The Idaho Foodbank

What The Idaho Foodbank does

The Idaho Foodbank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1984 and headquartered in Meridian, Idaho. It is the largest charitable food assistance organization in the state of Idaho and a member of the Feeding America network. The organization distributes food to approximately 213,000 Idahoans per month through a network of more than 440 community partner agencies — including rescue missions, church pantries, emergency shelters, and community kitchens — operating across 44 counties via three regional warehouses in Meridian (main), Lewiston (North Central), and Pocatello (Eastern Idaho). Northern Idaho counties (Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Shoshone, Benewah) are covered through a reciprocal arrangement with Spokane's Second Harvest Food Bank.

Its core product is a multi-channel food distribution platform organized around population-specific programs: Backpack Program, School Pantry, and Summer Food for children; Mobile Pantry, TEFAP, and SNAP enrollment assistance for families and individuals; Senior Nutrition (CSFP) for adults aged 60+; a Rural and Focus Communities initiative targeting frontier and underserved areas; Cooking Matters nutrition education; and a Food Rescue program that recovers perishable food from retailers, farms, and food service operators. Supporting infrastructure includes a Food Assistance Locator map tool, the Nourish 365 monthly sustainer program, and operational integrations with VolunteerHub (volunteer scheduling), Agency Express (partner ordering), and findhelpidaho.org (statewide social services referral).

The business model is donation-based rather than commercial. Revenue streams comprise individual monetary donations (one-time and Nourish 365 recurring), corporate sponsorships and employee fund drives (Clearwater Analytics, Stinker Stores, Idaho Power, St. Luke's, Alaska Airlines, WaFd Bank, Beef Counts, among others), and in-kind food donations from farms, food industry partners, and retail grocers. The organization reports that 94% of monetary donations flow directly to hunger-relief activities, with $5 providing up to 15 meals, and has held a Charity Navigator four-star rating for 14 consecutive years. Leadership is provided by President & CEO Karen Vauk, with a Board chaired by Rick Stott.

Name

The Idaho Foodbank

Legal name

The Idaho Foodbank

Website

https://idahofoodbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Idaho Foodbank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and Feeding America member that distributes food to approximately 213,000 Idahoans monthly through 440+ partner agencies and three regional warehouses, supported by individual donations, corporate partnerships, and food rescue operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank / Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Meridian

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monetary donations from individuals, with $5 providing up to 15 meals. Monthly sustainer program (Nourish 365) offers recurring donation options. 94% of donations go directly to hunger-relief activities.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships and employee fund drives from companies like Clearwater Analytics, Stinker Stores, Idaho Power, St. Luke's, and others. Includes matching gift programs and cause marketing campaigns.
3. Food Donations: Accepts fresh produce and non-perishable food donations from individuals, farms, food industry, and retail grocers. Distributed through partner network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Idaho Foodbank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that collects, warehouses, and distributes free food to food-insecure Idahoans through a network of 400+ community partner agencies (rescue missions, church pantries, emergency shelters, community kitchens) across 44 Idaho counties, supplemented by direct-service programs targeting children, families, seniors, and rural communities.

Product overview

The Idaho Foodbank operates as a unified charitable food assistance organization serving the state of Idaho. Its core product portfolio centers on food distribution through a network of 440+ partner agencies serving approximately 179,000 Idahoans monthly across 44 counties. The product suite includes direct-service programs targeting specific populations: Children (Backpack Program, School Pantry, Summer Food), Families and Individuals (Mobile Pantry, TEFAP), and Seniors (Senior Nutrition, CSFP). Supporting services include SNAP enrollment assistance, Cooking Matters nutrition education, and Food Rescue for perishable goods. The Nourish 365 monthly giving program and Food Assistance Locator map tool enable donor and client engagement. All programs operate from three distribution hubs in Meridian (main), Lewiston (North Central), and Pocatello (Eastern Idaho).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Feeding America (Member): The Idaho Foodbank is a member of the Feeding America network, a national food bank organization.

Products and services

• Food Assistance Locator An interactive map-based directory that helps Idahoans find the closest food service provider in their area, with location and distance filtering.
• Nourish 365 Monthly Sustainer Program Monthly recurring giving program that enables donors to become ongoing sustainers of the organization's hunger-relief operations.
• Food Distribution Partner Network Network of 440+ community partners including rescue missions, church pantries, emergency shelters, and community kitchens distributing food to approximately 179,000 Idahoans monthly across 44 counties.
• Backpack Program Program providing backpack food kits to food-insecure children to take home over weekends and school breaks when school meal programs are unavailable.
• School Pantry Program On-site food pantries located within schools to provide convenient food access for students and their families.
• Summer Food Program Federally-funded program ensuring children have access to nutritious meals during summer break when school breakfast and lunch programs are not available.
• Mobile Pantry Direct distribution of food to underserved communities through mobile distribution sites, bringing food resources to populations with limited access to traditional food pantries.
• Senior Nutrition Program Program that improves the health and well-being of seniors age 60+ through providing nutritious food and nutrition education, including the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).
• SNAP Assistance Service helping Idahoans connect with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), providing Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards for purchasing eligible food items at participating retailers.
• TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) Federal program distributing USDA commodities to food-insecure individuals and families through the network of partner agencies.
• Food Rescue Program that rescues fresh produce and prepared foods from retailers, farms, and food service operations before spoilage occurs, redistributing to partner distribution sites statewide.
• Cooking Matters Nutrition education program teaching families and individuals how to shop for and prepare healthy meals on a limited budget, including classes and at-store education sessions.
• Rural and Focus Communities Initiative Dedicated effort to bring nutrition and resources to populations with limited or no access to resources needed to build healthy communities, including frontier and isolated rural populations.

Quantifiable outcome

• $5 donation = up to 15 meals
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

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

• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Feeding America network, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Provides access to national food sourcing, operational support, and shared best practices across food banks.
• Spokane's Second Harvest Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServes Northern Idaho counties (Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Shoshone, and Benewah) through partnership with Spokane's Second Harvest Food Bank.
• St. Luke's Health SystemmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSt. Luke's Health System partners with Idaho Foodbank for fundraising campaigns to support families in need.
• Clearwater AnalyticsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerClearwater Analytics sponsors the Season of Giving campaign and is a presenting sponsor for multiple fundraising events.
• Stinker StoresmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerStinker Stores presents Stomp Out Hunger campaign, presenting checks at community events including Idaho Steelheads games and Front Street Fights matches.
• Idaho PowermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerIdaho Power conducts annual employee holiday food drives supporting Idaho Foodbank operations.
• Alaska AirlinesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAlaska Airlines runs Pack the Plane food drive campaign, raising nearly $765,000 and donating more than 47,000 pounds of canned goods over six years.
• Beef CountsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership program sourcing beef donations for distribution to families in need.
• WaFd BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWaFd Bank (formerly Washington Federal) partners for Twilight Criterium cycling event and accepts food donations at branch locations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Midwest Food Bank: Multi-state regional food bank with a comparable volunteer-driven, partner-network charitable distribution model operating across several U.S. states.
• Food Bank of the Rockies: Large regional Feeding America food bank serving Colorado and Wyoming with a partner-network distribution model, mobile pantries, and similar child/senior nutrition programs.
• Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana: Mid-large Feeding America affiliate with comparable statewide partner-agency distribution, mobile pantry logistics, and child/senior/summer-food program sets.
• Spokane's Second Harvest: A regional Feeding America food bank that directly partners with The Idaho Foodbank to serve five northern Idaho counties. Operates the same charitable food-distribution model across the Pacific Northwest.
• St. Mary's Food Bank: One of the largest U.S. food banks by volume, operating a statewide distribution model via partner agencies with child and senior nutrition programs analogous to The Idaho Foodbank's.
• Capital Area Food Bank: Regional Feeding America food bank operating a partner-agency network with mobile pantries, SNAP outreach, and nutrition education similar to The Idaho Foodbank's program suite.
• Food Bank of Iowa: A Feeding America-affiliated statewide food bank with an overlapping partner-agency and direct-distribution program model serving a primarily rural, multi-county footprint.
• Oregon Food Bank: A Feeding America-affiliated statewide food bank with a comparable partner-agency network model, statewide warehouse footprint, and similar mission of distributing food through community partners across an entire U.S. state.

Broad incumbents

• California Association of Food Banks: Statewide association coordinating California's food banks, with a mission overlapping Idaho Foodbank's at the policy, sourcing, and partner-network level.
• Feeding America: The national umbrella organization whose network includes The Idaho Foodbank and ~200 other regional food banks. Comparable in mission and product (food sourcing, distribution) but operates at national scale rather than as a single affiliate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IdahoFoodbank
• Facebookfacebook.com/theidahofoodbank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-idaho-foodbank

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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 The Idaho Foodbank