Food Recovery Network

Name

Food Recovery Network

Legal name

Food Recovery Network

Website

https://foodrecoverynetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Food Recovery Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs the largest U.S. student-led movement against food waste, mobilizing 200+ college chapters and 8,000+ student leaders to recover surplus food from campuses and events and redistribute it to local hunger-fighting nonprofits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Recovery and 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 industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

Keywords

• Food waste reduction
• Surplus food recovery
• Hunger relief services
• Student-led nonprofit
• Food rescue programs

Headquarters

HQ city

College Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting FRN's mission to recover surplus food and end hunger. Donations can be one-time or recurring (monthly/annually).
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations including Lineage Foundation for Good, Lisa & Douglas Goldman Fund, OXO, Papa Johns Foundation, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, Clif Family Foundation, and others supporting food recovery programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Food Recovery Network (FRN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes a network of 200+ student-led chapters at colleges and universities to recover surplus food from campus dining halls, hospitality venues, and large events, then donate it to local hunger-fighting nonprofits and food-insecure communities. Its offerings include the Student Chapters program, Food Recovery Verified (FRV) for business/event partnerships, Produce Distribution markets at elementary schools, the Community Colleges Program, and supporting initiatives such as Community Fridges and National Advocacy.

Product overview

Food Recovery Network (FRN) operates as a platform of interconnected programs unified by a mission to recover surplus food and end hunger in the U.S. The core offering consists of student-led chapters (200+ chapters with 8,000+ student leaders) that form the grassroots foundation. Supporting programs include Food Recovery Verified for business/event partnerships, Produce Distribution for elementary school markets, and Community Colleges Program for technical/grant-based campus expansion. Additional initiatives cover Community Fridges and National Advocacy. A Food Tracking Form tool enables chapters to report recovery data. All programs work together to recover surplus food across the supply chain and distribute it to communities experiencing food insecurity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Food Recovery Verified (FRV): Business and event services program for food recovery
• Produce Distribution
• Community Colleges Program
• FRN National Advocacy

Products and services

• Student Chapters A network of 200+ college and university student-led chapters that recover surplus food from campus dining halls and food donors, then deliver it directly to local hunger-fighting nonprofit partners. Chapters are staffed by 8,000+ student leaders across the United States.
• Food Recovery Verified (FRV) A business and event services program that partners with hotels, convention centers, and event planners to recover surplus food from large-scale events and corporate venues. Provides verification/certification services for businesses seeking to donate surplus food instead of discarding it.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25M+ meals provided to people experiencing hunger
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Gaylord National Resort and Convention CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Partnership to recover surplus food from conferences and events at the resort. FRN picks up food bi-weekly, with Gaylord's culinary team saving approximately 1,200 pounds every two weeks. Partnership has recovered over 100,000 pounds of food and provided 85,000+ meals to the greater D.C. area.
• Bullseye Event GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for Player's Tailgate food recovery at the Super Bowl. Six consecutive years of partnership since 2020. Has recovered over 19,400 pounds of food across Super Bowl host cities, providing 15,800+ meals.
• Hellmann's MayonnaiseflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerThree-year partnership supporting Big Game food recoveries. Hellmann's provides sponsorship and support for Guy Fieri's Flavortown Tailgate food recovery events, with FRN managing the actual recovery logistics.
• Solo StoveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlayers Tailgate sponsor that donated $5,000 to Seattle Food Lifeline and The Greater Boston Food Bank through Squash the Beef activation during Super Bowl.
• Hungry HarvestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaryland-based organization that rescues surplus and 'imperfect' fruits and vegetables, partnering with FRN for produce distribution to Baltimore families.
• Central Union MissioncoreOthersDC-based hunger relief organization receiving recovered food from Gaylord National partnership. The recovered food helps support their kitchen program feeding those experiencing homelessness.
• Delancey Street FoundationcoreOthersSan Francisco area resource for people experiencing food insecurity, receiving recovered food from Big Game tailgate events.
• Samaritan HousecoreOthersSan Mateo area nonprofit receiving recovered food from FRN's Big Game recovery events to serve those experiencing food insecurity.
• Loaves and FishescoreOthersSanta Clara Food Bank receiving recovered food from Super Bowl Player's Tailgate events.
• The Just One ProjectcoreOthersLas Vegas nonprofit dedicated to fighting food insecurity in southern Nevada, receiving recovered food from Super Bowl LVIII events.
• Hosts GlobalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent management company incorporating FRN's food recovery efforts into their events, providing opportunities for large-scale food recovery.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Olio: App-based food sharing platform connecting neighbors and businesses to redistribute surplus food. Comparable to FRN as a tech-enabled approach to food surplus recovery, though Olio's model is consumer-app-driven versus FRN's student-chapter model.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: Largest hunger-relief organization in the U.S., operating a nationwide network of 200+ member food banks. Represents the dominant incumbent in the same end market FRN serves; FRN's chapters often donate recovered food into Feeding America-affiliated pantries.
• Second Harvest Food Bank: Regional food bank network distributing donated food across multi-state service areas. Comparable as a downstream recipient partner and as the type of large-scale hunger-relief organization that competes for the same donor dollars as FRN.

Direct peers

• Food Donation Connection: Facilitates structured food donations from restaurant and foodservice partners to hunger-relief agencies. Directly comparable to FRN's Food Recovery Verified B2B food recovery program in target donors and downstream partner network.
• Move For Hunger: Nonprofit that mobilizes moving companies and volunteers to transport donated food to food banks. Comparable to FRN in mobilizing non-traditional actors (students, movers) for food recovery logistics at national scale.
• Campus Kitchens Project: Student-led nonprofit that recovers surplus food from college dining halls and prepares meals for community organizations. Operates the closest analog to FRN's chapter model, including student volunteers, campus-based recovery, and hunger-relief distribution.
• Rescuing Leftover Cuisine: Volunteer-driven nonprofit that rescues surplus food from restaurants and corporate cafeterias and donates it to shelters and food pantries. Highly comparable to FRN's Food Recovery Verified line in target donors, volunteer-led model, and B2B partnership structure.
• Rock and Wrap It Up!: Event-focused food recovery nonprofit that coordinates donations from concerts, sporting events, and conferences. Closely parallels FRN's Big Game / Super Bowl Player's Tailgate recovery model with Bullseye Event Group.
• City Harvest: New York City-based food rescue organization that collects surplus food from restaurants, grocers, and event venues for distribution to hunger programs. Comparable to FRN in mission, urban-event recovery operations, and nonprofit funding model.

Regional players

• FoodCloud: Ireland- and UK-based food redistribution platform that connects retailers with surplus food to charities via technology. Comparable to FRN in mission and increasingly in tech-enabled matching, though geographically distinct from FRN's U.S. operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FoodRecovery
• Facebookfacebook.com/FoodRecoveryNetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/food-recovery-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/foodrecovery

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Food Recovery Network