CAER Food Shelf

What CAER Food Shelf does

CAER Food Shelf (Community Aid Elk River) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1979 by 12 area churches to provide food assistance and community resources to neighbors facing hardship in the Elk River, Minnesota area. It serves a broad base of approximately 2,235 families annually, with 9,822 food shelf visits and 750+ households served monthly, distributing 1,226,797 pounds of food in 2025. The organization operates a client-choice food shelf model where households select items similar to a grocery experience, complemented by Kids Weekend CAER Packages for K-12 students, Senior Outreach Delivery to local retirement communities, Supported Shopping for seniors and individuals with disabilities, and Emergency Financial Assistance for rent, utilities, and vehicle repairs.

Name

CAER Food Shelf

Legal name

Community Aid Elk River

Website

https://caerfoodshelf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CAER Food Shelf is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit food shelf in Elk River, Minnesota, serving families, seniors, and youth facing food insecurity through a client-choice shopping model, food rescue, and emergency assistance programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Elk River

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: CAER operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through monetary donations from individuals, businesses, and community organizations. Every $1 donated translates to approximately 3 meals worth of food due to partnerships with food banks and discount distributors.
2. Food Donations: Non-perishable food, hygiene items, and other essentials donated by community members, businesses, and schools.
3. Fundraising Events: Revenue from annual events including the Harvest of Hope Gala (raised over $115,000 in 2025), CAER Classic golf tournament, and Trot O' Gold 5K.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CAER Food Shelf is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free monthly groceries to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity through a client-choice shopping model at its Elk River, MN facility. In addition to the core food shelf, CAER distributes Kids Weekend CAER Packages to school-age children, delivers food to low-income seniors, offers emergency financial assistance for rent/utilities/vehicle repairs, and operates a Food Rescue Program that recovers surplus food from local grocery partners.

Product overview

CAER Food Shelf is a nonprofit food shelf (not a technology company) offering a unified set of hunger relief programs and community support services. The core offering centers on the Food Shelf program with client-choice shopping for monthly groceries. Related food programs include the Kids Weekend CAER Package for school-aged children, Supported Shopping for those needing accessibility accommodations, and an expanded Food Rescue Program recovering food from retail partners. Financial assistance programs include Emergency Financial Assistance for rent/utilities/car repairs and the Car CAER vehicle repair program. Seasonal offerings include Winter Coat distribution and School Supplies/Backpacks for students. Community support includes Senior Outreach Delivery, Adult and Youth Outreach partnerships. Fundraising events include the annual CAER Classic Golf Tournament, Harvest of Hope Gala, and Trot O'Gold 5K. The organization uses Volgistics for volunteer management, TimeTap for appointment scheduling, Network for Good for donations, and Constant Contact for newsletters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Shelf (Client-Choice Shopping) Monthly client-choice grocery shopping program at the Elk River facility. Clients schedule an appointment once per calendar month and select their own fresh produce, dairy, meat, bakery items, pantry staples, and personal-care items. Proxy pickup available for households unable to visit in person.
• Kids Weekend CAER Package Prepackaged weekend meals and snacks for K-12 students, accommodating 1-2 students per package with options for gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, pork-free, and vegetarian dietary needs. Available without appointment on Thursdays and Fridays.
• Supported Shopping Quieter, slower-paced shopping experience by appointment, held twice monthly, designed for seniors and individuals with anxiety, PTSD, disabilities, or mobility challenges who need extra assistance and a calmer environment.
• Emergency Financial Assistance Emergency financial assistance for rent, utilities, or essential vehicle repairs, available once every 18 months to qualifying residents of Elk River, Otsego, Zimmerman, Big Lake, or Becker.
• Car CAER Limited assistance program specifically for vehicle repairs, available to qualifying residents of Elk River, Otsego, and Zimmerman. Revamped in 2024 to no longer use volunteer repairs.
• Senior Outreach Delivery Scheduled food delivery to low-income seniors at local retirement communities, including Elk River GA and Zimmerman GA residents. 858 senior deliveries were completed in 2025.
• Food Rescue Program Partnership-based food rescue operation with Coborn's, Walmart, Aldi, Kwik Trip, and Target that recovers food nearing sell-by dates and redistributes it to families. Recovered over 500,000 pounds of food in 2024.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1 donated provides 3 meals worth of food
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• On Time PaintersflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 July 2026Presenting sponsor of the 18th Annual CAER Classic golf tournament.
• First Bank of Elk RiverflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 October 2025Presenting sponsor of the Harvest of Hope Gala 2025, demonstrating commitment to community well-being.
• The Bank of Elk RiverflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 October 2025Platinum sponsor of the Harvest of Hope Gala 2025.
• Edward JonesflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 October 2025Platinum sponsor of the Harvest of Hope Gala 2025.
• Second Harvest HeartlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner providing food through TEFAP (federal emergency food program) and coordinating the food rescue program. Second Harvest Heartland is one of CAER's primary food sourcing partners, supplying proteins, fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
• The Food GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner from which CAER purchases or receives donated food at lower costs than traditional retail. Helps provide a wide variety of nutritious food items.
• Coborn'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal grocery partner participating in food rescue program, donating items nearing sell-by dates for recovery and distribution to families in need.
• WalmartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrocery partner in food rescue program donating surplus food items for CAER to distribute.
• AldicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrocery partner in food rescue program donating surplus food items for CAER to distribute.
• Kwik TripcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvenience/grocery partner participating in food rescue program.
• TargetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetail partner in food rescue program donating surplus items for CAER distribution.
• 12 Area Churches (Founding Partners)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal founding partners in 1979 who established CAER to provide food assistance. These churches formed the initial Board of Directors and remain part of the organization's community foundation.
• Otsego Four Leaves 4-HminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth organization partnering with CAER to donate dairy products and cheese curds from their cattle projects, including a 2026 Minnesota 4-H Food Partner Challenge Grant donation.
• Ellsworth Cooperative CreameryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal dairy cooperative that processes milk from 4-H dairy cattle projects into products for CAER distribution to families.
• Sherburne County Health & Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government partner receiving emergency food bags from CAER for distribution to individuals in need. CAER also connects clients to county services.
• Open Doors for YouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource center for teens and young adults (16-24) partnered with CAER for nonperishable food delivery to this demographic.
• Thumbs UpminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth mental health organization partnered with CAER to provide food assistance to young people in the community.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves19 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Second Harvest Heartland: Regional food bank serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin; CAER's primary food sourcing partner via TEFAP and food rescue coordination. Operates the same hunger-relief model but at regional aggregation scale versus CAER's community-level distribution.
• The Food Group: Minnesota-based food bank supplying donated and discounted food to partner agencies. Directly comparable as a wholesale hunger-relief intermediary feeding CAER and similar community shelves.
• Matter (formerly CAPI): Minnesota-based nonprofit operating food shelves and hunger-relief programs serving immigrant and broader communities. Closely comparable client-choice food distribution model with similar donor-funded nonprofit structure.
• PRISM (People Responding in Social Ministry): Golden Valley-based food shelf and social services nonprofit. Directly comparable as a community food shelf serving suburban Minneapolis with similar client-choice shopping and supplemental programs (clothing, financial assistance).
• ICA Food Shelf: Twin Cities-based nonprofit food shelf using a client-choice model. Highly comparable service model, volunteer-driven operations, and donor-supported nonprofit structure serving households experiencing food insecurity.
• Loaves and Fishes: Minnesota-based nonprofit providing free meal programs and food rescue from grocery partners. Comparable food rescue and distribution model with similar grocery-retail partnerships, though focused on prepared meals.
• Every Meal: Minnesota nonprofit filling weekend meal gaps for K-12 students, directly mirroring CAER's Kids Weekend CAER Package program. Closely comparable mission targeting child food insecurity on non-school days.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National hunger-relief network aggregating 200+ food banks including Second Harvest Heartland. Comparable mission and food bank-to-agency distribution model but at vastly broader geographic and financial scale.
• Hunger Solutions Minnesota: Statewide hunger-relief advocacy and coordination organization connecting food shelves, food banks, and anti-hunger programs. Comparable mission focus but operates at policy/coordination layer versus CAER's direct distribution.

Regional players

• Open Doors for Youth: Minnesota-based resource center for teens and young adults (16-24) partnered with CAER for food assistance delivery. Comparable nonprofit community-support model but focused on youth versus CAER's broader household scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CAERFoodShelf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caer
• Instagraminstagram.com/caerfoodshelf
• Xx.com/CAERFoodShelf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 CAER Food Shelf