The Foodbank of Southern California

What The Foodbank of Southern California does

The Foodbank of Southern California is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1975 and headquartered in Long Beach, California, that acquires and redistributes donated food to food-insecure residents of Los Angeles County. Operating from a 40,000+ square foot warehouse facility originally built as a 1912 creamery, the organization runs cold-chain infrastructure including a 29,248 cubic foot walk-in freezer and a 7,312 cubic foot walk-in cooler, alongside a fleet of trucks and forklifts used to collect and redistribute food. Its programs include The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), the Brown Bag Network Program for Seniors, Another Serving, the Barrel Program, and Mobile Food Pantries that deliver fresh produce into food deserts and underserved neighborhoods. Distribution is executed through a network of more than 275 certified charitable partner agencies across Los Angeles County.

The Foodbank funds operations primarily through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and donated product from food manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants. Revenue mechanics are donation-based, with the organization citing an efficiency ratio of four meals provided per dollar donated. Supporting revenue streams include workplace giving (Combined Federal Campaign, employer matching), point-of-sale round-up programs at retail partners (e.g., Ralphs Community Contribution), corporate volunteer sponsorships, and media partnerships such as the Help For The Hungry Campaign with NBC4 and Telemundo 52. Donor food is incentivized by tax benefits under the 1976 Tax Reform Act and Good Samaritan protections.

The organization serves food-insecure individuals and families, low-income seniors, and households enrolled in federal nutrition assistance across Los Angeles County, with targeted focus on neighborhoods including downtown LA, Compton, San Pedro, Antelope Valley, South LA, Watts, and North Long Beach. It claims the highest volume of food distributed per dollar of operating expense and the smallest full-time staff of any metropolitan foodbank in the United States, and is debt-free with owned facilities. It is BIPOC-led, with 100% of its board and staff identifying as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color, and holds Charity Navigator's 4-Star Rating, Guidestar's Platinum Seal of Transparency, and America's Best Charities Seal of Excellence.

Name

The Foodbank of Southern California

Legal name

The Foodbank of Southern California

Website

https://foodbankofsocal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Foodbank of Southern California is a 1975-founded nonprofit that distributes 40-60 million pounds of food annually to 850,000+ food-insecure residents of Los Angeles County through a 275+ partner agency network, funded by individual, corporate, and food industry donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAA

Food Assistance & Food Banks

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAIAKAF

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Social Security, Benefits & Welfare Administration

Keywords

• Food distribution services
• Hunger relief programs
• Emergency food assistance
• Nonprofit food banking
• Community food donation

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Financial contributions from individual donors, both one-time and recurring monthly donations, enabling the Foodbank to purchase and distribute nutritious food. Every $1 donated equals 4 meals.
2. Corporate Sponsorships and Grants: Funding from corporations and foundations through vehicle sponsorships, program underwriting, mobile food distribution sponsorships, special events, and general operating support grants.
3. Food Industry Donations: Donations of food products from manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, distributors, restaurants, and farmers. Donors receive tax benefits under the 1976 Tax Reform Act and are protected by the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act.
4. Workplace Giving Programs: Combined Federal Campaign (CFC code 67718), employer matching gift programs, and Ralphs Community Contribution Program where shoppers link rewards cards to the Foodbank.
5. Point-of-Sale Donations: Cash register round-up programs at retail locations where shoppers can add a donation or round up to the nearest dollar at point of purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Foodbank of Southern California collects donated food from manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, distributors, restaurants, and farmers, then stores, sorts, and redistributes it through a network of more than 275 certified charitable partner agencies and direct mobile distribution programs serving food-insecure residents of Los Angeles County. Core programmatic offerings include the federally-supported TEFAP (Emergency Food Assistance Program), the Brown Bag Network for low-income seniors, Another Serving prepared-food recovery, the Mobile Food Pantry program, the Retail Donation Referral program, and the Barrel Program for community food collection.

Product overview

The Foodbank of Southern California operates as a nonprofit food distribution organization offering multiple programs and services focused on hunger relief across Los Angeles County. The core offerings include food distribution programs (TEFAP, Brown Bag Network for Seniors, Another Serving, Retail Donation Referral Program) that channel food to those in need through a network of partner agencies. Supporting programs include the Barrel Program for community food collection, Mobile Food Pantry Program for reaching underserved areas, and Corporate Sponsorship Programs for partner engagement. The organization also provides donation processing services for individuals and corporations to contribute financially.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP): U.S. Department of Agriculture program providing USDA surplus commodities to help supplement diets of low-income households with emergency food and nutrition assistance.
• The Brown Bag Network Program for Seniors
• Another Serving
• The Barrel Program
• Foodbank Forward

Products and services

• The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) U.S. Department of Agriculture program channeling surplus commodities such as flour, cornmeal, pinto beans, rice, milk, cheese, butter, and frozen chicken through the Foodbank to low-income households via partner agencies, distributing over 21.5 million pounds of food annually across Los Angeles County.
• Brown Bag Network Program for Seniors Program providing free nutritious food biweekly to low-income seniors at volunteer-staffed distribution sites throughout Los Angeles County and weekly home deliveries to homebound or shut-in seniors; operates as one of the largest senior food programs in California.
• Another Serving Program linking charitable organizations that provide meals with local restaurants, caterers, and food preparers to distribute safe 'unsaleable' prepared food to food-insecure individuals, channeling over 1.8 million pounds of food annually.
• Retail Donation Referral Program Program linking charitable organizations that feed food-insecure individuals with local grocery stores, restaurants, and caterers to obtain direct donations of safe 'unsaleable' perishable products for redistribution.
• Barrel Program Program placing donation barrels at local businesses, schools, faith-based organizations, and community centers across Los Angeles County to enable convenient drop-off of non-perishable food donations.
• Neighborhood Food Distributions and Pantries Mobile food distribution service reaching neighborhoods most in need, including food deserts and underserved areas, by sending mobile food pantries with fresh produce directly into communities across Los Angeles County.
• Mobile Food Pantry Program Program dispatching mobile food pantries carrying loads of fresh produce to penetrate deeper into food deserts and underserved areas throughout Los Angeles County.
• Good Food vs. Junk Food Educational program teaching the difference between healthy foods and junk foods through video content and nutrition information, aimed at combating obesity and promoting healthy eating habits among community members.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40-60 million pounds of nutritious food distributed annually to 850,000+ people
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

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

• NBC4 and Telemundo 52majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2022Partnership for the fifth annual Help For The Hungry Campaign. Bilingual local TV stations supporting regional food banks across Southern California from Los Angeles to Orange County, Ventura County, and Imperial Valley. Foodbank hosted food giveaway event supported by 200+ nonprofit groups.
• ChipotleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2018Fundraising partnership where 33% of purchases at participating Los Angeles Chipotle restaurants were donated to the Foodbank on December 15th, 2018. Focused on poorest of poor neighborhoods including downtown LA, Compton, San Pedro, South Central, Watts, and North Long Beach.
• Parent of WattscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 230+ agency partners that help distribute food to neighborhoods most in need. Certified charitable community organization caring for hungry people in Watts area.
• LA Dream CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency distributing food to food-insecure residents. One of 230+ charitable agencies helping penetrate food deserts and underserved areas.
• North Long Beach Center for Economic InclusioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency partner helping distribute food to underserved North Long Beach communities and areas targeted for food desert penetration.
• RalphsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRalphs Community Contribution Program allows shoppers to link their Rewards Card to the Foodbank of Southern California (Organization #NJ800) to earn donations with each purchase.
• Long Beach Fire DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssisted with hands-on food distribution at Help For The Hungry Campaign event, helping hand out food to Long Beach residents in need.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Houston Food Bank: Large metropolitan food bank operating a distribution network in a major US metro. Comparable in mission, scale of food distribution volume, and partner agency model.
• Capital Area Food Bank: Mid-Atlantic regional food bank distributing food through a partner agency network in the Washington DC metro. Comparable in operational model and TEFAP program participation.
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank: The largest food bank serving LA County, distributing tens of millions of pounds annually to a similarly large partner agency network. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and operating model to Foodbank of Southern California.
• Food Bank for New York City: Major metropolitan food bank serving a large urban population through a partner agency network. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and food distribution approach.
• Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina: Mid-sized regional food bank with similar mission, USDA commodity distribution programs (TEFAP), and donor-funded operating model. Comparable in scale of distribution volume and partner agency approach.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National umbrella organization for over 200 member food banks across the US. Foodbank of Southern California operates in Feeding America's network, making this the closest broad incumbent whose programs, food sourcing, and best practices shape its operating environment.

Regional players

• San Diego Food Bank: Southern California peer operating in San Diego County with comparable mission, distribution model, and partner agency structure. Useful benchmark for capacity, throughput, and donation economics.
• Alameda County Community Food Bank: Northern California regional food bank operating a similar partner agency distribution model. Comparable in mission, donor-driven revenue model, and culturally responsive food distribution focus.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County: Adjacent Southern California food bank serving Orange County with similar nonprofit distribution model, partner agency network, and donor-supported funding. Comparable in scale and programs but operates in a different county.

Others

• California Association of Food Banks: Statewide association representing California's food banks including food sourcing coordination, advocacy, and shared services. Adjacent ecosystem participant that influences the regulatory and funding environment for the Foodbank of Southern California.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/foodbankofsocal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foodbank-of-southern-california
• Instagraminstagram.com/foodbankofsoutherncalifornia
• Xx.com/foodbankofsocal

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Foodbank of Southern California