CUMAC
CUMAC/ECHO, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Paterson, New Jersey that fights hunger and its root causes through an appointment-based Choice Marketplace, a weekly Mobile Pantry serving 16 towns, and a Benefits Enrollment Center for SNAP and Medicare navigation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersPaterson, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What CUMAC does
CUMAC/ECHO, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1985 in Paterson, New Jersey, to fight hunger and its root causes through a holistic, trauma-informed approach. The organization operates three core service lines: an appointment-based Choice Marketplace at a 28,000 sq ft headquarters at 223 Ellison Street, a Mobile Pantry unit that visits four New Jersey towns each week across a 16-municipality service area (including Paterson, Woodland Park, Clifton, Passaic, and Wayne), and a Benefits Enrollment Center that connects community members with NJ SNAP, Summer EBT, and Medicare resources. CUMAC explicitly distinguishes its programming from a traditional emergency food pantry by giving guests dignity and agency in selecting fresh produce and lean meats, and by hiring community members to drive program design.
The underlying operating model is community-led and trauma-informed, with CUMAC's positioning centered on the principle that "choice is too often taken away in poverty." Revenue flows primarily from individual charitable donations (marketed at a 1:6.50 leverage ratio of donated dollars to market-rate grocery value delivered), government grants and political funding (notably a $250,000 delivery from NJ Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin), and corporate partnerships such as the PSE&G food rescue alliance. Distribution site relationships with the Boys and Girls Clubs and Greater Bergen Community Action extend the physical footprint without capital expenditure. The organization also runs a merchandise line (CUMAC Gear) as a supplementary funding channel, and maintains financial documents including 2020-2021 audits and 2023-2024 990 forms on its website.
From an investor perspective, CUMAC is not a for-profit enterprise; it is a mission-driven community asset governed by a board of directors with no disclosed private equity, venture capital, or parent-company ownership. No app, API, AI/ML systems, patents, or proprietary technology stack are referenced in the source material, and the operational backbone is human-coordinated volunteer and staff capacity rather than software platforms. The strategic question for capital allocators is how an established, durable nonprofit organization of this scale sustains and grows its donor base, government funding, and volunteer pipeline — rather than unit economics or platform defensibility in the conventional VC sense.
CUMAC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CUMAC
- Legal name
- CUMAC/ECHO, Inc.
- Website
- https://cumac.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CUMAC/ECHO, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Paterson, New Jersey that fights hunger and its root causes through an appointment-based Choice Marketplace, a weekly Mobile Pantry serving 16 towns, and a Benefits Enrollment Center for SNAP and Medicare navigation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where CUMAC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paterson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CUMAC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable Donations: The organization relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations. Every $1 donated equals $6.50 of market-rate groceries for neighbors.
- Government Grants and Funding: CUMAC receives government support including grants from Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin ($250K delivered) and participates in programs like Summer EBT and NJ SNAP.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
CUMAC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CUMAC is a nonprofit anti-hunger organization that distributes groceries and basic necessities to families and individuals in need through an appointment-based Choice Marketplace in Paterson, NJ and a Mobile Pantry Unit that visits four towns weekly. It operates a Benefits Enrollment Center to help community members connect with SNAP and Medicare resources, and sells branded merchandise (CUMAC Gear) to support its mission.
Product overview
CUMAC is a nonprofit anti-hunger organization operating as a single unified service model, not a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings consist of the Choice Marketplace (an appointment-based food distribution program), the Mobile Pantry (mobile food distribution visiting multiple towns weekly), the Benefits Enrollment Center (helping connect families with SNAP and Medicare), and CUMAC Gear (merchandise store). All programs operate under a trauma-informed, upstream approach to address the root causes of hunger while providing food with dignity.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- $1 donated equals $6.50 of market-rate groceries
Companies that use CUMAC
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
CUMAC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
CUMAC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered notable and minor.
- PSE&GnotablePSE&G supports CUMAC's food rescue operations. The partnership helps ensure good food gets to families who need it most, supporting both the Marketplace and Mobile Unit operations.
- Boys and Girls ClubminorBoys and Girls Club locations serve as Mobile Pantry distribution sites in Clifton and Woodland Park.
- Greater Bergen Community ActionminorGreater Bergen Community Action East Side Location in Paterson serves as a Mobile Pantry distribution site.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CUMAC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Meals on Wheels of New Jersey: Regional Meals on Wheels affiliate addressing senior hunger through home-delivered meals. Comparable NJ footprint and anti-hunger mission, but focused on home-delivered meals to seniors rather than community-based choice marketplace.
Others
- WhyHunger: National nonprofit focused on ending hunger through advocacy, resource mobilization, and supporting grassroots food justice organizations. Thematically aligned but operates as an enabling and advocacy organization rather than direct food distributor.
Direct peers
- Capital Area Food Bank: Regional food bank serving the Washington DC metro area with food distribution, mobile pantries, and nutrition programs. Comparable scale, mobile distribution cadence, and community-based service model.
- Greater Bergen Community Action: Northern NJ anti-poverty organization that already hosts CUMAC's Mobile Pantry distribution. Directly comparable anti-hunger mission with overlapping NJ service geography and beneficiary population.
- Community Food Bank of New Jersey: Largest food bank in New Jersey, distributing food across the state including Passaic County where CUMAC operates. Directly comparable mission (food distribution to people in need), model, and geographic overlap, though at substantially larger scale.
- City Harvest: New York City's largest food rescue organization distributing food to communities in need. Comparable food rescue and choice-based distribution model with mobile pantry elements.
- Food Bank of South Jersey: Regional food bank serving southern New Jersey with food distribution and anti-hunger programs. Comparable nonprofit food bank model and target beneficiary population.
Broad incumbents
- Philabundance: Largest food bank in the Philadelphia region serving multiple counties. Comparable regional food bank model serving low-income communities with choice-based distribution components.
- Feeding America: Nationwide network of 200+ food banks, including NJ-affiliated members. National umbrella organization that supports and aggregates regional food banks like CUMAC through sourcing, logistics, and grants.
- Food Bank for New York City: Major NYC-area food bank operating a citywide hunger-relief network. Comparable mission and model but operates at significantly larger scale and urban density than CUMAC.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CUMAC social profiles
Digital presenceCUMAC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CUMAC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CUMAC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CUMAC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CUMAC
What does CUMAC do?
CUMAC is a nonprofit anti-hunger organization that distributes groceries and basic necessities to families and individuals in need through an appointment-based Choice Marketplace in Paterson, NJ and a Mobile Pantry Unit that visits four towns weekly. It operates a Benefits Enrollment Center to help community members connect with SNAP and Medicare resources, and sells branded merchandise (CUMAC Gear) to support its mission.
Is CUMAC a public or private company?
CUMAC is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was CUMAC founded?
CUMAC was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CUMAC based?
CUMAC is headquartered in Paterson, United States, in the North America region.
How does CUMAC make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Charitable Donations are the primary driver. The others are government Grants and Funding.
Who are CUMAC's main competitors?
Meals on Wheels of New Jersey is listed as a regional player. WhyHunger is listed as an others. Direct peers are Capital Area Food Bank, Greater Bergen Community Action, Community Food Bank of New Jersey, City Harvest and Food Bank of South Jersey. Broad incumbents are Philabundance, Feeding America and Food Bank for New York City.
Does CUMAC have an API?
No public API is recorded for CUMAC.