SF-Marin Food Bank

What SF-Marin Food Bank does

SF-Marin Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1987 that distributes food across San Francisco and Marin counties. The organization was formed through the 2011 merger of the San Francisco Food Bank and the Marin Community Food Bank. It serves roughly 12,000 households weekly through a network of 250+ partner-run Neighborhood Pantries, 27 Food Bank-run Pop-up Pantries being wound down as of June 2025, and a Home-Delivered Groceries program reaching nearly 12,000 seniors, people with disabilities, and families with young children. It also operates CalFresh enrollment assistance (securing $12.6M in FY2021-2022), Food Pharmacies in partnership with health systems, and College/School Pantries. FY2021-2022 total revenue was $156.9M, with 56,000+ volunteers contributing 144,000+ hours annually.

The operational backbone consists of two warehouses (900 Pennsylvania Avenue in San Francisco and 2550 Kerner Boulevard in San Rafael), a recently expanded warehouse management system with high-density racking (rack spaces doubled from 1,100 to 2,000+), route optimization technology for delivery planning, and Tableau-based analytics for CalFresh and program performance. Data collection is conducted through SurveySparrow-powered participant surveys that informed the 2025 Hunger Report. The organization is a Feeding America member and Charity Navigator-registered, with major corporate partners including Amazon (three-year partnership announced October 2025), Salesforce, Bank of America, BlackRock, Kaiser Permanente, Genentech, Nvidia, and PG&E.

Revenue is derived from donated food and in-kind contributions ($79.0M, ~50%), private contributions including events ($45.1M), government grants ($19.1M), USDA commodities ($15.6M), and other revenue ($1.9M). The unit economics — $3 of food distributed for every $1 donated — are driven by donated inventory, bulk purchasing, and volunteer labor. The organization serves anyone who considers themselves in need without requiring proof of income at most pantries, with specialized programs for immigrant communities (74% of participants have a first language other than English), families with children (32% of participants), and seniors (66% of participants). Leadership comprises Executive Director Tanis Crosby, CFO Michael Braude, COO Michael Wirkkala, and Chief People Officer for Equity and Inclusion S. Jamila Buckner.

Name

SF-Marin Food Bank

Legal name

San Francisco-Marin Food Bank

Website

https://sfmfoodbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SF-Marin Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1987 that distributes food across San Francisco and Marin counties, serving roughly 12,000 households weekly through 250+ pantries, home delivery, and CalFresh enrollment, funded by donated food, private contributions, and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Hunger relief programs
• Food distribution network
• CalFresh enrollment
• Community food assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donated Food and In-Kind Contributions: Major source of food supply sourced from farms, food manufacturers, local supermarkets, and community food drives. These in-kind contributions represent the largest single revenue line at approximately $79 million and enable the food bank to distribute food at high volume at low cost.
2. Private Contributions Including Events: Individual donations, corporate donations, foundation grants, event sponsorships, and matching gifts. These contributed approximately $45.1 million in FY2021-2022. Breadwinners are donors who give $10,000 or more annually.
3. Government Grants: Federal, state, and local government grants supporting food distribution and anti-hunger programs, totaling approximately $19.1 million in FY2021-2022.
4. Government Food Commodities (USDA): Federal commodities from the USDA distributed through the food bank network, accounting for approximately $15.6 million in FY2021-2022 (about 12% of what is distributed).
5. Food Purchases: The food bank purchases protein and other staples, accounting for approximately 10% of distributed food. Purchasing in bulk allows cost efficiency.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The SF-Marin Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit hunger-relief organization that sources, warehouses, and distributes food at no cost to low-income residents of San Francisco and Marin counties. Its core offering is a regional food distribution and enrollment service, including weekly groceries via 250+ Neighborhood Pantries, 27 Pop-up Pantries, home delivery for homebound seniors and people with disabilities, CalFresh (SNAP) application assistance, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, Food Pharmacies at health clinics, and college and school pantry programs.

Product overview

SF-Marin Food Bank operates as a food assistance nonprofit, not a technology product company. Its services consist of food distribution programs and enrollment assistance rather than a software platform. The core offerings include a network of 250+ Neighborhood Food Pantries, 27 Pop-Up Pantries, and Home-Delivered Groceries for seniors and people with disabilities. These are supported by CalFresh enrollment assistance, a Food Locator digital tool, and specialized programs including Food Pharmacies, College Pantries, and culturally-specific food programs. The Food Bank distributes 67 million pounds of food annually, with over 70% being fresh produce, serving approximately 53,000 households per week.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Pantry Network Weekly food distribution through a network of 250+ neighborhood pantries operating in a farmers market style, providing participants with choice and dignity in selecting groceries. For low-income individuals and families in San Francisco and Marin counties.
• Pop-Up Food Pantries Outdoor food distribution events that served as a pandemic response, providing emergency food access to underserved neighborhoods. 27 Food Bank-run Pop-up Pantries operated in outdoor settings; pandemic response operations ended June 2025.
• Home-Delivered Groceries Direct grocery delivery service for nearly 12,000 seniors, people with disabilities, and families with young children weekly who cannot access pantry locations. Supported by a three-year Amazon partnership announced October 2025.
• CalFresh Outreach and Enrollment Assistance Helps eligible community members apply for and enroll in CalFresh (formerly SNAP/food stamps) via in-person, phone, or video call. Completed 4,000 CalFresh applications and recertifications securing $12.6M in annual benefits.
• Food Locator Tool Online search tool at foodlocator.sfmfoodbank.org helping users find weekly free groceries, monthly food boxes for seniors, and one-time emergency food resources, integrated with the 2-1-1 hotline.
• Food Pharmacies Partnership with health clinics to connect patients with free groceries, nutrition education, and CalFresh enrollment as part of their healthcare.
• College Pantries Food distribution programs at colleges and universities (e.g., UCSF serving 200-400 students weekly in a farmer's market style) to improve student nutrition and connect students with CalFresh benefits.
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) USDA program administered by the Food Bank providing supplemental monthly food boxes to income-eligible seniors who must verify residency and income below a federally determined level.
• Culturally Relevant Options (CROps) Pilot Pilot program providing culturally relevant food items familiar and comforting to diverse communities, designed to address cultural food preferences for participants whose first language is not English.
• Food From the Bar Legal industry-specific food and fund drive initiative where law firms compete in raising money, collecting food, and volunteering for the food bank.
• Hack Hunger Tech industry-specific initiative where technology companies compete by raising money, collecting food, and volunteering for the food bank.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of enrolled participants worry less about running out of food
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SF-Marin Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization. This affiliation provides access to a national food bank network, shared resources, advocacy coordination, and operational best practices.
• Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKaiser Permanente is a Humanitarian-level corporate supporter ($50,000+). They partner through the Food Pharmacies program, connecting health clinic patients with free groceries, nutrition education, and CalFresh enrollment.
• UCSF (University of California, San Francisco)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCSF hosts a food pantry on campus serving 200-400 student participants per week. Transitioned from pre-bagged groceries to a farmer's market style food program in April, allowing students to choose foods and receive cooking suggestions from staff.
• Community Action MarincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA key community partner that values food as a basic human right. Trained 26 Success Coach staff across multiple programs to become CalFresh Assisters, helping families apply for CalFresh benefits and access Food Bank distribution locations.
• California Hunger Action CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA coalition of food banks and providers including GLIDE and the SF-Marin Food Bank that contributed to historic food security investments, including programs feeding children, students, seniors, immigrants, and families.
• Food4All CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Food4All coalition, with SF-Marin Food Bank participation, helped ensure all California residents over 55 became eligible for CalFresh regardless of immigration status, making California the first state to include undocumented adults in nutrition benefits.
• San Francisco Food Security Task ForceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA local coalition coordinated by the San Francisco Department of Public Health working on food security recommendations and policy for San Francisco County.
• Marin Food Policy CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA local coalition addressing food policy issues in Marin County, including equitable access to healthy and local food.
• California Association of Food BankscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA statewide association providing hunger data, research, and policy advocacy. The SF-Marin Food Bank participates in their coalitions and relies on their data for understanding hunger trends in California.
• Alliance to Transform CalFreshminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA coalition working to improve CalFresh enrollment and accessibility. The SF-Marin Food Bank participates in advocacy efforts through this alliance.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alameda County Community Food Bank: Direct peer food bank serving Alameda County, also a Feeding America member, distributing tens of millions of pounds of food annually through partner pantries and direct programs in the same Bay Area geography.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara & San Mateo Counties: Direct peer Bay Area food bank serving neighboring Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, comparable scale and pantry network model, also a Feeding America affiliate with similar mix of CalFresh outreach and partner distribution.
• Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano: Direct peer Feeding America food bank serving Contra Costa and Solano counties in Northern California, comparable pantry-based distribution model and CalFresh outreach.
• Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services: Direct peer California food bank providing comparable food distribution and social services through a partner network; another Feeding America member with similar CalFresh enrollment focus.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National parent network of which SF-Marin Food Bank is a member; provides shared food sourcing, advocacy coordination, and operational benchmarks across 200+ member food banks.
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank: Larger California-based food bank with comparable pantry network model and CalFresh outreach; operates at much greater scale but in a different regional geography.
• Greater Boston Food Bank: Larger Feeding America food bank with comparable pantry network, mobile distribution, and CalFresh-equivalent (SNAP) outreach; useful as a scale benchmark for urban food bank operations.
• Houston Food Bank: One of the largest Feeding America food banks in the U.S., operating a comparable partner-pantry and direct distribution model; relevant as a scale and operational best-practice comparator.
• Food Bank for New York City: Major urban food bank operating a comparable pantry and benefits-enrollment model in a high-cost metro; relevant peer for understanding urban food insecurity program design.

Regional players

• San Diego Food Bank: Regional Feeding America food bank serving San Diego County with a similar partner-pantry distribution model; comparable in program mix but geographically distinct from SF-Marin's Bay Area service area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SFMFoodBank
• Facebookfacebook.com/sfmfoodbank
• Instagraminstagram.com/sfmfoodbank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-francisco-food-bank

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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 SF-Marin Food Bank