Missoula Food Bank

What Missoula Food Bank does

Missoula Food Bank & Community Center, founded in 1982 and headquartered at 1720 Wyoming Street in Missoula, Montana, is a 501(c)-style nonprofit providing free food and community services to residents of Missoula County. The organization operates a choice-model store where customers select groceries based on household size with no eligibility criteria, documentation, or income verification required. Its distribution footprint includes the main store plus five satellite locations: Market at Lowell and Market at Russell at school sites, and rural pantries in Bonner, Clinton, and Lolo. In 2022 the organization served approximately 24,418 individuals and 7,525 households, equivalent to roughly one in five people in the county.

The organization's "product" portfolio centers on direct food distribution but extends into adjacent programs: Kids Table Summer Meals (USDA-supported, distributing 7,811 meals in the most recent reporting year), EmPower Packs, Senior & Delivery Programs, Food Rescue (39% of food sourced from restaurants and grocery stores), LEVL peer-empowerment, Learning Kitchen & Conference Room, and Grow a Row community gardening. An on-site Partnership Health Center Clinic co-locates healthcare with food assistance, and a Resource Assistant intake flow connects visitors to broader community services.

Missoula Food Bank is funded through a diversified mix of donations, food rescue, and government support: 25% of food is purchased with monetary donations, 39% rescued from restaurants and grocery chains (including partners Rosauers and Orange Street Food Farm), 24% sourced via government entities, and 12% donated by community members. There is no commercial revenue, no disclosed budget, and no technology platform beyond a static informational website with GoFundMe donation integration. The organization holds Charity Navigator 4-Star, Guidestar Platinum, and Candid Platinum credentials and operates with 11-50 paid staff supplemented by volunteers.

Name

Missoula Food Bank

Legal name

Missoula Food Bank & Community Center

Website

https://missoulafoodbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Missoula Food Bank & Community Center is a Missoula, Montana-based nonprofit that operates a choice-model food bank and five satellite pantries, providing free groceries and community programs to approximately 25,000 individuals (one in five county residents) annually with no eligibility requirements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Assistance / Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Hunger relief programs
• Food assistance distribution
• Community nutrition support
• Food rescue operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Missoula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food Donations: 25% of food sourced through monetary donations used to purchase food; 39% rescued from restaurants and grocery stores; 24% funded through government entities; 12% donated by community members.
2. Monetary Donations: The organization relies on monetary donations to purchase food and fund operations. Donations can be made online, by check, cash, or card in person or via mail.
3. Food Drives: Community-organized food drives contribute food donations. Corporate partners, schools, and individuals host food drives throughout the year.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Missoula Food Bank & Community Center distributes free groceries to Missoula County residents through a choice-model Food Bank Store and a network of satellite pantries, with no eligibility criteria, documentation, or income verification required. It supplements distribution with targeted programs for children (Kids Table Summer Meals, EmPower Packs), seniors (delivery), and food rescue from restaurants and grocery stores, alongside a Community Center offering a Learning Kitchen, LEVL peer-empowerment program, Grow a Row community gardens, and an on-site Partnership Health Center Clinic.

Product overview

Missoula Food Bank & Community Center is a food assistance and community support organization, not a technology company. The 'product portfolio' consists of food distribution services and community programs: the core Food Bank Store (choice-model distribution without eligibility requirements), satellite pantries (Market at Lowell, Market at Russell, and rural pantries in Bonner/Clinton/Lolo), childhood nutrition programs (Kids Table Summer Meals, EmPower Packs), senior programs, food rescue operations, and community empowerment initiatives (LEVL, Learning Kitchen, Grow a Row). The organization also hosts fundraising events including CANdemonium and Can the Cats. The technology footprint is minimal - primarily a static informational website with GoFundMe integration for donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kids Table Summer Meals: Summer meals program for children providing free meals during summer break.
• LEVL
• Market at Lowell
• Market at Russell

Products and services

• Food Bank Store (choice-model distribution) A choice-model grocery store at 1720 Wyoming Street, Missoula, where households select fresh produce, dairy, frozen meat, bakery items, and dry/canned goods based on household size. No eligibility criteria, documentation, or income verification required; pre-packed grab-and-go carts available on request.
• Satellite food pantries (Market at Lowell, Market at Russell, Bonner, Clinton, Lolo) School- and community-based satellite food distribution sites in Lowell Elementary School cafeteria, 3216 S Russell St, Bonner (Our Savior's Lutheran Church), Clinton (Clinton School Annex), and Lolo (Lolo Community Center). Distribution held weekly or twice-monthly on a published schedule.
• Childhood Nutrition Programs (Kids Table Summer Meals, EmPower Packs) Free meals and grocery packs for children in Missoula County. Kids Table Summer Meals runs each summer; EmPower Packs support students during the school year. The Meals on the Bus program distributed 7,811 meals, 1,000 EmPower Packs, and 1,060 grocery services in the past year.
• Senior & Delivery Programs Food assistance tailored for seniors (55+), including delivery services for those with limited mobility or transportation barriers.
• Food Rescue Surplus-food recovery operation partnering with restaurants and grocery stores to redirect edible food to the Food Bank Store and pantries, reducing waste while supplying fresh food to the community.
• LEVL Community Empowerment Program Program that empowers community members with lived experiences of food insecurity to serve as peer advocates and participate in the food bank's operations and outreach.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 1 in 5 people in Missoula County - nearly 25,000 individuals and 7,500 households annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RosauerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal grocery store chain participating in neighborhood food drives and community fundraising efforts. Supports food bank through food donations and hosting donation drop-off locations.
• Missoula Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal library participating in neighborhood food drive efforts, helping raise awareness and collect donations from community members.
• Orange Street Food FarmcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal grocery store (701 South Orange Street) hosting a food donation collection bin near the store entrance, providing convenient drop-off location for community donations.
• Partnership Health Center ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare clinic located within the Community Center, providing integrated health services alongside food assistance.
• USDAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner supporting the Kids Table Summer Meals program. USDA and Missoula Food Bank & Community Center are equal opportunity providers and employers.
• Montana BlackminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive Dairy Sponsor for Kids Table Summer Meals program, supporting childhood nutrition initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Northwest Harvest: Washington-state food bank distributing through a partner network of pantries and meal programs. Operates with comparable mission, food rescue, and community nutrition focus.
• Oregon Food Bank: Pacific Northwest regional food bank network with comparable choice-model pantries and food rescue operations. Similar nonprofit scale, mission, and community-center integration.
• Food Bank of the Rockies: Regional food bank serving Colorado and Wyoming with similar choice-based and mobile pantry models. Closely comparable scale, mission, and distribution approach.
• Second Harvest Heartland: Large Upper Midwest food bank with comparable distribution model, food rescue operations, and community nutrition programs.
• Gleaners Community Food Bank: Michigan-based regional food bank with comparable distribution scale, mobile pantry programs, and food rescue operations from grocery/restaurant partners.
• Capital Area Food Bank: Mid-Atlantic regional food bank operating distribution centers and a partner network. Comparable scale, choice-model distribution, and integrated nutrition programs.
• Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma: Regional food bank with similar mission, multi-county distribution, food rescue, and childhood nutrition programs — comparable operating model and scale.

Regional players

• Montana Food Bank Network: Statewide Montana food bank umbrella network distributing food across the state. Direct comparable as a regional hunger-relief organization operating food distribution infrastructure in Montana.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National network of 200+ food banks including many regional peers. Not a direct competitor but the umbrella organization whose supply-chain and advocacy infrastructure shapes the operating environment for independent food banks like Missoula.

Others

• Partnership Health Center: Healthcare partner physically co-located within Missoula Food Bank's Community Center. Comparable as an ecosystem partner illustrating the integrated health + food model; not a competitor but relevant to the operational model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/missoulafoodbnk
• Facebookfacebook.com/missoulafoodbank
• Instagraminstagram.com/missoulafoodbank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/missoula-food-bank-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Missoula Food Bank