Greater Lansing Food Bank

What Greater Lansing Food Bank does

Greater Lansing Food Bank (GLFB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1981 and headquartered in Bath, Michigan, with a mailing address in Lansing. It operates as a regional food bank within the Feeding America national network, sourcing, warehousing, and distributing food across a 4,000 square mile, seven-county service area covering Clare, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ingham, Isabella, and Shiawassee Counties. GLFB serves approximately 106,560 food-insecure individuals and families through a network of more than 300 partner agencies, including food pantries, community meal sites, mobile distribution locations, and direct-service programs such as Home Delivery, Weekend Kits, Senior Programs, and the Garden Project community gardening initiative.

The organization's product portfolio centers on a logistics-and-distribution platform anchored by a main warehouse at 5600 Food Court, Bath, MI. Distribution occurs through mobile food pantries traveling on published schedules, a home delivery program for transportation-limited neighbors (10,068 deliveries completed in 2025), Weekend Kits distributed through schools (99,600+ kits in 2024), senior-focused assistance, and an innovative temperature-controlled food locker program launched in 2024 in partnership with Eaton Community Health and UM Health-Sparrow Eaton — the first such system in Michigan, providing 24/7 access to refrigerated and frozen items via clinical referral. Supporting digital tools include an online Pantry Locator and Mobile Distribution Calendar. The Garden Project sub-brand extends the platform into community gardens and the Grow & Give produce-donation program.

GLFB's revenue model is donation-driven and diversified across individual monetary contributions, corporate and retail partnerships (Kroger's Great Michigan Milk Drive, Walmart's Fight Hunger Spark Change), in-kind food from USDA's Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), Feeding America, and Food Bank Council of Michigan, foundation grants (including Capital Region Community Foundation), and event fundraising such as the annual Empty Plate dinner. CEO Michelle Lantz leads the organization, which is governed by an independent board. There is no pricing for direct food assistance, as all programs are provided at no cost to neighbors in need.

Name

Greater Lansing Food Bank

Legal name

Greater Lansing Food Bank

Website

https://greaterlansingfoodbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Greater Lansing Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) regional food bank founded in 1981 that distributes food to 106,560 food-insecure neighbors across seven mid-Michigan counties through 300+ partner agencies, mobile distributions, home delivery, and innovative temperature-controlled food lockers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF), Nutrition-Specific Interventions (Micronutrients, Supplementation, Fortification) (BPADAJAB)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Hunger relief
• Food distribution
• Community nutrition
• Food assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Monetary Donations: GLFB receives donations from individuals to support food purchasing and distribution operations. Every $1 donated can provide food for up to 3 meals.
2. Corporate and Business Partnerships: Partnerships with retailers like Kroger, Walmart, and local businesses through food drives, fundraising campaigns, and cause marketing programs.
3. USDA TEFAP and Government Food Programs: GLFB receives food through USDA's Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) along with additional food sourced through Feeding America and Food Bank Council of Michigan partnerships.
4. Event Fundraising: Annual Empty Plate strolling dinner and auction event, along with community-organized fundraisers, raised more than 1.1 million meals for mid-Michigan neighbors.
5. Grant Funding: Funding from organizations like Capital Region Community Foundation for specific programs and initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Greater Lansing Food Bank is a nonprofit regional food bank that sources, warehouses, and distributes millions of pounds of food across a 4,000 square mile, seven-county service area in mid-Michigan. GLFB provides food assistance at no cost to food-insecure individuals and families through a network of 300+ partner food pantries and community meal sites, complemented by direct service programs including mobile food pantries, home delivery, weekend kits for children, senior programs, and innovative temperature-controlled food lockers. The Garden Project initiative further engages community gardeners to donate produce to local food pantries.

Product overview

Greater Lansing Food Bank operates a network-based food assistance platform centered on its core food bank infrastructure (warehousing and distributing millions of pounds of food) combined with direct service programs. The product portfolio includes pantry location tools (Pantry Locator), mobile food distribution scheduling (Mobile Distribution Calendar), specialized delivery programs (Home Delivery), senior-focused assistance (Senior Programs), childhood nutrition support (Weekend Kits), and an innovative temperature-controlled food locker system. The Garden Project initiative encompasses community gardens, the Grow & Give produce donation program, resource centers, and education. As a Feeding America partner food bank, GLFB leverages a network of 300+ partner organizations across seven Michigan counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Garden Project: A program encouraging gardeners to grow extra vegetables to donate to local food pantries and community kitchens. Includes community gardens, resource center, education, and Grow & Give initiative.
• Mobile Food Pantries
• Weekend Kits
• Home Delivery
• Care Kits

Products and services

• Pantry Locator Online directory tool that helps neighbors find the nearest GLFB partner food pantry in their area across the seven-county service region.
• Mobile Distribution Calendar Schedule of mobile food pantry events across Clare, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ingham, Isabella, and Shiawassee Counties with location details and times.
• Home Delivery Program Direct food delivery program that delivers nutritious food monthly to neighbors' doors, helping those with transportation barriers or disabilities access food assistance.
• Senior Programs Food assistance programs specifically designed for seniors experiencing food insecurity in mid-Michigan communities.
• Weekend Kits Kid-friendly meal and snack kits designed to fit in children's backpacks, providing nutrition outside school hours for students and families in need.
• Care Kits Specialized food kits providing targeted nutritional support for neighbors with specific needs.
• Temperature-Controlled Food Lockers 24/7 accessible food lockers installed outside UM Health Sparrow Eaton hospital, allowing neighbors to pick up refrigerated and frozen food items after receiving a hospital referral. First of its kind in Michigan.
• Garden Project Community gardening initiative that includes community gardens, a resource center, education center, and the Grow & Give produce donation program to help gardeners share extra vegetables with local food pantries.
• Grow & Give Program encouraging community gardeners to grow extra vegetables for donation to local food pantries, including best practices guides, top produce recommendations, and a pantry list for donations.
• Community Gardens Network of community garden plots managed through the Garden Project, with gardener registration and support for growing produce to donate.

Quantifiable outcome

• 106,560 neighbors experiencing food insecurity served across seven-county area
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGLFB is a Feeding America partner food bank, making it a member of a network of food banks, food pantries, and meal programs working together across the U.S. to fight food insecurity. This partnership provides regional and national connections to food sources and strategies.
• Food Bank Council of MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level partnership providing access to additional food sources and advocacy. GLFB participates in programs like the Hunger Solutions Reception.
• KrogerflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerGreat Michigan Milk Drive partnership where donations made at checkout at mid-Michigan Kroger stores stayed local to help provide fresh milk to neighbors. Last year GLFB distributed nearly 1.2 million pounds of dairy.
• United Dairy Industry of MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Great Michigan Milk Drive providing dairy products to food banks across the state.
• Eaton Community HealthflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst-in-Michigan temperature-controlled food locker program providing 24/7 food access for neighbors with hospital referrals. ECH owns and coordinates the locker program.
• UM Health — Sparrow EatonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts temperature-controlled food lockers on the Charlotte campus, providing convenient location for neighbor food pickup.
• Barry-Eaton District Health DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides food security data, nutrition information, and other local metrics for the food locker program and general GLFB operations.
• Eaton County Food CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewly formed council providing strategic input and guidance on food security initiatives in Eaton County.
• 4-H Clubs and County Fairs (Eaton, Ingham, Shiawassee)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership program since 2011 where animals purchased at livestock sales are donated to GLFB with grants covering processing fees. Provides local, sustainable protein sources from youth livestock programs.
• WalmartflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerFight Hunger Spark Change campaign with checkout donations, round-up at checkout, and supplier product donations. Local Walmart stores donate produce and bakery items to partner pantries.
• Clare County FoodcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVolunteer-run mobile food pantry serving Clare County, the northernmost county with highest food insecurity rate in Michigan. Served nearly 5,000 households in 2023.
• Elsie Area Food PantrycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorServes neighbors across Clinton, Gratiot and Shiawassee counties through pantry visits and drive-through produce distributions. Connected with local Walmart for food pickup.
• Clare County TransitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonates facilities each month to host the mobile food distribution.
• Clare County FairgroundsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonates facilities each month to host the mobile food distribution.
• Lansing Area Parkinson's Support GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVolunteer group that has volunteered every other month with GLFB since December 2023, contributing to sorting and packing food at the distribution center.
• Magic Brazilian Jiu JitsuminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSmall business organized a food drive for GLFB in response to 2025 government shutdown SNAP delays, collecting donations from gym community.
• Jean Jean VintageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSmall business hosted a fund drive with monetary donations and matching contributions up to $500 to maximize GLFB's purchasing power.
• Strange Matter CoffeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSmall business ran a food drive promotion offering free drinks for donations, raising 3,655 pounds of food and 3,046 meals in 17 days.
• Michigan Parkinson FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsors 75 support groups statewide including the Lansing Area Parkinson's Support Group that volunteers with GLFB.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Forgotten Harvest: Michigan-based food rescue organization distributing surplus food through partner agencies and direct programs in metro Detroit. Comparable partner-agency distribution model with emphasis on retail food rescue, similar to GLFB's Walmart and Kroger partnerships.
• Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida: Feeding America partner food bank serving multiple counties in Southwest Florida. Similar partner agency distribution model with comparable operational scope and direct nutrition programs for vulnerable populations.
• Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan: Regional Feeding America partner food bank serving metro Detroit and southeastern Michigan with a partner agency network, mobile pantries, and direct distribution programs. Highly comparable structure, governance, and program mix to GLFB, operating at somewhat larger scale within the same state.
• Feeding America West Michigan: Feeding America partner food bank covering 40+ counties across western Michigan with mobile pantries, partner agencies, and direct food programs. Operates in the same state with a similar rural/urban mix and program portfolio.
• Mid-Ohio Food Collective: Regional food bank serving central Ohio with a partner agency network, mobile pantries, and direct-to-neighbor programs including senior and child-focused initiatives. Comparable scale, program breadth, and Feeding America affiliation.
• Food Bank of the Rockies: Feeding America partner food bank serving Colorado and Wyoming with a partner agency model, mobile pantries, and direct programs. Comparable multi-county regional structure and program portfolio including childhood and senior nutrition.
• Food Bank of Eastern Michigan: Feeding America partner food bank serving 22 counties in eastern Michigan from Flint. Comparable multi-county service area, partner agency distribution model, and reliance on TEFAP and retail food rescue programs.
• Foodlink: Regional food bank serving greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes region of New York. Comparable Feeding America partner food bank structure with mobile pantries, partner agencies, and direct child and senior nutrition programs.

Broad incumbents

• Second Harvest Heartland: Large Feeding America regional food bank serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Operates the same partner agency + direct distribution model at meaningfully larger scale, providing a useful upper-bound benchmark for GLFB's growth trajectory.

Regional players

• Food Bank of Northern Indiana: Feeding America partner food bank serving northern Indiana, a comparable mid-size regional food bank with mobile pantries and a partner agency network across multiple counties. Adjacent geography to GLFB's footprint and similar operational profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glfoodbank1
• Xx.com/GLFoodBank1
• Facebookfacebook.com/GLFoodBank1

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 Greater Lansing Food Bank