Ceres Community Project
Ceres Community Project is a Sebastopol/Santa Rosa-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 that delivers free, organic, medically tailored meals to low-income individuals facing cancer, diabetes, and heart failure across Marin and Sonoma counties, while mentoring teens in food systems leadership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersSebastopol, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ceres Community Project does
Ceres Community Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 and headquartered in Santa Rosa, California, that delivers 100% organic, locally sourced, medically tailored meals to individuals facing serious illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and congestive heart failure in Marin and Sonoma counties. In 2025 it delivered 226,787 meals to 1,618 clients and their families at no cost, sourced in part from its own Petaluma and Sebastopol farms and supported by purchases from over 100 regional organic farms, ranches, and dairies. The organization combines client meal service with a Youth Development Program (275 teen chefs and gardeners in 2025, 44,809 combined volunteer hours), a Farm to Community paid Internship, an Affiliate Partner training program that has already spawned partners in California and Wellington, New Zealand, and an emergency-food provisioning role activated since the 2017 Sonoma County wildfires.
The business model is a hybrid nonprofit funding stack rather than a transactional revenue model: clients receive meals free of charge, and operating income of approximately $5.69M in FY2025 (against $5.56M in expenses) is assembled from individual and corporate donations, foundation grants (including American Cancer Society, Community Foundation Sonoma County, Marin Community Foundation), reimbursement under California's CalAIM Community Supports and Enhanced Care Management, and partnerships with healthcare providers and insurers that view medically tailored meals as a covered benefit. Go-to-market is community-led — clients are acquired primarily through healthcare provider referrals and insurer partnerships, with awareness driven by word-of-mouth, volunteer channels, and annual events such as the Harvest of the Heart fundraiser.
Infrastructure consists of three regional kitchen locations (Novato, Sebastopol, Santa Rosa), two small organic farms, and a new Santa Rosa headquarters called The Center for Food, Youth & Community — moved into in February 2026 and designated as a California Community Resilience Center. The organization holds Food is Medicine Coalition accreditation, a Platinum Candid transparency seal, a 4-star Charity Navigator rating, BBB Accredited Charity status, and was named 2026 Nonprofit of the Year for California Assembly District 12. There is no proprietary software platform; technology is operational rather than digital, and the organization explicitly advocates through coalitions such as the CBO Medi-Cal Coalition (27 members, 700+ CBOs represented) for nonprofit sustainability under CalAIM — while flagging risk from federal Medicaid funding freezes and cuts.
Ceres Community Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ceres Community Project
- Legal name
- Ceres Community Project
- Website
- https://ceresproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ceres Community Project is a Sebastopol/Santa Rosa-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 that delivers free, organic, medically tailored meals to low-income individuals facing cancer, diabetes, and heart failure across Marin and Sonoma counties, while mentoring teens in food systems leadership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ceres Community Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Medically Tailored Meal Services
- NAICS
- Community Food Services (62421), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD), Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)
Keywords
Where Ceres Community Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sebastopol
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Ceres Community Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual and Corporate Donations: The organization receives donations from individual donors, corporations, and community groups. In 2025, 1,234 individual donors made 4,689 gifts to the Annual Fund. Corporate and community group donors contributed at various levels, with those giving $1,000 or more listed publicly.
- Foundation and Grant Funding: Ceres receives funding from foundations including American Cancer Society, Community Foundation Sonoma County, Marin Community Foundation, and others. The organization operates with income of $5,686,811 and expenses of $5,558,008.
- Healthcare/Insurance Partnerships: Partnerships with healthcare providers and insurers to provide medically tailored meals as a covered benefit under CalAIM's Community Supports and Enhanced Care Management services.
- Government Funding (Medicaid): Ceres has been impacted by federal funding freezes and cuts to Medicaid. The organization advocates through the CBO Medi-Cal Coalition for changes to ensure sustainability of locally-based nonprofits as preferred providers under CalAIM.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Free medically tailored meals for eligible clients |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Ceres Community Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ceres Community Project provides home-delivered, medically tailored meals made with 100% organic, locally sourced ingredients to individuals facing serious illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. It complements this with a Youth Development Program that mentors teens in growing, cooking, and eating healthy foods and an Organic Food Systems Program with its own farms, plus an Affiliate Partner Program that trains other organizations to replicate the model.
Product overview
Ceres Community Project operates as a nonprofit food-as-medicine organization offering a suite of interconnected programs centered on medically tailored meal delivery. Its core products include home-delivered medically tailored meals with organic groceries and produce prescriptions, a Youth Development Program that mentors teens in food growing and cooking, and an Organic Food Systems Program with its own farm operations. The Affiliate Partner Program enables other organizations to replicate the Ceres model, and the Farm to Community Internship provides paid agricultural and nutrition training. An online store sells cookbooks and merchandise. All programs are integrated around the central mission of using food to improve health outcomes for individuals with serious illness while building community resilience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Home-Delivered Medically Tailored Meals Home-delivered medically tailored meals, groceries, and produce prescriptions plus nutrition education provided at no cost to clients with serious health conditions, including cancer, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. Meals are 100% organic and locally sourced.
- Youth Development Program A teen mentorship program where high-school-age youth learn to grow, cook, and eat healthy foods while developing leadership skills and contributing to meal production for clients. 29% of participants identify as BIPOC and 40% participate for more than one year.
- Organic Food Systems Program Two small-scale farms in Petaluma and Sebastopol that grow produce for the meal program and serve as learning sites for teen gardeners. The program also supports over 100 organic farms, ranches, and dairies through purchasing.
- Affiliate Partner Program A training and certification program that enables other organizations to replicate Ceres' medically tailored meal model in their communities. Includes a four-day training curriculum and ongoing support.
- Online Store
Quantifiable outcome
- 66% of clients are female, 57% over 60 years old, 68% have chronic conditions, 26% have cancer, 48% BIPOC
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Ceres Community Project
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ceres Community Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ceres Community Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Food as Medicine Coalition (FIMC)coreCeres is an accredited member of the Food as Medicine Coalition, which sets rigorous standards for medically tailored meal providers. This accreditation provides assurance to doctors and insurers that Ceres meets professional standards.
- The Root Cause CoalitioncoreNational coalition focused on addressing the root causes of health disparities through cross-sector collaboration, food security, and community health initiatives.
- California Food is Medicine Coalition (CalFIMC)coreState-level coalition advocating for food as medicine interventions within California's healthcare system, including CalAIM's Community Supports.
- CBO Medi-Cal CoalitioncoreStatewide coalition of 27 members (including 16 statewide coalitions) representing more than 700 community-based organizations advocating for changes to ensure capacity and sustainability of nonprofits as preferred providers under CalAIM's Community Supports and Enhanced Care Management services.
- Meals on Wheels CaliforniacoreStatewide association of meal delivery programs serving seniors and individuals with disabilities, promoting collaboration and best practices.
- Sonoma County COADcoreCommunity Organizations Active in Disaster - local coalition coordinating emergency response and resilience efforts in Sonoma County.
- Marin County VOADcoreVoluntary Organizations Active in Disaster - Marin County coalition for emergency preparedness and response coordination.
- Healthcare Providers and InsurerscorePartnerships with healthcare providers who refer patients and insurers who cover medically tailored meals as a health benefit, demonstrating how food-as-medicine improves patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs.
- Culinary AngelsminorAffiliate partner in Livermore, CA, a 10-year-old program loosely based on the Ceres model. Ceres trained Culinary Angels and other affiliate partners to replicate the model.
- County of Sonoma and City of Santa RosacoreEmergency food provider for the county and city since 2017 Sonoma County wildfires. Participates in disaster response coalitions and serves on the Shelter Council and Community Emergency Feeding Plan Steering Committee.
- California Department of Social ServicescoreParticipates in the Feeding Workgroup for Disasters to contribute to statewide emergency food preparedness planning.
- Santa Rosa Community HealthminorHealthcare partner hosting farm stands where interns distribute organic produce to low-income patients, including many Latinx and Spanish-speaking individuals.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ceres Community Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Culinary Angels: Livermore, CA-based nonprofit replicating the Ceres model to deliver free, organic meals to people with cancer and other serious illnesses. Ceres-trained affiliate partner, demonstrating both the replicability of the Ceres operating model and the existence of close regional copycats.
- Healthify: Healthcare technology platform that connects patients to social determinants of health services including food insecurity interventions, with integrations into managed care organizations. Emerging adjacent player addressing the same food-as-medicine payer channel that Ceres is pursuing through CalAIM.
Direct peers
- God's Love We Deliver: The New York City-based nonprofit founded in 1985 that cooks and home-delivers medically tailored meals to people living with serious illness including HIV/AIDS, cancer, and heart disease. Closest direct peer: same medically tailored meal mission, FIMC-accredited, comparable client base and home-delivery distribution model.
- Moveable Feast: Baltimore-based nonprofit delivering medically tailored meals to people with HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses across Maryland. FIMC-accredited peer with nearly identical mission, payer mix, and home-delivery model to Ceres.
- Community Servings: Boston-based nonprofit providing home-delivered medically tailored meals and nutrition support to individuals and families affected by critical illness. FIMC-accredited peer with similar payer reimbursement strategy, nutrition education component, and volunteer-supported kitchen operations.
- MANNA (Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance): Philadelphia-based nonprofit that cooks and delivers medically tailored meals to individuals battling serious illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. Direct FIMC-accredited peer with comparable 30+ year track record, payer relationships, and nutrition counseling model.
- Project Open Hand: San Francisco-based nonprofit providing meals with love and medically tailored nutrition to seniors and adults living with serious illness, including a volunteer-driven kitchen model. Direct comparable in mission, Bay Area footprint, and client population served.
- Mama's Kitchen: San Diego-based nonprofit delivering medically tailored meals to men, women, and children vulnerable to hunger due to HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and other critical illnesses. Direct peer operating in California with overlapping FIMC accreditation, healthcare partnerships, and volunteer-driven model.
Broad incumbents
- Meals on Wheels America: National umbrella organization supporting a network of more than 5,000 community-based senior nutrition programs providing home-delivered meals. Broader incumbent serving a wider senior population (vs. Ceres's medically tailored niche), and a strategic partner through Meals on Wheels California.
Others
- Food is Medicine Coalition: National coalition of nonprofit medically tailored meal providers, of which Ceres is an accredited member. Not a competitor but a sector-shaping body whose accreditation standards and policy advocacy directly shape the operating environment and payer leverage for Ceres and its peer agencies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ceres Community Project social profiles
Digital presenceCeres Community Project compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Ceres Community Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ceres Community Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Ceres Community Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
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Ceres Community Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ceres Community Project
What does Ceres Community Project do?
Ceres Community Project provides home-delivered, medically tailored meals made with 100% organic, locally sourced ingredients to individuals facing serious illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. It complements this with a Youth Development Program that mentors teens in growing, cooking, and eating healthy foods and an Organic Food Systems Program with its own farms, plus an Affiliate Partner Program that trains other organizations to replicate the model.
Is Ceres Community Project a public or private company?
Ceres Community Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ceres Community Project founded?
Ceres Community Project was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ceres Community Project based?
Ceres Community Project is headquartered in Sebastopol, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ceres Community Project make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual and Corporate Donations are the primary driver. The others are foundation and Grant Funding, healthcare/Insurance Partnerships and government Funding (Medicaid).
Who are Ceres Community Project's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Culinary Angels and Healthify. Direct peers are God's Love We Deliver, Moveable Feast, Community Servings, MANNA (Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance), Project Open Hand and Mama's Kitchen. Meals on Wheels America is listed as a broad incumbent. Food is Medicine Coalition is listed as an others.
Does Ceres Community Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ceres Community Project.
What industry is Ceres Community Project in?
Ceres Community Project's product category is Medically Tailored Meal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAJAKAH, Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs, with a secondary code of BPADAJAD, School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs. Its NAICS code is 62421.