Ohio Association of Foodbanks

What Ohio Association of Foodbanks does

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a 501(c)-style nonprofit membership organization incorporated in 1991 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. It functions as the coordinating body for Ohio's 12 regional Feeding America foodbanks and approximately 3,600 hunger-relief agencies, providing consolidated procurement, training, SNAP outreach, AmeriCorps national-service programming, Food Is Medicine partnerships, and public-policy advocacy on behalf of all 88 Ohio counties. Its core operational programs are the Ohio Food Program (statewide procurement of shelf-stable and protein foods) and the Agricultural Clearance Program (purchasing Ohio-grown produce from approximately 150 farms), together supplying roughly 25% of all food distributed through Ohio's foodbanks. Adjacent programs include ShareCorps AmeriCorps VISTA, the newly launched Healthy Harvest Corps (2025), the Commodity Supplemental Food Program for low-income seniors, a Navigator program for HealthCare.gov enrollment, an Ohio Food Recovery initiative, and County Fact Sheets publishing county-level social determinants of health data.

The organization's technology footprint is deliberately narrow: FreshTrak is used across member foodbanks to integrate patient interactions with healthcare partners and EHR systems, and validated tools like Hunger Vital Sign are deployed for food-insecurity screening. Donations are processed through qgiv, advocacy through quorum.us, and website analytics through Google Analytics. No proprietary AI/ML models or platforms are disclosed. Notably, the network serviced 230+ million meals and nearly 16 million pantry visits in the most recent reported year, recovered 137–150 million pounds of food, and absorbed a 46.2% surge in pantry visits during the 43-day 2025 federal government shutdown.

OAF's revenue mechanics are grant- and donation-driven, not commercial. Income is assembled from charitable donations, federal commodity programs (TEFAP, CSFP), state appropriations (including a $25M executive order during the 2025 federal shutdown), and private foundation grants (Centene Foundation/Buckeye Health Plan $200K, Share Our Strength $75K, CareSource $50K, AmeriHealth Caritas Ohio $50K, Montgomery County $1M to a member foodbank). Customer segments are split between end beneficiaries (food-insecure individuals and families, seniors, households with children) and B2B stakeholders (healthcare providers and managed-care organizations via Food Is Medicine, plus government agencies), with services to end users provided free of charge.

Name

Ohio Association of Foodbanks

Legal name

Ohio Association of Foodbanks

Website

https://ohiofoodbanks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a statewide nonprofit that coordinates 12 Feeding America foodbanks and 3,600 hunger-relief agencies across all 88 Ohio counties, providing roughly 25% of food distributed statewide and running consolidated procurement, SNAP outreach, and Food Is Medicine programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief and Food Assistance Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD), Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH)

Keywords

• Hunger relief services
• Food bank network
• SNAP outreach
• Food is medicine
• Food recovery programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Reliance on donated food and charitable dollars from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund food purchasing and operational costs.
2. Federal Commodity Programs: Federal commodity programs including The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) provide food supplies.
3. State Government Funding: State funding from Ohio including $25 million executive order for food assistance during federal government shutdown, and ongoing state budget allocations to foodbanks.
4. Private Foundation Grants: Funding from private foundations such as the Centene Foundation ($1.5M commitment across U.S.), Share Our Strength's Medicaid Food Security Partners Program ($75,000 grant), and corporate donors like AmeriHealth Caritas Ohio, CareSource, Buckeye Health Plan.
5. Consolidated Food Purchasing: Statewide bulk purchasing through the Ohio Food Program and Agricultural Clearance Program generates cost savings that stretch limited charitable dollars across member foodbanks.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a nonprofit charitable organization that procures and distributes food through a statewide network of 12 Feeding America foodbanks and 3,600 hunger relief agencies, providing roughly 25% of all food distributed by Ohio's foodbanks. Core services also include SNAP outreach and enrollment, the federally funded Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) for low-income seniors, Food Is Medicine healthcare partnerships, food rescue via the Ohio Food Recovery program, public policy advocacy, AmeriCorps national service programs (ShareCorps and Healthy Harvest Corps), and a Navigator program for HealthCare.gov enrollment.

Product overview

The Ohio Association of Foodbanks operates as Ohio's largest charitable hunger-relief network, representing 12 Feeding America foodbanks and 3,600 hunger relief agencies across all 88 counties. The organization's core offerings center on food procurement and distribution programs including the Ohio Food Program and Agricultural Clearance Program, which together provide approximately 25% of all food distributed statewide. Additional services include SNAP outreach assistance, national service programs (ShareCorps AmeriCorps VISTA and Healthy Harvest Corps), the Commodity Supplemental Food Program for seniors, Hunger and Health/Food is Medicine initiatives, Ohio Food Recovery for food waste reduction, a Navigator program for health coverage enrollment, and County Fact Sheets providing local data on social determinants of health. The organization was incorporated in 1991 as a collaborative effort by Ohio's 12 Feeding America foodbanks to stretch limited dollars through consolidated food purchasing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ohio Food Program Statewide food purchasing program where the association procures center-of-the-plate, shelf-stable foods, and protein items for Ohio's 12 Feeding America foodbanks, providing roughly 25% of all food distributed statewide.
• Agricultural Clearance Program Program to purchase Ohio-grown agricultural products through partnerships with approximately 150 Ohio farms and food hubs, providing nutritious fresh produce to foodbanks across all 88 Ohio counties.
• SNAP Outreach Partnership with USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and Ohio foodbanks to help connect Ohioans experiencing food hardship with SNAP benefits.
• ShareCorps (AmeriCorps VISTA) One of Ohio's largest AmeriCorps VISTA programs, placing national service members at hunger-relief host sites to perform indirect service including volunteer recruitment, program curriculum building, fundraising, and connecting communities with resources.
• Healthy Harvest Corps AmeriCorps State and National program focused on scaling and sustaining Food Is Medicine initiatives through direct service activities that support new, emerging, and expanding services addressing hunger as a social determinant of health.
• Hunger and Health / Food Is Medicine Initiatives addressing food insecurity as a Social Determinant of Health, including screening programs, community-based clinical services, nutrition education, food pharmacies, and partnerships with healthcare providers and managed care organizations.
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Federal nutrition program for low-income seniors aged 60 and older (also known as the 'senior food box'), providing shelf-stable nutritious USDA commodities monthly to help seniors age in place.
• Ohio Food Recovery Program addressing food waste by working with local partners, farms, retailers, manufacturers, restaurants, and distributors to rescue and redistribute surplus food that would otherwise go to waste.
• Navigator Program Health coverage enrollment assistance program where navigators help Ohioans buy private insurance on the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace and provide both direct consumer enrollment assistance and administrative support for community-based partner organizations.
• County Fact Sheets Local data publications providing county-level information on food insecurity, SNAP access, health coverage, housing, and other key social determinants of health for all 88 Ohio counties.
• Public Policy Advocacy State and federal public policy advocacy program providing testimony before state and federal committees, partnering with Advocates for Ohio's Future, and running advocacy alerts to promote proven anti-hunger and anti-poverty policy solutions.
• Ohio Foodbank Network (membership coordination) Membership-based coordination of Ohio's 12 Feeding America foodbanks (Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Freestore Foodbank, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Mid-Ohio Food Collective, Second Harvest of Clark/Champaign/Logan, Second Harvest of North Central Ohio, Second Harvest of the Mahoning Valley, Shared Harvest Foodbank, Southeast Ohio Foodbank & Kitchen, The Foodbank Inc., Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank, and West Ohio Foodbank) and their partner hunger relief agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributes roughly 25% of all food distributed by Ohio's foodbanks statewide
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• AmeriCorpscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Partnership since 2006 to place AmeriCorps VISTA members, VISTA Summer Associates, and AmeriCorps State and National members throughout Ohio to strengthen the capacity of Ohio's charitable hunger and poverty-relief network. Hundreds of passionate individuals have joined the national service family through the ShareCorps program.
• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio Association of Foodbanks represents Ohio's 12 Feeding America foodbanks as the state association. The network serves millions of Ohioans in all 88 counties through 3,600 hunger relief organizations.
• USDA Food and Nutrition ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership spanning more than 15 years with USDA FNS, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and Ohio foodbanks to help connect Ohioans experiencing food hardship with SNAP benefits.
• Ohio Department of Job and Family ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partnership for SNAP outreach and enrollment, working together with Ohio foodbanks to connect eligible Ohioans with federal nutrition benefits.
• Advocates for Ohio's FutureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy advocacy partnership linking arms with other health and human service advocates to promote proven, policy-driven solutions for Ohioans struggling with food insecurity.
• Kroger Ohio DivisionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollecting shelf-stable food donations from customers to add to the retail donations their stores already make during federal shutdown relief efforts.
• Mid-Ohio Food CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood Is Medicine partnership through Mid-Ohio Farmacy network contributing to weight loss and lower healthcare costs for patients with chronic diet-related disease. Partner with local FQHCs. Launched FreshTrak and lead technology and programming integration work.
• DoorDashmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank to provide home-based food delivery to individuals and families who are high risk due to health conditions or age, meet income guidelines, and cannot visit a food pantry in person.
• Cincinnati Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Freestore Foodbank for KIND (Keeping Infants Nourished and Developing) program, expanded to 10 clinics within 4 healthcare systems, screening patients for food insecurity and providing baby formula and food to families.
• FQHCs (Federally Qualified Health Centers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with local Federally Qualified Health Centers for food insecurity screening and referral programs, and FreshTrak technology integration to connect patient Electronic Health Records with foodbank client records.
• Major Regional HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAkron-Canton Regional Foodbank working with major hospitals in their region on a Food Farmacy pilot with support from Leader Sykes and the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
• Ohio Agricultural CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partnership with Ohio's agricultural community through the Ohio Food Program and Agricultural Clearance Program, with support from bipartisan elected officials. Approximately 150 farms supply fresh produce to food pantries statewide.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Capital Area Food Bank: Regional Feeding America foodbank serving the Washington D.C. metro area with comparable programs in food distribution, nutrition education, and healthcare partnerships. Comparable in scale and operational model to individual OAF member foodbanks.
• Good Shepherd Food Bank: Maine's largest hunger relief organization and the state's sole Feeding America affiliate, operating consolidated food sourcing and distribution programs analogous to OAF's Ohio Food Program and Agricultural Clearance Program, but at a single-organization scale.
• Greater Chicago Food Depository: Large regional Feeding America foodbank in Illinois. Compares to OAF as a fellow high-throughput distribution organization with Food is Medicine programming, though organized as a single regional foodbank rather than a statewide association.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National umbrella organization for the 200+ U.S. foodbanks including Ohio's 12 member foodbanks that OAF coordinates. Feeding America sets national food sourcing standards, branding, and advocacy positioning for the network OAF operates within at the state level.
• Food Research & Action Center (FRAC): National anti-hunger policy and advocacy organization focused on federal nutrition programs (SNAP, school meals, WIC). FRAC complements OAF's advocacy work at the federal level, shaping the policy environment OAF depends on for funding and demand.
• Share Our Strength (No Kid Hungry): National anti-hunger organization running the Medicaid Food Security Partners Program that granted OAF $75K. Operates parallel programs on childhood hunger and SNAP outreach, with substantial policy and funding overlap with OAF's mission.

Direct peers

• Mid-Ohio Food Collective: One of OAF's 12 member foodbanks and a flagship partner for the Food Is Medicine program including Mid-Ohio Farmacy and FreshTrak technology integration. Direct comparable for a large urban/suburban regional foodbank with advanced healthcare integration programming.
• Feeding Texas: State association representing 21 Texas foodbanks, mirroring OAF's role as the statewide coordinating body for hunger relief, public policy advocacy, and food procurement for member Feeding America affiliates.
• California Association of Food Banks: State-level association coordinating California's 41-member foodbanks and serving as the direct functional analog to OAF — same advocacy, SNAP outreach, food procurement, and capacity-building model at state scale.
• Food Bank Association of New York State: New York's state-level food bank association representing regional foodbanks, with a near-identical charter: statewide food procurement, SNAP outreach, anti-hunger advocacy, and member capacity building.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OhioFoodbanks
• Facebookfacebook.com/OhioFoodbanks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ohio-association-of-foodbanks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ohio Association of Foodbanks