Meals On Wheels Atlanta
Meals On Wheels Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1965 that delivers freshly prepared meals and complementary services to low-income seniors aged 60+ across metro Atlanta, with 97% of funding from private donations and 36,000+ volunteer hours contributed annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1965
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Meals On Wheels Atlanta does
Meals On Wheels Atlanta (MOWA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1965 in Atlanta, Georgia, that delivers freshly prepared meals and complementary support services to low-income seniors aged 60+ across the metro Atlanta area, primarily within Fulton County. The core offering is a home-delivered meals program that produced 525,000 meals in its most recent disclosed year, equivalent to more than 1,800 meals per day, with post-2022 kitchen capacity of 3,500 meals per day following a renovation completed with Choate Construction, ASD SKY, and Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio. Meals are prepared by Executive Chef Robert Gerstenecker (former Executive Chef at Four Seasons Atlanta) alongside a registered dietitian, with dietary customization across heart-healthy, modified, kidney-friendly, low-sodium, carb-controlled, mechanical soft, vegetarian, renal, and ensure-only profiles.
The product portfolio has expanded beyond home-delivered meals to include a food pantry, pet pantry (with Atlanta Humane Society), home repairs program (with The Home Depot Foundation since 2011 and Invest Atlanta funding), veterans program, congregate and family-style meals for corporate clients, and nutrition education/cooking demos. Operations run on VolunteerHub for volunteer scheduling and coordination, with 36,000+ volunteer hours contributed annually (valued at over $87,000 in saved labor). The 2022 renovation combined with rising demand (550+ seniors on the waitlist) signals capacity headroom.
The business model is donation-driven, with 97% of home-delivered meals program funding from private donations (one-time and monthly recurring). Pricing-equivalent donation tiers are framed at $10-$14/day, $400/month sustainer (feeds one senior for a year), and $4,000/year. Revenue diversification includes social enterprise (Purposeful Gourmet candied pecans, 100% proceeds to MOWA), corporate congregate meal sales, and a portfolio of annual fundraising events (A Meal to Remember gala raised over $800,000 in 2022, TASTE culinary event, Women's Power Luncheon, MOWtion afterparty, Golf Classic, CRAVE series). Marketing and donor acquisition span the mowatl.org website, Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, email newsletters, GuideStar Transparency Seal, and event-driven earned media. The Board of Trustees includes senior representatives from Georgia Power, Mercedes-Benz USA, McKinsey & Company, The Coca-Cola Company, and Bank of America Private Wealth Management.
Meals On Wheels Atlanta firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Meals On Wheels Atlanta
- Legal name
- Meals On Wheels Atlanta
- Website
- https://mowatl.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1965
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Meals On Wheels Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1965 that delivers freshly prepared meals and complementary services to low-income seniors aged 60+ across metro Atlanta, with 97% of funding from private donations and 36,000+ volunteer hours contributed annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Meals On Wheels Atlanta industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Senior Meal Delivery Services
- NAICS
- Community Food Services (62421)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Meal Preparation & Nutrition Support (Non-Medical) (HSABAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Meals, Nutrition & Congregate Dining Day Programs (HSABANAM)
Keywords
Where Meals On Wheels Atlanta is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Meals On Wheels Atlanta business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Private Donations: 97% of funding comes from private donations. Individual donors contribute one-time and monthly recurring gifts. A monthly gift of $400 feeds a senior for a year. Donations are solicited via website, events, and direct mail.
- Social Enterprise - Purposeful Gourmet: Purposeful Gourmet is a social enterprise program where 100% of proceeds benefit MOWA. Chef Robert Gerstenecker handcrafts award-winning candied pecans in MOWA's kitchen.
- Special Events: Annual fundraising events including A Meal to Remember gala (37th annual), TASTE culinary event, Golf Classic, Women's Power Luncheon, and MOWtion afterparty. These events generate significant revenue and awareness.
- Family Style and Congregate Meals: Revenue-generating group meal offerings for businesses and organizations. Funds are invested back into meals services programs to feed more seniors.
- Nutrition Education and Cooking Demos: Hour-long nutrition education sessions with Executive Chef Robert Gerstenecker. Generates funding that supports the core mission of feeding local seniors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Donation/ grant-funded | One-time or recurring | $14/day donation feeds one senior for a day |
| Subscription | Monthly | $400/month sustainer donation |
| Donation/ grant-funded | One-time or recurring | $10/day alternative pricing |
| Donation/ grant-funded | Annual | $4,000/year feeds one senior |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Meals On Wheels Atlanta product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Meals On Wheels Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that prepares and home-delivers nutritious meals to low-income seniors aged 60+ in Fulton County, with dietary customization by an executive chef and registered dietitian. The organization complements its core meal delivery with a food pantry, pet pantry, home repairs program, and services tailored for veterans, while also operating a social enterprise (Purposeful Gourmet) that sells artisanal candied pecans with proceeds funding the mission.
Product overview
Meals On Wheels Atlanta operates as a nonprofit service organization (not a technology product company) offering a suite of programs to combat senior hunger. The core service portfolio centers on home-delivered meals—freshly prepared by an executive chef and registered dietician—alongside complementary programs including a food pantry, pet pantry, home repairs for seniors and veterans, and group/congregate meals. The organization generates revenue through fundraising events including the annual A Meal to Remember gala, TASTE culinary event, Women's Power Luncheon, MOWtion afterparty, Golf Classic, and CRAVE cooking series. A related social enterprise, Purposeful Gourmet, sells artisanal candied pecans with proceeds benefiting the organization. Volunteer coordination is managed through VolunteerHub, an external volunteer management platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Purposeful Gourmet: Social enterprise program with 100% of proceeds benefiting Meals On Wheels Atlanta, featuring award-winning candied pecans handcrafted by former Executive Chef Robert Gerstenecker of Four Seasons Atlanta.
Products and services
- Home-Delivered Meals Nutritious freshly prepared meals delivered to metro Atlanta seniors, designed by an executive chef and registered dietician to meet various dietary restrictions including heart healthy, modified, small and bite-sized, kidney friendly, low sodium, carb-controlled, mechanical soft, vegetarian, renal, and ensure-only options.
- Food Pantry Emergency and monthly dry goods deliveries for seniors who want to continue cooking at home, serving as a critical stop-gap for emergency food situations.
- Pet Pantry Pet food and limited pet supplies provided to seniors whose pets may be their only family, partnered with the Atlanta Humane Society.
- Home Repairs Program Licensed general contractors complete rehabilitation and handyman projects on the interior and exterior of homes, enabling senior and veteran homeowners to maintain independence and age in place.
- Veterans Program Meal delivery, home maintenance, and home safety services specifically for veterans in need, with partnerships including The Home Depot Foundation for home repairs since 2011.
- Family Style and Congregate Meals Group and cafeteria-style meals for businesses and organizations, generating revenue that is invested back into meals services programs to feed more seniors.
- Nutrition Education and Cooking Demo Experience One-hour nutrition education sessions led by Executive Chef Robert Gerstenecker, including engaging Q&A and take-home recipe cards, generating funding that supports the core mission of feeding local seniors.
- Purposeful Gourmet Social enterprise program where 100% of proceeds benefit Meals On Wheels Atlanta, featuring award-winning candied pecans handcrafted in small batches by former Four Seasons Atlanta Executive Chef Robert Gerstenecker.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70% of seniors served rely on MOWA as their only source of food
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Meals On Wheels Atlanta
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Meals On Wheels Atlanta technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Meals On Wheels Atlanta partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.
- Choate ConstructionmajorConstruction partner for MOWA's transformative 2022 renovation project, enabling capacity expansion to 3,500 meals per day.
- ASD SKYmajorConstruction partner for MOWA's transformative 2022 renovation project.
- Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath StudiomajorConstruction partner for MOWA's transformative 2022 renovation project.
- Purposeful GourmetcorePurposeful Gourmet is a Social Enterprise program with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Meals On Wheels Atlanta. Chef Robert Gerstenecker, former Executive Chef at Four Seasons Atlanta, handcrafts award-winning candied pecans in MOWA's kitchen. Made in small batches, the pecans are sold to generate revenue for the organization.
- Atlanta Humane SocietysupportingPartnered with Atlanta Humane Society to supplement seniors' meals with pet food upon request, forming the Pet Pantry program.
- VolunteerHubsupportingOnline volunteer management platform used by MOWA for volunteer scheduling, orientation registration, and coordination.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Meals On Wheels Atlanta competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- God's Love We Deliver: NYC-based nonprofit providing home-delivered medically tailored meals to people living with serious illness, including seniors. Closely comparable in mission, volunteer-driven delivery, and clinical meal preparation.
- MANNA: Philadelphia-area nonprofit providing medically tailored meals to individuals with serious illnesses and seniors. Comparable in nutrition-focused meal preparation, dietitian involvement, and home-delivery operations.
- Project Angel Food: Los Angeles-based nonprofit that prepares and delivers medically tailored meals to critically ill and senior clients. Directly comparable in mission, meal-delivery model, and clinical-diet customization.
- Feed More: Central Virginia nonprofit combining a food bank, Meals on Wheels affiliate, and community kitchen. Comparable as a regional nonprofit operating both meal delivery and broader food-assistance programs.
- Open Table: Massachusetts-based nonprofit delivering healthy meals and providing community connections to individuals and families facing food insecurity. Comparable in mission, volunteer-driven delivery, and community engagement model.
- Meals on Wheels of San Francisco: San Francisco affiliate within the Meals on Wheels network providing daily home-delivered meals to seniors. Closely comparable as a same-network, same-model urban affiliate with a comparable senior population.
Broad incumbents
- Mom's Meals: Nationwide commercial provider of medically tailored home-delivered meals, primarily reimbursed through Medicare/Medicaid. Comparable in meal product and senior target market but operates a paid, scaled model versus MOWA's donation-funded nonprofit model.
- AARP Foundation: National nonprofit addressing senior hunger and isolation through programs like Drive to End Hunger and meal initiatives. Comparable in senior-services mission and donor-base overlap, but operates at national scale rather than direct meal delivery.
- Meals on Wheels America: National umbrella organization for the Meals on Wheels network, of which MOWA is an affiliate. Directly comparable as the parent network governing local chapters delivering meals to seniors across the U.S.
Regional players
- Atlanta Community Food Bank: Regional food bank serving metro Atlanta and north Georgia. Complementary rather than directly competitive; comparable as a regional anti-hunger organization serving overlapping geographies and donor pools.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Meals On Wheels Atlanta social profiles
Digital presenceMeals On Wheels Atlanta financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Meals On Wheels Atlanta leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles22 records
Meals On Wheels Atlanta subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Meals On Wheels Atlanta funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Meals On Wheels Atlanta 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 Meals On Wheels Atlanta
What does Meals On Wheels Atlanta do?
Meals On Wheels Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that prepares and home-delivers nutritious meals to low-income seniors aged 60+ in Fulton County, with dietary customization by an executive chef and registered dietitian. The organization complements its core meal delivery with a food pantry, pet pantry, home repairs program, and services tailored for veterans, while also operating a social enterprise (Purposeful Gourmet) that sells artisanal candied pecans with proceeds funding the mission.
Is Meals On Wheels Atlanta a public or private company?
Meals On Wheels Atlanta is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Meals On Wheels Atlanta founded?
Meals On Wheels Atlanta was founded in 1965. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Meals On Wheels Atlanta based?
Meals On Wheels Atlanta is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Meals On Wheels Atlanta make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Private Donations are the primary driver. The others are social Enterprise - Purposeful Gourmet, special Events, family Style and Congregate Meals and nutrition Education and Cooking Demos.
Who are Meals On Wheels Atlanta's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are God's Love We Deliver, MANNA, Project Angel Food, Feed More, Open Table and Meals on Wheels of San Francisco. Broad incumbents are Mom's Meals, AARP Foundation and Meals on Wheels America. Atlanta Community Food Bank is listed as a regional player.
Does Meals On Wheels Atlanta have an API?
No public API is recorded for Meals On Wheels Atlanta.
What industry is Meals On Wheels Atlanta in?
Meals On Wheels Atlanta's product category is Senior Meal Delivery Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSABAAAC, Meal Preparation & Nutrition Support (Non-Medical), with a secondary code of HSABANAM, Meals, Nutrition & Congregate Dining Day Programs. Its NAICS code is 62421.