The Foodbank

What The Foodbank does

The Foodbank, Inc. is a Dayton, Ohio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit hunger relief organization founded in 1976 (as The Emergency Resource Bank, an American Red Cross subsidiary, becoming independent in 2003). It serves as the sole Feeding America-affiliated food bank for Montgomery, Greene, and Preble Counties, acquiring and distributing food through a network of 119-122 partner agencies — including food pantries, community kitchens, and shelters — alongside 8 direct-service gap programs such as mobile pantries, the CSFP Senior Box Program, and Drive Thru distributions. The organization distributes 15-16.5 million pounds of food annually to over 114,000 food-insecure residents across the three counties, serving 37,000+ meals per day with only 1% food waste, and reaching targeted sub-populations through the Good-To-Go Backpack Program (1,700+ K-3rd grade students), Kid's Cafe (6,500 students/month), and senior-specific initiatives.

The Foodbank's underlying physical technology includes a 6,000-square-foot Cropking-powered hydroponic greenhouse (Beverly K. Greenehouse) producing 200,000+ heads of lettuce since late 2021, an urban garden with 40 raised beds, and a closed-loop waste management stack comprising a Green Mountain Technologies in-vessel continuous-flow composting system and a Michigan Soil Works (Wormgear) vermicomposting unit — collectively processing 400,000+ pounds of food scraps since May 2021. The organization does not sell food; its revenue is generated entirely through charitable donations ($1 = 4 meals provided), corporate and foundation grants, federal program allocations (TEFAP, CSFP), and a small earned-revenue stream from a $60/year Compost Bucket Program. A 12,000-square-foot Community Centered Building broke ground in October 2024 to extend the mission into wraparound services including SNAP/WIC assistance, workforce development, healthcare integration (notably a Food Script partnership with Dayton Children's Hospital), and Community Health Worker programming.

The organization operates without conventional equity or venture capital, led by CEO Michelle Riley with a C-suite of COO Kate McEwen, CDO Lee Truesdale, and CKO Kellie Schneider. Its strategic posture has shifted from pure food distribution to addressing root causes of hunger, formalized in a 2023 mission update and 5-year strategic plan that adds advocacy, policy engagement, and social-determinants-of-health interventions to its traditional warehouse-and-pantry operations.

Name

The Foodbank

Legal name

The Foodbank, Inc.

Website

https://thefoodbankdayton.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Foodbank, Inc. is a Dayton, Ohio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit hunger relief organization serving Montgomery, Greene, and Preble counties through 119-122 partner agencies, distributing 15+ million pounds of food annually to 114,000+ food-insecure residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Hunger relief programs
• Food distribution network
• Nutrition assistance
• Community food programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The Foodbank receives donations from individuals in the form of money, food, and volunteer time. Every dollar donated provides four meals to the network.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: The organization receives support from corporations, foundations, and government agencies.
3. Government Food Programs: Federal programs including TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program), CSFP (Commodity Supplemental Food Program), and SNAP support food acquisition and distribution.
4. Compost Bucket Program: Annual membership program at $60/year where participants receive a five-gallon bucket with sealable lid for food scraps.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Foodbank is a hunger relief nonprofit that acquires, warehouses, and distributes food across the Miami Valley region of Ohio through both a network of 100+ partner agencies and a portfolio of direct-service gap programs. It also operates the Urban Garden with the Beverly K. Greenehouse (hydroponic greenhouse) for on-site produce cultivation, plus in-vessel and vermicomposting operations to manage organic waste. Its beneficiaries are food-insecure households, low-income seniors, school-age children, and partner nonprofit agencies in Montgomery, Greene, and Preble Counties.

Product overview

The Foodbank is a nonprofit hunger relief organization operating as a central warehouse and distribution hub for Montgomery, Greene, and Preble counties in Ohio. The organization offers a portfolio of food assistance programs including the Senior Box Program (CSFP) for elderly residents, Mobile Pantries for outdoor distributions, and a network of over 100 partner agencies. The organization also operates urban agriculture initiatives including a hydroponic greenhouse and raised bed gardens producing fresh produce. Additional programs include the Good-To-Go Backpack Program for school children, Kid's Cafe meal sites, and an industrial composting operation. A new Community Centered Building is under development to provide wraparound social services. The organization does not offer a technology product or SaaS platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Beverly K. Greenehouse: 6,000 square foot hydroponic greenhouse named after Beverly K. Greene, used to grow 20 different kinds of fresh lettuce for distribution.
• Urban Garden
• CSFP Senior Box Program
• Good-To-Go Backpack Program
• Mobile Pantries

Products and services

• CSFP Senior Box Program A monthly supplemental food box program that distributes food directly to low-income seniors in the Miami Valley through the federal Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). The product targets seniors aged 60 and older who meet income eligibility requirements and provides them with monthly nutrition assistance.
• Mobile Pantries Mobile food distribution events that travel to geographic areas in the Miami Valley that lack a traditional partner agency, providing direct food access to food-insecure households in those neighborhoods.
• Good-To-Go Backpack Program A school-based backpack program that provides food to schoolchildren to take home over weekends when they otherwise lack access to school meals. The product targets elementary-age children experiencing food insecurity in the Miami Valley.
• Kid's Cafe An after-school meal program that provides nutritious meals and snacks to children in school-based or after-school site settings, addressing child hunger for participating students.
• Drive-Thru Pantry A drive-through food distribution event where food-insecure households can receive food boxes without leaving their vehicles, lowering barriers to access.
• Partner Agency Network A network of more than 100 local nonprofit partner agencies — including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, churches, and community organizations — that receive food from The Foodbank and redistribute it to food-insecure individuals and households across Montgomery, Greene, and Preble Counties.
• Urban Garden with Beverly K. Greenehouse An on-site urban farm featuring the Beverly K. Greenehouse, a hydroponic greenhouse that enables year-round cultivation of fresh produce. The Urban Garden produces food that supplements The Foodbank's distribution and serves as an educational site for the community.
• Composting Program An organic waste diversion program using in-vessel composting and vermicomposting systems to process food waste from The Foodbank's warehouse and community sources, producing finished compost. Includes a paid Compost Bucket subscription that allows community members to participate.
• Pantry Locator Tool An online directory tool that lets users find the nearest food pantry or partner agency across Montgomery, Greene, and Preble Counties, helping food-insecure households locate access points for emergency food.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15+ million pounds of food distributed annually to partner agencies
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, minor and historical.

• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foodbank is part of Feeding America's Network of 206 food banks across the United States, providing access to national food supply chain, resources, and shared best practices.
• Ohio Association of FoodbankscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foodbank is 1 of 12 food banks in the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, participating in state-level advocacy and resource sharing.
• Montgomery County Food Equity CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foodbank is a member of the Food Equity Coalition working to address food access disparities and systemic issues in the community.
• CareSourcemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCareSource supports hunger relief efforts and hygiene product distribution at summer mass distribution events. They also organized an Intern Volunteer Day where interns toured operations and helped sort/repack donations.
• SICSAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirst-time partnership in 2024 at mass food distributions and Senior Drive Thru days, distributing pet food to pet owners in food lines.
• Imagination LibraryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDolly Parton's early childhood literacy program partnered with The Foodbank to distribute free books to children at mass distributions, along with signing families up for the program.
• Dayton Children's HospitalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Food Script program - a medically tailored groceries initiative providing food as medicine to patients.
• CropkingcoreTechnology or IntegrationOhio-based company providing the hydroponic growing system for the 6,000 sq ft Beverly K. Greenehouse.
• Green Mountain TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationManufactured the in-vessel, continuous-flow composting system constructed from a recycled shipping container. Founder Michael Bryan Brown was keynote speaker at Beyond Wasted Food compost event.
• Dayton Equity CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to provide free forklift training to Dayton Equity Center clients using The Foodbank's space and equipment.
• Dayton Regional Pathways HUBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association where The Foodbank staff certified as Community Health Workers work within the HUB program.
• Kettering CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree staff members certified as Community Health Workers through Kettering College training program.
• Closed Loop PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in Composting Consortium - the largest-ever pilot study on breakdown of compostable packaging materials at food banks and composting facilities.
• Greater Dayton Area Hospital AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Community Health Worker certification program and Dayton Regional Pathways HUB.
• American Red CrosshistoricalStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1976 as The Emergency Resource Bank, a subsidiary of the American Red Cross, providing comprehensive relief services.

Scale indicators24 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thefoodbankinc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheFoodbankDayton
• Facebookfacebook.com/thefoodbankinc
• Instagraminstagram.com/thefoodbankinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 The Foodbank