Amherst Survival Center

What Amherst Survival Center does

The Amherst Survival Center (legal entity Survival Centers, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1976 and headquartered at 138 Sunderland Road, North Amherst, Massachusetts. It provides free food, healthcare, clothing, hygiene, and wraparound social services to residents of 13 towns across Hampshire and Franklin Counties in western Massachusetts, with a separate Campus Pantry location at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Core programs include a monthly Food Pantry with curbside pickup and home delivery (~1,000 people/month), daily Community Meals (325 free lunches served M/T/Th/F), daily Fresh Food Distribution, a Mobile Food Pantry, a free drop-in Health Clinic, and a Resource Center offering showers, laundry, mail service, lockers, and SNAP/housing/heat-assistance navigation. The organization also runs two annual fundraising events — Empty Bowls (18th year) and Hike for Hunger (7th year, $35,000 goal) — and the Neighborhood Food Project door-to-door food collection program. Services are free to all users with no income cap, no documentation requirements, and no citizenship questions.

The operating model is volunteer-intensive, with more than 250 weekly and 300+ monthly volunteers supporting a small paid staff. The technology stack is composed of standard SaaS tools (Oasis Insight for pantry registration, DonorPerfect for donations, Calendly for scheduling, RunReg for event registration, QuestionPro for surveys, plus PayPal and Venmo for payment processing) rather than any proprietary platform. There are no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary technology systems. Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropic channels — individual donations (more than half the operating budget), business sponsorships, planned giving, qualified charitable distributions, securities donations, solar net-metering credits, and community grants — with a current operating budget of $2.1M plus more than $2.5M of in-kind contributions (primarily donated food). The organization has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and is governed by an independent volunteer Board of Directors.

Name

Amherst Survival Center

Legal name

Survival Centers, Inc.

Website

https://amherstsurvival.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Amherst Survival Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in North Amherst, Massachusetts that provides free food, healthcare, clothing, and social services to residents of 13 towns across Hampshire and Franklin Counties through food pantries, daily community meals, a mobile pantry, a free health clinic, and wraparound resource programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Food pantry services
• Community social services
• Emergency food assistance
• Homeless support services
• Community health clinic

Headquarters

HQ city

North Amherst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly recurring donations from individual supporters; more than half of annual operating budget comes directly from individuals; monthly sustainers provide steady, reliable support.
2. Business and Community Sponsorships: Local businesses sponsor programs, events (Empty Bowls, Hike for Hunger), and provide in-kind donations of goods and services.
3. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Bequests in wills or estate plans; legacy gifts to sustain operations for future generations.
4. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD): Tax-free distributions from IRAs for donors age 70½ or older, up to $100,000 annually.
5. Securities and Stock Donations: Donations of stock and securities are accepted and acknowledged.
6. Solar Net Metering Credits: Donations of net metering credits from solar panel owners to offset the Center's electricity costs.
7. Community Grants: Annual grants from Florence Bank's Customers' Choice Community Grants Program, awarded based on customer votes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Amherst Survival Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community resource center providing free food (food pantry, daily community meals, fresh food distribution, mobile pantry), a free weekly health clinic, and wraparound social services (showers, laundry, mail service, lockers, clothing, and resource navigation) for residents of 13 towns in Hampshire and Franklin Counties in western Massachusetts. The organization also operates a satellite Campus Pantry at UMass Amherst and runs a Neighborhood Food Project door-to-door collection program.

Product overview

Amherst Survival Center is a nonprofit community resource organization (not a technology company) offering a suite of free social service programs focused on food security, health, and community support. The core service portfolio includes a Food Pantry (with curbside pickup and delivery options), Community Meals (daily hot lunch and breakfast), Fresh Food Distribution (daily produce/bread distribution), and a Mobile Food Pantry. A separate Campus Pantry operates at UMass Amherst. Additional services include a Health Clinic, Resource Center with wraparound services, and temporarily closed Community Store. The organization runs two major annual fundraising events—Hike for Hunger and Empty Bowls—along with a Neighborhood Food Project community collection program. All services are free and open to the public with no income or citizenship requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Pantry

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 10,000-12,000 people served annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Food Bank of Western MassachusettscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in network of mobile food programs in western Massachusetts. Amherst Survival Center participates as part of Food Bank's mobile food distribution network.
• ALDIminorOthersFood recovery partner - stores donate surplus food that is picked up by Center volunteers and distributed to community.
• Atkins FarmsminorOthersFood recovery partner donating surplus produce and goods.
• Big YminorOthersFood recovery partner donating surplus food items.
• Panera BreadminorOthersFood recovery partner donating bread and baked goods.
• StarbucksminorOthersFood recovery partner donating surplus food.
• Stop & ShopminorOthersFood recovery partner donating surplus food items.
• Trader Joe'sminorOthersFood recovery partner donating surplus food.
• Whole Foods MarketminorOthersFood recovery partner donating surplus food.
• Amherst College Book and Plow FarmminorOthersFarmers Fighting Hunger partner donating fresh produce.
• Brookfield FarmminorOthersFarmers Fighting Hunger partner donating fresh produce.
• Hampshire College FarmminorOthersFarmers Fighting Hunger partner donating fresh produce.
• UMass Hydro FarmminorOthersFarmers Fighting Hunger partner donating fresh produce.
• Rachel's TableminorOthersGenerous in-kind contributor supporting Center's mission.
• Dakin Humane SocietyminorOthersCommunity partner and fellow nonprofit organization.
• United WayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting community initiatives.
• Kestrel Land TrustminorOthersCommunity partner providing trail maps and hosting group hikes for Hike for Hunger event.
• Ashland Food ProjectminorOthersOriginal organization in Oregon that developed the food collection model adopted by Neighborhood Food Project in 2018.
• AmazonSmileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazonSmile program donates 0.5% of eligible purchases to Amherst Survival Center when designated as beneficiary.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Open Pantry of Greater Lowell: Community-based food pantry and meal program serving Greater Lowell, Massachusetts. Operates a comparable no-barrier, free food assistance model with community meals and food distribution, similar to Amherst Survival Center's core services.
• Food Bank of Western Massachusetts: Regional food bank serving Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin counties—the same western Massachusetts region where Amherst Survival Center operates. A core strategic partner of ASC through its mobile food distribution network.
• The Open Door: Community food assistance program on Cape Ann, Massachusetts providing free groceries and meal programs with a no-barrier access model closely mirroring Amherst Survival Center's service philosophy.
• Craig's Doors: Homeless services organization in Amherst, Massachusetts providing shelter, meals, and case management. Directly comparable to ASC's services for individuals experiencing homelessness (showers, laundry, mail service, lockers, survival supplies).
• Mansfield Friendly Service Center: Ohio-based community resource center providing free food pantry, clothing, and emergency assistance with a no-barrier model similar to Amherst Survival Center's approach to serving neighbors in need.

Broad incumbents

• Greater Boston Food Bank: Largest hunger-relief organization in Massachusetts with a much broader geographic footprint and scale. Comparable mission and food distribution model, but operates as a regional wholesaler rather than a community-facing pantry.
• Worcester County Food Bank: Regional food bank serving central Massachusetts, comparable to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts network. Engages in food distribution, mobile pantries, and partner agency support similar to ASC's food recovery and distribution model.
• Philabundance: Leading hunger-relief organization serving Southeast Pennsylvania, where ASC's Campus Pantry Manager began his career. Comparable food distribution and mobile pantry operations at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• Stavros Center for Independent Living: Western Massachusetts nonprofit providing independent living services, housing assistance, and community support for people with disabilities—comparable mission in the same region and overlapping client populations served by Amherst Survival Center.

Others

• United Way of Hampshire County: Partner organization and strategic collaborator supporting community initiatives in the same Hampshire County service region. Comparable nonprofit social services infrastructure, though operating as a funder/convener rather than direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/amherstsurvival
• Facebookfacebook.com/amherstsurvival
• Instagraminstagram.com/amherstsurvival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amherst-survival-center

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Amherst Survival Center