East Texas Food Bank

What East Texas Food Bank does

East Texas Food Bank (legal name: Regional East Texas Food Bank) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit hunger-relief organization founded in October 1988 and headquartered at 3201 Robertson Road in Tyler, Texas. It serves 26 counties across East Texas spanning nearly 20,000 square miles, distributing food through a dual-channel model: (1) a network of more than 200 partner agencies — food pantries, soup kitchens, and emergency shelters — that receive food for redistribution, and (2) four direct-service Resource Centers in Tyler, Longview, Lufkin, and Texarkana that operate on-site food pantries and benefits assistance. In FY2025 the organization delivered 34 million meals to approximately 175,400 households, with 96% of all support going directly to feeding programs. The organization is a member of the Feeding America network and Feeding Texas coalition.

The product portfolio spans child hunger programs (BackPack, Kids Cafe, Summer Food), the Senior Box Program (CSFP) serving 4,600+ seniors monthly, the Benefits Assistance program for SNAP/Medicaid/TANF/CHIP enrollment, Mobile Pantry distributions, Hunters for the Hungry venison donations, and the Virtual Food Drives online fundraising platform. There is no proprietary technology stack; operations run on standard nonprofit tools including Paycom for HR and a WordPress-based website. Revenue is generated entirely through donations and grants, with five streams: individual donations (including the monthly THE TABLE program and planned giving), corporate partnerships (Walmart Fight Hunger. Spark Change., Brookshire Grocery, HEB, Kroger, Atmos Energy, BCBS Texas, CHRISTUS Health, etc.), foundation grants (SWEPCO Foundation $350,000, T.L.L. Temple Foundation, PepsiCo Foundation), food donations sourced from manufacturers/wholesalers/retailers/USDA, and shared maintenance fees (~10 cents per pound) charged to partner agencies to cover transportation and handling, with 80% of food distributed free of charge.

Name

East Texas Food Bank

Legal name

Regional East Texas Food Bank

Website

https://easttexasfoodbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

East Texas Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1988 that distributes food to 175,400 households across 26 East Texas counties through 200+ partner agencies and four direct-service Resource Centers, delivering 34 million meals in FY2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD)

Keywords

• Hunger relief services
• Food bank distribution
• Community nutrition programs
• Food assistance network
• Nonprofit hunger programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tyler

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monetary donations from individuals, including one-time gifts, monthly giving program (THE TABLE), and planned giving/legacy gifts.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Financial contributions and food donations from corporate partners, including cause marketing campaigns (e.g., Walmart Fight Hunger. Spark Change.).
3. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations such as SWEPCO Foundation ($350,000 partnership), T.L.L. Temple Foundation, and PepsiCo Foundation.
4. Food Donations: Food donated by manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and USDA for distribution through partner network.
5. Shared Maintenance Fees: Partner agencies pay shared maintenance fees (~10 cents per pound) to cover transportation and handling costs, with 80% of food distributed free of charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

East Texas Food Bank collects, warehouses, and distributes donated and purchased food through a network of 200+ partner agencies and four direct-service Resource Centers across 26 counties in East Texas. It operates specialized child hunger programs (BackPack, Kids Cafe, Summer Food), a Senior Box Program, and Benefits Assistance to connect eligible residents with SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, and CHIP. All food is provided free of charge to those in need, with 96% of support going directly to feeding programs.

Product overview

The East Texas Food Bank operates as a hunger-relief nonprofit organization distributing food and services across 26 East Texas counties. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs including a network of over 200 partner food pantries, four Resource Centers (Tyler, Longview, Lufkin, Texarkana), and specialized child hunger programs (BackPack Program, Kids Cafe, Summer Food Program, totaling over 448,000 meals annually). The core service model combines direct food distribution through Resource Centers with partner agency distribution via the pantry network, supplemented by Benefits Assistance to connect families with SNAP, Medicaid, and other social services. Additional programs include the Senior Box Program serving 4,600+ seniors monthly, Virtual Food Drives for online fundraising, Hunters for the Hungry venison donation program, Nutrition Education with recipes, and Mobile Pantry distributions. The Find Food locator tool helps community members access services, while advocacy and partnership programs support the broader mission of fighting hunger and feeding hope in East Texas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BackPack Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 34 million meals provided to hungry East Texans in FY2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

21 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• PepsiCo Foundation (Food for Good)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 May 2026PepsiCo Foundation's Food for Good program sponsors the Summer Food Program, helping transform food access in rural and underserved communities using PepsiCo's logistical expertise.
• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe East Texas Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, a nationwide hunger-relief organization. Feeding America supports the ETFB through advocacy programs, establishing common food bank operating practices, and leveraging partnerships with national companies to secure more products and funding.
• Feeding TexascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerETFB is one of 21 food banks in Texas that are members of Feeding America and part of Feeding Texas, which fosters cooperation through advocacy and coordination of statewide resources.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing partnership with annual truckloads of food donations. In 2026, delivered 40,000 pounds of food as part of America250 initiative. Also donated 15,000 pounds of meat and 42,000 pounds in January 2026.
• America250majorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational collaboration for America250 celebration delivering 250 truckloads of food across all 50 states, with one donation in Tyler, TX supporting East Texas families.
• Walmart and Sam's ClubmajorGTM or Marketing Partner13th annual Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign. Since 2014, the campaign has generated over $227 million and helped secure more than 2 billion meals for the Feeding America network.
• Southside BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing financial and food contributions to fight hunger in East Texas.
• Brookshire Grocery CompanymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated more than $100,000 in food including nearly 4,000 hams and a truckload of fresh produce during Christmas season 2025.
• Mrs Baird'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated over 175,000 fresh loaves of bread to food banks across Texas, with East Texas Food Bank receiving 11,000 loaves in June 2026.
• CHRISTUS HealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting East Texas Food Bank hunger relief efforts.
• Church on the RockminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner and sponsor of food distribution events in Texarkana area.
• John Soules FoodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing food donations to support East Texas communities.
• HEBminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrocery retailer partner supporting food bank operations.
• KrogerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrocery retailer partner supporting food bank operations.
• Atmos EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate energy partner supporting East Texas Food Bank.
• BCBS TexasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBlue Cross Blue Shield of Texas supporting health-related food assistance.
• Farmers InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting food bank through financial contributions.
• Feeding TexascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide coordinating organization for Texas food banks that fosters cooperation, advocacy, and resource sharing.
• Fidelity CharitableminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonor-Advised Fund sponsor accepting grants to East Texas Food Bank (EIN 75-2222686).
• Schwab CharitableminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonor-Advised Fund sponsor accepting grants to East Texas Food Bank.
• Vanguard CharitableminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonor-Advised Fund sponsor accepting grants to East Texas Food Bank.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• North Texas Food Bank: Feeding America member serving a multi-county North Texas region with comparable partner-agency distribution, child-hunger programs, and SNAP outreach. ETFB's current CIO Kim Morris came directly from North Texas Food Bank, signaling direct operational comparability.
• Houston Food Bank: Largest food bank in Feeding America's network, distributing hundreds of millions of meals annually across Southeast Texas. Operates the same partner-agency + direct-service hybrid model as ETFB but at substantially greater scale.
• Central Texas Food Bank: Feeding America-affiliated regional food bank serving 21 Central Texas counties with pantries, child nutrition, and senior programs. Highly comparable operating model and geographic scope to ETFB.
• Tarrant Area Food Bank: Texas Feeding America member serving the Tarrant County region with similar partner-agency network, mobile pantries, and child/senior hunger programs at a slightly larger urban-suburban scale than ETFB.
• San Antonio Food Bank: Regional Feeding America food bank serving 16 Southwest Texas counties with comparable direct-service centers, USDA food distribution, and benefits-assistance programming.
• Midwest Food Bank: Multi-state Feeding America-affiliated food bank where ETFB CEO David Emerson previously served as Executive Director and grew Texas operations from $9M to $25M. Closest match on operating model and prior executive leadership.
• Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley: Texas Feeding America member serving a high-need border region with comparable partner-agency network, child nutrition, and senior programs; useful comparable on rural/semi-rural service-area economics.
• South Texas Food Bank: Regional Texas food bank operating a hybrid partner-agency plus direct-distribution model in South Texas counties; comparable scope and mission profile to ETFB.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National umbrella organization of 200+ member food banks serving 46M Americans. ETFB is a member, and Feeding America provides shared food sourcing, advocacy, and operating standards — making it both the network leader and the de facto 'parent' coordinating body.
• Feeding Texas: Statewide association coordinating all 21 Texas Feeding America food banks (including ETFB) on advocacy, resource sharing, and shared programs such as Hunters for the Hungry. Functions as ETFB's state-level counterpart.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@etfoodbank
• Facebookfacebook.com/etfoodbank
• Instagraminstagram.com/etfoodbank
• Xx.com/etfoodbank

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 East Texas Food Bank