Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin

What Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin does

Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit food bank founded in 1986 and headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, that operates as a regional network leader in the Feeding America system. The organization distributes food to individuals and families facing food insecurity across 16 counties in southern Wisconsin, primarily through a network of more than 300 partner agencies and programs (food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters), supplemented by direct distributions and a Mobile Food Pantry service that reaches underserved communities without fixed pantry locations. Core programs include Wisconsin Food Rescue (surplus food recovery from retailers, manufacturers, and farms), the Farm to Foodbank Initiative (sourcing from local agricultural producers), and FoodShare/SNAP enrollment assistance that connects eligible households with federal food benefits. Additional services encompass Youth and Family Initiatives and seasonal fundraising and awareness campaigns such as WMTV Share Your Holidays, Food Fight Against Hunger, Stamp Out Hunger, Adopt a Dairy Cow, and Hunger Action Month.

The operating model is donation-funded rather than revenue-generating. Income is sourced from individual monetary donations (the organization reports that every $20 donated provides up to 5 bags of groceries), corporate partnerships, community-organized food and fund drives, and event-driven campaigns. The technology stack is centered on a logistics and operations management platform that supports food inventory flow across the partner network and a Find Food Near You tool for connecting recipients with resources. In fiscal year 2025, Second Harvest distributed 26.3 million pounds of food, with 76 percent classified as nutrient-rich (fresh produce, meat, dairy, and milk), and reports a cumulative lifetime total of nearly 286 million meals provided since founding. The organization maintains a four-star Charity Navigator rating and a Candid (GuideStar) Platinum Seal of Transparency, and operates as a partner food bank within the Feeding America national network while participating in Feeding Wisconsin for state-level policy advocacy.

Name

Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin

Legal name

Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin

Website

https://www.secondharvestmadison.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin is a charitable, non-profit & non-profit organization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Assistance / Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAA

Food Assistance & Food Banks

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGALAD

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Hunger relief programs
• Food distribution network
• SNAP enrollment assistance
• Food rescue operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual monetary donations are the primary funding source. Every $20 donated provides up to 5 bags of groceries to neighbors facing food insecurity. Donations can be made online, by mail, or through various campaign mechanisms.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate giving program where businesses contribute through monetary donations, food drives, employee matching programs, and sponsorship of specific campaigns and events.
3. Food Drives: Community-organized food and fund drives, both in-person and virtual, where individuals, schools, businesses, and organizations collect food items or monetary contributions to benefit the food bank.
4. Campaign Events: Annual campaigns and events such as WMTV Share Your Holidays, Food Fight Against Hunger, Stamp Out Hunger, Adopt a Dairy Cow, and Hunger Action Month generate both food donations and financial contributions.
5. FoodShare (SNAP) Benefits Administration: The food bank assists community members with enrolling in and accessing FoodShare (SNAP) benefits, which brings federal food assistance dollars into the community through their programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin collects, sources, and distributes food to individuals and families facing food insecurity across 16 counties in southern Wisconsin. Core offerings include direct food distribution through a network of 300+ partner agencies (pantries, soup kitchens, shelters), Mobile Food Pantry distributions to underserved areas, food rescue from retailers and farms via Wisconsin Food Rescue, the Farm to Foodbank local produce sourcing initiative, and FoodShare (SNAP) enrollment assistance.

Product overview

Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin operates as a food bank network providing food access and hunger relief services. The core offerings include food distribution through a network of over 300 partner agencies, mobile food pantry services, food rescue operations, and the Farm to Foodbank initiative. Support programs include FoodShare/SNAP enrollment assistance, youth and family initiatives, and volunteer engagement. The organization also runs seasonal campaigns including WMTV Share Your Holidays, Food Fight Against Hunger, and Hunger Action Month to raise awareness and funds. The portfolio functions as a unified service delivery model combining direct food distribution, partner agency support, food rescue/recovery, and community education programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Distribution Program Core food bank service that collects, sources, and distributes nutritious food to individuals and families facing food insecurity across 16 counties in southern Wisconsin through a network of 300+ partner agencies and direct distributions.
• Mobile Food Pantry Mobile food distribution service that brings food directly to underserved communities on a scheduled basis throughout southern Wisconsin, reaching areas without fixed food pantry locations.
• FoodShare (SNAP) Program Assistance program helping eligible individuals apply for and access FoodShare (SNAP) federal food assistance benefits to purchase food.
• Wisconsin Food Rescue Food rescue initiative that recovers surplus food from retailers, manufacturers, and farms that would otherwise go to waste, redirecting it to partner agencies and food distributions throughout southern Wisconsin.
• Farm to Foodbank Initiative Program partnering with local farmers and agricultural producers to source fresh, locally-grown produce and other food items directly for distribution through the food bank network, supporting local agriculture and nutritious food access.
• Youth & Family Initiatives Educational and support programs designed to address food insecurity among youth and families, including family activities and nutritional education resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• Every $20 donated provides up to 5 bags of groceries to neighbors facing food insecurity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin is an official partner food bank within the Feeding America network, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization. This partnership provides access to national resources, shared best practices, advocacy representation, and collaborative purchasing power for food sourcing.
• United Way of Dane CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way of Dane County is recognized as a proud partner, collaborating on community initiatives to address food insecurity in the Dane County service area. This partnership supports local community investment and resource coordination.
• Wisconsin Food RescuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWisconsin Food Rescue is a dedicated program within Second Harvest that rescues surplus food from retailers, manufacturers, and farms that would otherwise go to waste, redirecting it to partner agencies and food distributions throughout southern Wisconsin.
• Feeding WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond Harvest participates in Feeding Wisconsin, the state association of food banks, for coordinated advocacy and policy engagement to address hunger at the state level. This partnership enables collective action on food policy issues.
• Farm to Foodbank Initiative PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Farm to Foodbank Initiative partners with local farmers and agricultural producers to source fresh, locally-grown produce and other food items directly for distribution through the food bank network, supporting both local agriculture and nutritious food access.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• United Way of Dane County: Recognized partner of Second Harvest that co-invests in community initiatives addressing food insecurity in Dane County. Comparable as an adjacent nonprofit partner operating in the same local funding and advocacy ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National umbrella network for U.S. food banks, of which Second Harvest is an official partner food bank. Directly comparable as the parent network providing shared sourcing, advocacy, and best-practice infrastructure for member food banks.

Direct peers

• Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin: A Wisconsin-based Feeding America partner food bank operating across eastern and northeastern Wisconsin. Directly comparable as a sibling regional food bank with similar scale, partner-agency model, and service-area structure.
• Greater Chicago Food Depository: Large Feeding America-affiliated food bank serving the greater Chicago area. Comparable as a regional hub-and-spoke food bank distributing millions of pounds of food annually through hundreds of partner agencies.
• Food Bank of the Rockies: Feeding America partner food bank serving Colorado and Wyoming through a similar partner-agency distribution and food rescue model. Closely comparable in operating model and mission.
• Midwest Food Bank: Regional food bank operating across multiple Midwestern states, distributing food through partner agencies and mobile distributions. Comparable in multi-county service-area structure and volunteer-driven model.
• Capital Area Food Bank: Regional Feeding America food bank serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with a partner agency network and nutrition programs. Comparable as a multi-program regional food bank with similar distribution scale.
• Gleaners Community Food Bank: Indiana-based Feeding America food bank serving southeast Michigan through partner agencies and food rescue. Comparable as a multi-county regional food bank with similar outreach and SNAP coordination programs.
• Feeding Wisconsin: State association of Wisconsin food banks coordinating advocacy and policy. Second Harvest is a member; comparable as a peer statewide food-bank coordination body operating in the same state and policy environment.
• Food Lifeline: Feeding America-affiliated food bank serving western Washington through a partner-agency network and food rescue. Comparable in model, mission, and rural/urban service mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@secondharvestfoodbanksw?si=pH4yf_5GWhlWK-u-
• Facebookfacebook.com/secondharvestsw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/second-harvest-foodbank-of-southern-wisconsin
• Instagraminstagram.com/secondharvestsw
• Xx.com/secondharvestsw

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin