Northern Virginia Food Rescue

What Northern Virginia Food Rescue does

Northern Virginia Food Rescue (NOVA-FR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a regional food rescue and redistribution network across Northern Virginia, headquartered at 10535 Battleview Parkway in Manassas, VA. The organization coordinates surplus food from grocery retailers, restaurants, and food distributors (50+ donors including Wegmans, Giant, Whole Foods, Sysco, Performance Foodservice, and US Foods) and routes it through volunteer-driven logistics to 70+ food pantries, schools, and community organizations. Its operational backbone is the Food Rescue Hero mobile application (iOS/Android), licensed from 412 Food Rescue in Pittsburgh, which allows volunteers to claim and complete food rescue routes in real time.

The organization's program portfolio extends beyond direct rescue to include Food Share Tables (school food recovery), a Weekend Backpack Program serving 50+ schools, bulk warehouse operations via a partnership with Prince William County, food scraps redirection to local farmers, a composting partnership, and disaster response support. NOVA-FR evolved from Prince William Food Rescue, which was launched as a program under ACTS in August 2019, surpassed an initial 200,000-lb goal within five months, and was spun off as an independent nonprofit on March 14, 2021 to enable expansion across all Northern Virginia counties.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit funding mix: foundation grants (Potomac Health Foundation, No Kid Hungry, MAFRAC), corporate and group sponsorships (including event-specific packages such as "Food Rescue Takeovers" and the annual "Hunger Is Scary" fundraiser), individual donations via online portals, and event proceeds. Services are provided free of charge to end beneficiaries; the organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Dr. Megan Franco (joined June 2023). No venture capital, private equity, or institutional investor ownership is indicated.

Name

Northern Virginia Food Rescue

Legal name

Northern Virginia Food Rescue

Website

https://nova-fr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Northern Virginia Food Rescue is a Manassas, VA-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses the Food Rescue Hero mobile app to coordinate volunteer transport of surplus food from 50+ donors to 70+ pantries and schools across Northern Virginia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Rescue and Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food Services (624210)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers) (BPADAJAA), Emergency Food Assistance & Nutrition Response (BPADADAE), Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF)

Keywords

• Food rescue services
• Surplus food redistribution
• Hunger relief programs
• Volunteer food delivery
• Community food programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mansås

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Potomac Health Foundation, MAFRAC (Mid-Atlantic Food Resilience and Access Coalition), No Kid Hungry, and others. Includes local food grants for purchasing produce from local farms.
2. Corporate & Group Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship opportunities including Food Rescue Takeovers and Backpack Program sponsorship. Sponsorship tiers available for Hunger Is Scary annual fundraiser.
3. Individual Donations: Individual monetary donations via online portal (FastAction), PayPal, Square QR codes, and check donations. Also accepts food donations via Amazon wishlist for Weekend Backpacks program.
4. Event Revenue: Annual fundraiser 'Hunger Is Scary' with ticket sales and sponsorship packages. Other events include Comedy for a Cause, Donor Appreciation Breakfast, and community rallies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Northern Virginia Food Rescue coordinates the rescue and redistribution of surplus food from commercial donors (grocery stores, restaurants, food distributors) to food-insecure individuals and families across Northern Virginia. The organization runs the Food Access Program, the Prince William Food Rescue program, the Food Resiliency Program, Food Share Tables in schools, and the Weekend Backpack Program, all coordinated through the licensed Food Rescue Hero mobile app and supported by a warehouse in Manassas, VA.

Product overview

Northern Virginia Food Rescue operates a unified platform combining a mobile volunteer management app with coordinated food rescue programs. The core offering is the Food Rescue Hero mobile app (available on iOS and Android), which enables volunteers to claim and complete food rescues. This app-based platform is complemented by multiple programs including the Food Access Program (coordinating donors with distribution partners), the Food Resiliency Program (supporting local agriculture and bulk food procurement), the Food Share Tables school program, and the Weekend Backpack Program for children. The organization also operates a warehouse facility in Manassas for bulk food processing. The programs work together to address food insecurity by rescuing surplus food and redistributing it to those in need while eliminating waste.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Northern Virginia Food Rescue Mobile App (Food Rescue Hero) Mobile application for iOS and Android that enables volunteers (Food Rescue Heroes) to claim and complete food rescues, transporting donated food from commercial donors to distribution sites. The app allows users to create profiles via social login, view available rescues on a map, receive notifications, and coordinate deliveries in real time. Built on Food Rescue Hero technology developed by 412 Food Rescue.
• Food Access Program Program that coordinates food donor partners with surplus food to food distribution partners serving those in need, publishing rescues through the mobile app for volunteers to claim. Targets food deserts, food swamps, and food apartheid zones in Northern Virginia and aims to create a network of community-based Food Rescue Programs across all Northern Virginia counties.
• Food Resiliency Program Program focused on creating a healthy, resilient food system that procures bulk food donations for food-insecure families, supports local agriculture through grants (e.g., MAFRAC Local Food Grants for purchasing produce from local farms), eliminates food waste, and supports food education and advocacy.
• Prince William Food Rescue Initial county-specific food rescue program serving Greater Prince William County, coordinating with 70+ food pantries, 50+ donors, and hundreds of Food Rescue Heroes. Includes warehouse operations and the Weekend Backpack Program for 50+ schools.
• Food Share Tables

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.2 million+ pounds of food rescued within first 18 months of operation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 412 Food RescuecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2019Creator of the Food Rescue Hero app technology. Provides app support, development, mentoring, training, and best practices. NOVA-FR leverages their technology and implementation experience to establish Food Rescue Programs across Northern Virginia counties.
• Action in Community Through Service (ACTS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2019Original parent non-profit organization that launched Prince William Food Rescue program. ACTS helped launch using their offices, resources, and connections throughout the county. ACTS voted to create NOVA-FR as separate non-profit to expand beyond Greater Prince William.
• Prince William CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty partnership for warehouse space at intersection of I-66 and 234 in Manassas. Enables bulk donation receiving and redistribution operations.
• Wegmans - PotomaccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirst food donor that allowed testing of the app. Has donated hundreds of thousands of pounds of food for rescues and thousands more food scraps for farmers.
• ImagineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital marketing agency providing marketing, website, and communications support from the beginning. Influenced the tagline 'Imagine Ending Hunger.'
• The House Student Leadership CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of the first PWC distribution sites that partnered to test the app. Has distributed thousands of meals to at-risk youth and families.
• Capital Area Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank providing resources and data on food insecurity. Statistics show 1 in 10 metropolitan Washington region residents is food insecure.
• Fauquier Education FarmminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor501(c)(3) organization created in 2010 offering agricultural education and growing produce for local food banks. Donated nearly 40,000 pounds of fresh produce to local food banks.
• SyscominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood distribution company providing food donations through the rescue program.
• Performance FoodserviceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood distribution company providing food donations through the rescue program.
• US FoodsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood distribution company providing food donations through the rescue program.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 412 Food Rescue: 412 Food Rescue is the Pittsburgh-based creator of the Food Rescue Hero technology and the original Food Rescue Program model. NOVA-FR explicitly licenses its app and operational playbook from this organization, making them the closest direct peer.
• Food Rescue US: Food Rescue US operates a national volunteer-driven food rescue platform connecting food donors with local organizations. They use a similar app-based, volunteer-led model and share the same target audience of food-insecure families and food waste donors.
• DC Central Kitchen: DC Central Kitchen redistributes surplus food and operates job training programs in the Washington, D.C. region. It is comparable to NOVA-FR in mission (reducing food waste, feeding the hungry) and overlapping geography, though it also runs prepared-meal production.

Broad incumbents

• Capital Area Food Bank: Capital Area Food Bank is the regional food bank serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area including Northern Virginia. It is a listed partner of NOVA-FR but operates at significantly larger scale across food distribution, advocacy, and nutrition education.
• Feeding America: Feeding America is the largest U.S. hunger-relief organization, a network of 200+ food banks. Capital Area Food Bank itself is a Feeding America affiliate, making this the umbrella national incumbent operating in NOVA-FR's adjacent category.
• Meals on Wheels America: Meals on Wheels America is the national organization supporting a network of programs that deliver meals to seniors and others in need. They share the last-mile food delivery mission to vulnerable populations, though the model is centralized rather than volunteer-app based.

Regional players

• Maryland Food Bank: Maryland Food Bank is a Feeding America-affiliated regional food bank serving Maryland. It is a comparable regional food bank peer serving an adjacent (but non-overlapping) mid-Atlantic geography.
• Loudoun Hunger Relief: Loudoun Hunger Relief is a Northern Virginia-based food rescue and distribution nonprofit operating in Loudoun County. It addresses the same hunger and food waste problem in a directly adjacent Northern Virginia county.
• Food for Others: Food for Others is a Northern Virginia food bank and food rescue organization based in Fairfax. It operates in a directly adjacent NOVA county with a similar donor/volunteer/distribution model.

Emerging players

• Olio: Olio is a food-sharing app that connects businesses and individuals with surplus food to nearby users. It is an emerging technology-enabled peer in the same food rescue and waste-reduction category with a broader geographic and consumer focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/northernvirginiafoodrescue
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@northernvirginiafoodrescue6278

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Northern Virginia Food Rescue