Food Bank Council of Michigan

What Food Bank Council of Michigan does

Food Bank Council of Michigan (FBCM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1984 and headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, that functions as the statewide coordinating body for Michigan's hunger-relief network. It unites seven regional member food banks to deliver emergency food assistance across all 83 Michigan counties, reaching more than 1.6 million Michiganders annually. FBCM's primary constituent groups are food-insecure families, children (approximately 300,000 in Michigan, or 1 in 7), seniors (over 127,000 facing food insecurity), and rural communities with limited food access, particularly in Prosperity Region 8 of southwest Michigan. Its role is to provide unified strategy, policy advocacy, and program infrastructure rather than to distribute food directly.

FBCM's core product set consists of interconnected programs rather than a traditional technology platform. The Michigan Agricultural Surplus System (MASS) purchases excess produce from local farmers and routes it through the food bank network (e.g., 300,000 pounds of vegetables from a single 120-acre southwest Michigan farm in one season). The Fresh Food Pharmacy integrates food access with clinical care for diet-related conditions. The F.O.R. Helpline provides SNAP benefits navigation. Hunters Feeding Michigan connects hunter-donated venison to pantries via a Michigan DNR partnership. AgConnect links farmers to hunger relief, and USDA Programs administer federal commodity distribution. FBCM also operates the Food First Michigan podcast and the annual Michigan Food as Medicine Summit (MiFAM) and Michigan Harvest Gathering events, and publishes the Michigan Hunger Study 2024 in partnership with Michigan State University. There is no proprietary technology platform, API, or AI/ML capability; the platform is organizational and relational rather than technical.

FBCM operates as a grant- and donation-funded nonprofit with no commercial pricing; services to beneficiaries are provided free of charge. Revenue streams include corporate and foundation grants (notably a $1 million 2025 grant from Centene Corp and Meridian Health Plan for rural southwest Michigan and a $250,000 Consumers Energy Foundation grant), state and federal government appropriations (including a $4.5 million Governor's allocation and Detroit municipal funding during SNAP uncertainty), USDA program pass-through, corporate partnerships (DoorDash delivery partnership exceeding 1 million meals delivered), and individual tax-deductible donations. The 501(c)(3) is governed by an independent board with no parent company. Distribution is executed through the seven member food banks acting as channels, and a leadership transition is planned for late September 2026 with the retirement of CEO Dr. Phil Knight and the appointment of Dawn Opel as President.

Name

Food Bank Council of Michigan

Legal name

Food Bank Council of Michigan

Website

https://fbcmich.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Food Bank Council of Michigan is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coordinating seven regional food banks to deliver emergency food, agricultural surplus programs, and Food-as-Medicine initiatives to 1.6 million Michiganders across all 83 counties, funded by grants, government appropriations, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief and Emergency Food Assistance Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAA

Food Assistance & Food Banks

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

SECONDARYBPADAJAG

Food Systems & Value Chain Development for Nutrition

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Food Security & Nutrition Programs

Keywords

• Hunger relief services
• Food bank coordination
• Emergency food assistance
• SNAP benefit support
• Agricultural surplus redistribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue from grants including the $1 million grant from Centene Corp and Meridian Health Plan for food access and health equity programs in rural southwest Michigan
2. Government Funding: State and federal funding including Michigan Governor's $4.5 million allocation and Detroit Mayor's $1.75 million to local food banks during SNAP uncertainty
3. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals and organizations supporting hunger relief efforts. Organization is registered 501(c)(3)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Food Bank Council of Michigan is a statewide nonprofit coordinating body that unites seven regional food banks to deliver emergency food resources, SNAP enrollment assistance, agricultural surplus redistribution, and food-as-medicine programs across all 83 Michigan counties. Its core service is the network coordination and program administration that channels donated and purchased food through member food banks, healthcare-linked food pharmacies, venison donation programs, and farmer surplus purchasing to reach food-insecure Michiganders.

Product overview

The Food Bank Council of Michigan (FBCM) operates as a nonprofit hunger-relief organization founded in 1984 that coordinates a statewide network of seven regional food banks serving all 83 Michigan counties. The organization functions as a platform offering multiple interconnected programs: the Michigan Agricultural Surplus System (MASS) purchases excess produce from local farmers to distribute through food pantries; the Fresh Food Pharmacy integrates food access with healthcare; Hunters Feeding Michigan connects deer donations with food banks; the F.O.R. Helpline assists with SNAP benefits; and AgConnect links farmers with hunger relief. FBCM also operates the Food First Michigan podcast platform and publishes the Michigan Hunger Study research. The organization does not offer a technology product, API, or AI/ML capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Michigan Agricultural Surplus System (MASS): A statewide program that buys excess food from local farmers to stock food pantries, supporting Michigan farmers while helping ensure access to nutritious food across all 83 counties.
• F.O.R. Helpline
• Fresh Food Pharmacy
• Hunters Feeding Michigan
• AgConnect
• Food First Michigan

Products and services

• Michigan Agricultural Surplus System (MASS) Statewide program that purchases excess food from local farmers to stock food pantries across Michigan, simultaneously supporting Michigan farmers and families facing food insecurity.
• F.O.R. Helpline (Food Resources Helpline) Helpline providing assistance with SNAP benefits and connecting Michigan residents to local food resources.
• Fresh Food Pharmacy Program that integrates food access with healthcare, providing fresh produce to patients referred by healthcare providers to improve diet-related health outcomes.
• Hunters Feeding Michigan Program connecting deer donations from Michigan hunters with food banks and community organizations statewide to provide protein to families in need; the program set records for donated venison in 2025.
• AgConnect Agricultural connectivity program linking farmers with hunger-relief efforts and channeling farm-sourced food into food banks across Michigan.
• USDA Programs Programs that administer USDA food assistance resources including commodity distribution and nutrition programs across the Michigan food bank network.
• Food Bank Network coordination Statewide coordination of seven regional member food banks delivering emergency hunger relief across all 83 Michigan counties and serving more than 1.6 million Michiganders annually.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 1.6 million Michiganders annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Michigan DNRcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2025Michigan DNR contracted with FBCM to support the Hunters Feeding Michigan program, connecting hunters and food banks to provide venison to families in need. Program broke records for donated venison in 2025.
• DoorDashcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 August 2024Partnership celebrating more than 1 million meals delivered in Michigan through food bank delivery services. Collaboration with Food Bank of Eastern Michigan and State Rep. Martus.
• Michigan Health & Hospital AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Health Access & Community Impact Council to discuss Food as Medicine strategies and integrate social and clinical care. Michigan Health & Hospital Association received Bill & Cynthia Schuette Award in 2020.
• Michigan State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership conducting Michigan Hunger Study 2024 - first-of-its-kind statewide survey in a decade providing comprehensive data on households served through the FBCM member network, including intersections with employment, health, housing, and public benefits.
• South Michigan Food BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember food bank purchasing produce through Michigan Agricultural Surplus System, including 300,000 pounds of vegetables from Lee and Karen Swift's 120-acre southwest Michigan farm.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma: Regional food bank serving 53 Oklahoma counties — comparable statewide reach and partner-pantry distribution model.
• St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance: Large regional food bank serving Arizona — comparable distribution scale and food sourcing programs.
• Foodshare: Regional food bank serving Connecticut's Hartford and New Haven regions — comparable hunger-relief coordination and partner-pantry network.
• Mid-Ohio Food Collective: Regional food bank operating across central and northeast Ohio — comparable multi-county coordination and direct-distribution model.
• California Association of Food Banks: State-level association of 41 California food banks coordinating hunger relief across a single state — virtually identical operating model to FBCM in Michigan.
• Oregon Food Bank: Statewide food bank organization operating its own distribution network plus partner pantries across Oregon and SW Washington — analogous statewide coordination role.
• Greater Chicago Food Depository: Regional food bank serving Cook County, IL — comparable member-network structure and large-scale food distribution mission.
• North Texas Food Bank: Large regional food bank distributing across 13 North Texas counties — comparable scale and distribution-network model.
• Food Bank of New York: Major metropolitan food bank serving NYC — comparable distribution scale and member-pantry network structure.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National umbrella network for 200+ food banks across the U.S., including several FBCM member banks. Directly comparable as the largest hunger-relief coordinating body in the country.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Food Bank Council of Michigan