Ceres Community Project

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.

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

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

• Medically tailored meals
• Food as medicine
• Nonprofit meal delivery
• Youth nutrition program
• Organic farm operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Sebastopol

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Food as Medicine Coalition (FIMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCeres 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 CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level coalition advocating for food as medicine interventions within California's healthcare system, including CalAIM's Community Supports.
• CBO Medi-Cal CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide 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 CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide association of meal delivery programs serving seniors and individuals with disabilities, promoting collaboration and best practices.
• Sonoma County COADcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Organizations Active in Disaster - local coalition coordinating emergency response and resilience efforts in Sonoma County.
• Marin County VOADcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoluntary Organizations Active in Disaster - Marin County coalition for emergency preparedness and response coordination.
• Healthcare Providers and InsurerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships 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 AngelsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate 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 RosacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency 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 ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in the Feeding Workgroup for Disasters to contribute to statewide emergency food preparedness planning.
• Santa Rosa Community HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare 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

Emerging 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

• Xx.com/CeresCommunity
• Facebookfacebook.com/CeresCommunityProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ceres-community-project

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Ceres Community Project