Society of St. Andrew

What Society of St. Andrew does

Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit hunger relief organization founded in 1979 in Big Island, Virginia, by Reverend Ken Horne, Reverend Ray Buchanan, Reverend Jeff Allen, and their families as a ministry of the Virginia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. The organization's core operation is a nationwide volunteer-driven gleaning network that mobilizes thousands of volunteers to enter fields and orchards after farmers complete their primary harvest, collect surplus edible produce that would otherwise be wasted, and deliver it to food banks, pantries, and agencies serving food-insecure individuals and families. SoSA operates 11 regional offices across the U.S. (Alabama, Carolinas, Delmarva, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and "Other States"), with Florida having achieved year-round gleaning capability since 1995.

The organization runs a portfolio of supporting programs alongside its core Gleaning Network: the Potato & Produce Project (specialized produce rescue), the Seed Project (distributing seeds to community gardens), and Harvest of Hope (faith-based overnight service camps for youth). It is led by Executive Director Lynette Johnson (since January 2017, retiring September 2026) and holds Charity Navigator Four Star, Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, and GreatNonprofits Top-Rated designations.

SoSA's business model is entirely donation-funded, with no fees charged for services. Revenue streams include individual donations (online, planned giving, stock gifts, employer matches), foundation and corporate grants (e.g., Duke Endowment $100,000, Foundation For The Carolinas $101,300, anonymous donor $200,000 in 2023), contributions from 895 supporting faith congregations, and occasional government appropriations (e.g., $150,000 from Macon-Bibb County, Georgia). It does not operate any proprietary technology products; it uses standard donor management (DonorPerfect) and volunteer coordination platforms. The organization's GTM motion is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth, faith community networks, corporate partner events, and grassroots volunteer mobilization rather than paid marketing.

Name

Society of St. Andrew

Legal name

The Society of St. Andrew, Inc.

Website

https://endhunger.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Society of St. Andrew is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1979 that runs a nationwide volunteer-driven gleaning network across 11 U.S. regional offices, collecting surplus produce from farmers' fields and distributing it to food banks, pantries, and agencies serving food-insecure individuals and families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief and Food Rescue Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Harvest Crew & Picking Services (Hand Harvest) (AFACAHAC), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

Keywords

• Gleaning network operations
• Food rescue services
• Hunger relief programs
• Fresh produce distribution
• Volunteer-driven nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Big Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization accepts donations from individuals through its website, planned giving, gifts of stock, and employer-matched gifts. Donors can give online through the website or set up recurring donations.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: The organization receives financial support from foundations and corporations. Major funders include Charles A. Frueauff Foundation ($83,000), Duke Endowment ($100,000), Equal Justice Initiative ($50,000), Foundation For The Carolinas ($101,300), Hearst Foundations ($75,000), Honda Foundation ($50,000), Navigate Gives Back ($100,000), and Stewardship Foundation ($100,000).
3. Faith Community Contributions: 895 congregations contribute to the organization, including End Hunger Partners at $2,500+, Change the World Partners at $1,000-$2,499, and St. Andrew Partners at $500-$999. Additional support comes from faith-based organizations like Abingdon Presbytery, Baptist General Association of Virginia, and various UMC conferences.
4. Government Appropriations: The organization receives government funding for specific programs. In Georgia, $150,000 was appropriated by Macon-Bibb County for food distribution during SNAP benefit uncertainty.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Society of St. Andrew coordinates a nationwide volunteer-driven gleaning network that collects surplus fresh produce from farmers' fields after harvest and delivers it free of charge to food banks, pantries, and feeding agencies serving food-insecure individuals. The organization also operates faith-based experiential programs (Harvest of Hope overnight camps), a Potato & Produce Project for targeted produce rescue, and a Seed Project that provides seeds to community gardens.

Product overview

The Society of St. Andrew operates as a hunger relief nonprofit offering a coordinated suite of programs centered on its core Gleaning Network initiative. The Gleaning Network mobilizes volunteers nationwide to harvest surplus produce from fields and orchards after farmers complete their primary harvest, distributing this food to food banks, pantries, and agencies. Supporting programs include Harvest of Hope (faith-based overnight camps combining service learning with gleaning experiences), the Potato & Produce Project (specialized produce rescue), and the Seed Project (distributing seeds to community gardens). The organization maintains eleven regional offices across the United States that coordinate local operations. Fundraising is facilitated through an integrated DonorPerfect online giving portal. The portfolio functions as a unified nonprofit service delivery model rather than a technology product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gleaning Network A nationwide, volunteer-driven program that coordinates volunteers to enter fields and orchards after farmers finish harvesting to collect surplus fresh produce for distribution to food banks, pantries, and agencies serving food-insecure individuals and families.
• Harvest of Hope A faith-based, experiential service and learning program, including overnight camps, that provides hands-on gleaning experiences for youth and adults while building awareness about hunger relief and food waste reduction.
• Potato & Produce Project A specialized initiative focused on rescuing and distributing potatoes and other produce to support hunger relief efforts across the organization's service areas.
• Seed Project A program that provides seeds to community gardens and groups growing food for local food banks and pantries, helping reduce food costs and expand fresh produce access in underserved communities.
• Gleaning Network Regional Offices Eleven regional offices (Alabama, Carolinas, Delmarva, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Other States) that coordinate local gleaning activities, manage volunteers, and distribute rescued produce within their respective geographic areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 million servings of nourishing produce delivered in 3 years (TN and Alabama)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Southeast Produce CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023SEPC is a core organizational partner supporting produce sourcing and industry connections. Listed as partner with dedicated logo on website.
• Seed Programs InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership for seed distribution programs enabling community gardens to grow food for food banks.
• MoveForHungercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner organization helping to redirect food from moves and relocations to those in need.
• Maryland Food BankcoreOthers · 1 January 2023Delmarva region partner receiving rescued food for distribution to those in need.
• United Way Lower Eastern ShorecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Delmarva region partner providing community support and resources.
• TheAlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023National partner organization with dedicated logo on website, supporting the gleaning network.
• Disciples Mission HubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Faith-based mission partner connecting the organization with Disciples of Christ congregations.
• Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Federal employee giving program allowing government employees to donate to the organization.
• United Methodist Men (UMMen)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Faith-based men's organization supporting through volunteers and donations.
• TheAdvancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023United Methodist mission agency channel for distributing resources and support.
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Veterans organization partner supporting hunger relief efforts.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Peers

• Food Rescue US: Direct food-rescue nonprofit that connects surplus food from restaurants and grocers to hunger-relief agencies via volunteer drivers. Operates a similar volunteer-driven, donation-funded model and directly competes for food-rescue narrative and donor dollars with SoSA's gleaning network.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: The largest US hunger-relief nonprofit network, coordinating 200+ member food banks. Directly comparable mission (food rescue and distribution to food-insecure populations) but operates at vastly greater scale and through a federated food-bank model rather than direct volunteer gleaning.
• Meals on Wheels America: National network addressing senior hunger and isolation through meal delivery. Same overarching mission of feeding food-insecure Americans but delivers prepared meals to seniors rather than rescuing surplus produce through gleaning.

Regional players

• Food Bank of the Rockies: Regional food bank serving Colorado and Wyoming, distributing rescued and donated food to partner pantries and agencies. Comparable agency-distribution model and similar funding base (donations, grants, corporate partners), though SoSA's gleaning model is more volunteer-intensive.
• Philabundance: Philadelphia-region food bank and food rescue nonprofit distributing produce and groceries to food-insecure residents. Comparable mission and agency-distribution model, with overlap in the Mid-Atlantic agricultural supply chain that also feeds Delmarva-area SoSA operations.
• Second Harvest of Silicon Valley: Major regional food bank in the San Francisco Bay Area focused on food rescue and distribution. Comparable nonprofit hunger-relief mission with similar agency-distribution channel, though serves a single metro area versus SoSA's 11-state footprint.
• Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan: Regional food bank serving southeastern Michigan with food rescue and gleaning operations, including partnerships with Michigan farmers. Direct functional overlap in gleaning-as-method, though concentrated in one state rather than SoSA's multi-state regional model.

Direct peers

• WhyHunger: National hunger-relief nonprofit supporting grassroots organizations and operating a national hunger hotline and resource directory. SoSA explicitly links to WhyHunger's 'Find Food' locator on its homepage, evidencing mission alignment as complementary food-access advocates.
• Move For Hunger: National hunger-relief nonprofit listed as a SoSA strategic partner. Recovers food from households during relocations and directs it to feeding programs — overlapping mission of food rescue to reduce waste and feed food-insecure populations.
• City Harvest: New York City's largest food-rescue organization, collecting surplus food and delivering it free to hundreds of soup kitchens and pantries. Directly comparable gleaning-and-distribution model, though concentrated in a single metro area rather than multi-state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@societyofst.andrew
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Society-of-St-Andrew/210137351957?v=wall
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-of-st-andrew
• Instagraminstagram.com/societyofstandrew

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Society of St. Andrew