximately 24.3 million pounds of relief food.

Core products and programs include bulk food distribution to the Partner Agency Network, Community Mobile Markets, the multilingual Food Finder map and Food Helpline (828-290-9749), SNAP and WIC application support, NC 211 referrals, youth programs (MANNA Packs, Summer Packs, school pantries), disaster response, partner food-safety training and certification, and a Neighbor Experience feedback program. Supporting technology is conventional rather than differentiated: a public-facing food locator, a digital intake platform used by partner agencies, a Primarius-based partner ordering portal, and operational infrastructure newly augmented by two Footprint Project Cooler Bees solar-powered refrigerated trailers and a rooftop solar grid.

MANNA's revenue model is donation-driven, comprising individual giving, corporate and workplace giving, in-kind food donations, planned/legacy gifts, special events and raffles, and government grants. Food assistance is provided free to recipients with no ID required and self-declared need verification. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors under CEO Claire Neal, staffed by 51–100 employees with the equivalent of 33 additional full-time volunteer contributors annually, and is a member of the Feeding America network of 200+ regional food banks.

Name

MANNA FoodBank

Legal name

MANNA FoodBank

Website

https://mannafoodbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

MANNA FoodBank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit food bank and the sole regional food bank serving 16 Western North Carolina counties and the Qualla Boundary, sourcing and redistributing food through 300+ partner agencies, 100+ schools, and mobile markets to neighbors facing food insecurity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank and Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF), Meal Program Compliance & Administration (NSLP/SBP, Reimbursements) (EDAEAEAC), Child Nutrition & Meal Programs (CACFP/Snack Programs) (EDACAMAA)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Hunger relief programs
• Food distribution network
• Community food assistance
• Nonprofit charitable services

Headquarters

HQ city

Asheville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monetary donations from individuals, families, and community members to support hunger relief operations
2. Corporate and Workplace Giving: Corporate gifts, workplace giving campaigns, and employee matching gift programs from business partners
3. Food Donations: Receipt of food donations from farms, grocery stores, food companies, and government programs for redistribution
4. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Legacy gifts including wills, charitable gift annuities, remainder trusts, and endowed gifts for long-term sustainability
5. Special Events and Raffles: Annual fundraising events including Empty Bowls, Table for Three raffle, and community campaigns

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

MANNA FoodBank is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional food bank that sources, warehouses, and redistributes donated and purchased food through a network of 300+ partner agencies, community mobile markets, and school-based programs across 16 counties of Western North Carolina and the Qualla Boundary. The organization provides free food assistance to individuals and families facing food insecurity, along with supplemental nutrition program enrollment support, food safety training for partner agencies, and disaster response operations.

Product overview

MANNA FoodBank operates as a regional food bank — a central distribution hub for the charitable food system in Western North Carolina — rather than a single product. Its core offering is food sourcing, rescue, and redistribution delivered through multiple interconnected programs: bulk food distributed to a 300+ Partner Agency Network (food pantries, meal sites, schools, food hubs); Community Mobile Markets bringing free food directly to underserved areas; a Food Finder map and Food Helpline connecting residents to resources; SNAP and WIC application assistance; and youth meal programs (MANNA Packs, Summer Packs, School Pantries) serving children across 100+ schools. Supporting services include volunteer engagement, food safety training and certification for partners, disaster response, advocacy for anti-hunger policy, and community fundraising events. The organization functions as part of the Feeding America network of 200+ food banks serving every U.S. county.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Pantry Distribution

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributed 23,021,359 pounds of food and provided 19,184,465 meals in FY 2024-2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and moderate.

• The Fresh MarketminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 March 2026The Fresh Market reopened its Hendersonville store and marked the occasion with a $5,000 donation to MANNA Food Bank. Partnership reflects corporate engagement in local hunger relief.
• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMANNA is one of 200+ regional food banks in the Feeding America network. As part of this network, MANNA accesses national resources, emergency food mobilization capacity, policy advocacy strength, and shared best practices for serving communities across the United States.
• Feeding the CarolinascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level advocacy partnership with Feeding the Carolinas for stronger hunger policies in North Carolina. MANNA works with local and state officials and other food banks to advocate for anti-hunger legislation.
• Food ConnectionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFor prepared food donations (which MANNA cannot accept), donors are referred to Food Connection, a partner organization that handles prepared meal donations.
• Footprint ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for renewable energy and disaster resiliency. Footprint Project donated 2 'Cooler Bees' solar-powered refrigerated trailers and MANNA is installing a large solar grid on warehouse roof. The partnership increases sustainability and emergency response capacity.
• Ingles MarketsmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerGrocery partner that conducts milk drives to support childhood hunger. The Ingles Milk Drive raised more than 3,000 gallons of milk for MANNA's distribution network. Also hosts annual Giving Tree holiday campaign.
• National Association of Letter CarriersmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Stamp Out Hunger food drive where letter carriers collect non-perishable food from mailboxes for delivery to food banks. Drive provided nearly 15,000 pounds of food for MANNA in 2026.
• Project POWER AmeriCorpsmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerMANNA partners with Project POWER AmeriCorps to recruit two AmeriCorps members to support MANNA's programs, volunteers, and data-informed work across Western North Carolina.
• Terpsicorps Theatre of DanceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPerforming arts partnership during July featuring 'Movement for MANNA' event and 'AscenDANCE' performance at Wortham Center. Combines performing arts with hunger relief awareness.
• WNC Agricultural CenterminorOthersVenue partner for annual Pack to Give Back corporate volunteer events at the WNC Agricultural Center. 200 volunteers from 17 teams packed over 24,000 pounds of beans at 3rd Annual Pack to Give Back.
• Momentum GalleryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of 'Movement for MANNA' event combining art gallery space with dance performance and community impact for hunger relief awareness.
• Wortham Center for Performing ArtsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for AscenDANCE performance featuring director Heather Maloy's 'HUNGER' dance piece presented in collaboration with MANNA FoodBank.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina: Larger North Carolina Feeding America food bank operating across a multi-county service area with similar pantries, mobile markets, child nutrition, and SNAP outreach; same regional regulatory environment and donor pool makes it a strong operational and policy comp for MANNA.
• Food Bank For New York City: Urban-focused Feeding America food bank with pantries, mobile markets, SNAP outreach, and youth nutrition programs; comparable on programming breadth and benefit-enrollment strategy even though the geography is denser than rural WNC.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina: Regional Feeding America food bank serving northwest North Carolina with a comparable hub-and-spoke model (partner agency network, mobile distributions, school programs); directly comparable in scale, mission, and operational footprint to MANNA and most useful for benchmarking tonnage, volunteer leverage, and event fundraising.
• Gleaners Community Food Bank: Mid-size Feeding America regional food bank with a comparable partner-agency, mobile pantry, and child nutrition program structure; useful operational analog for tonnage-per-employee and volunteer leverage comparisons.
• Midwest Food Bank: Faith-rooted regional food bank with hub distribution, mobile pantries, disaster response, and USDA/FEMA partnerships; comparable on mission-aligned operating model and emergency food distribution scope.
• Atlanta Community Food Bank: Major Southeastern U.S. Feeding America member food bank serving a multi-county metro and rural footprint through partner agencies, mobile pantries, and child nutrition programs; comparable scale and operational sophistication, useful as a benchmark for capacity expansion and partner density.
• Foodlink (Rochester): Regional food bank serving upstate New York with a partner agency network, mobile markets, and nutrition education; comparable nonprofit scale, regional structure, and reliance on donations and volunteer capacity make it a strong operational comp.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National network of 200+ regional food banks that MANNA is a member of; provides national brand, disaster mobilization, and policy advocacy capacity. Comparable because it sits above MANNA in the value chain as the convener, supplier, and policy platform for the same community food distribution model.
• North Texas Food Bank: Large regional Feeding America food bank with extensive partner agency, mobile, and child nutrition programs including backpack/Weekend Bag-style initiatives; comparable on hub-and-spoke model and disaster preparedness investments.
• Houston Food Bank: One of the largest U.S. food banks with extensive partner agency, mobile distribution, and disaster response programs; comparable on the hub-and-spoke model and Feeding America affiliation while operating at significantly larger scale, useful for understanding growth trajectories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MANNAFoodBank

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

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 MANNA FoodBank