What Feed the Need does

Feed the Need (legally Charleston Chefs Feed the Need) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 and headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina. Its mission is to alleviate hunger and homelessness in the Charleston community through a meal service program that, since inception, has provided more than 750,000 nutritious meals to individuals and families in need. The organization also operates a job training program that offers homeless and disadvantaged individuals a structured pathway toward economic independence. Beyond direct service delivery, the organization hosts an annual Dining for a Cause benefit event, which brings together local chefs and community supporters for fundraising via ticket sales, table purchases, corporate sponsorships, and auctions.

The organization's core service offerings consist of two programs — meal service and job training — supplemented by event-based fundraising. There is no proprietary technology stack; the digital footprint is a Squarespace-hosted website (feedtheneedcharleston.org) with a Squarespace checkout donation flow and basic content pages. The organization frames its impact metrically: every $100 donation serves 25 meals, linking donor contribution to measurable output.

The business model is donations-based rather than transactional. Revenue streams comprise individual donations processed through the website, corporate sponsorships, and proceeds from the annual Dining for a Cause event. The beneficiary population is highly distributed across the Charleston community in need of food and employment support, while the donor base spans individual givers and local corporate sponsors. Contact and coordination are run through a single identified point of contact, Mickey Bakst, with no management team or headcount disclosed in available sources.

Name

Feed the Need

Legal name

Charleston Chefs Feed the Need

Website

https://feedtheneedcharleston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Feed the Need is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Charleston, South Carolina, founded in 2009. It provides nutritious meals and job training to homeless and disadvantaged individuals, funding operations through donations, corporate sponsorships, and an annual Dining for a Cause benefit event.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief and Social Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), 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)

Keywords

• Hunger relief services
• Meal service programs
• Job training nonprofit
• Homelessness alleviation
• Community charity fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and corporate donations are the primary revenue source. The organization promotes $100 donations serving 25 meals. Donations are processed through the organization's Squarespace checkout system.
2. Event Revenue: Annual Dining for a Cause benefit generates revenue through ticket sales, table purchases, sponsorships, and auction items.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support events and programs; sponsors are solicited for the annual benefit event.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Feed the Need is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers nutritious meals to individuals and families experiencing hunger and homelessness in the Charleston, South Carolina area, and runs a job training program that provides a pathway to economic independence for homeless and disadvantaged individuals. The organization has served more than 750,000 meals since its inception in 2009, and funds its operations through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and an annual Dining for a Cause benefit event hosted by Charleston chefs.

Product overview

Feed the Need is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Charleston, South Carolina, founded in 2009. The organization operates as a single-program social services entity rather than a platform. Its core offerings include a meal service program that has provided over 750,000 nutritious meals to those in need, and a job training program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals. The organization also hosts an annual Dining for a Cause benefit event and accepts donations through an online donation platform powered by Squarespace.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Meal Service Program Provides nutritious meals to individuals and families experiencing hunger and homelessness in the Charleston area; since inception in 2009, the program has served more than 750,000 meals and operates as the core service of the nonprofit.
• Job Training Program Empowers homeless and disadvantaged individuals through job training, offering a pathway to economic independence and a brighter future.
• Dining for a Cause (Annual Benefit Event) Annual benefit event hosted by Charleston chefs that generates revenue through ticket sales, table purchases, corporate sponsorships, and auction items to fund the organization's meal service and job training programs.
• Online Donation Platform Squarespace-based online donation system enabling individual and corporate donors to contribute financially to support the organization's mission of alleviating hunger and homelessness in Charleston.

Quantifiable outcome

• 750,000+ nutritious meals served since 2009
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Emerging players

• World Central Kitchen: Chef-led nonprofit providing meals in disaster and crisis settings. Shares the 'culinary-community-meal-service' brand archetype with Feed the Need but operates at much larger scale and around acute crises.

Direct peers

• Foodshare (Toronto): Community food organization combining food access, meal programs, and food-skills training — comparable integrated approach to addressing hunger and food insecurity at a community level.
• Lowcountry Food Bank: Regional food bank serving the Charleston/Lowcountry area with hunger-relief and food distribution programs. Direct geographic and mission peer operating in the same community.
• Second Helpings: Indianapolis-based nonprofit that rescues food, prepares meals, and runs a culinary job-training program for at-risk adults — nearly identical mission structure to Feed the Need.
• DC Central Kitchen: Combines large-scale meal distribution with culinary job training for disadvantaged individuals — closely mirroring Feed the Need's dual hunger-relief + workforce-development model, though at much greater scale.

Broad incumbents

• No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength): National campaign focused on ending childhood hunger through advocacy, grants, and food-program funding. Competes with Feed the Need for donor attention and corporate sponsorship dollars in the hunger-relief space.
• Feeding America: National hunger-relief network of 200+ food banks. Operates far more broadly than Feed the Need but competes for the same donor dollars and corporate partnerships in local markets.
• Meals on Wheels America: National network providing meal delivery to seniors and vulnerable populations. Overlaps with Feed the Need's meal-service mission at greater scale and broader beneficiary scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

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 Feed the Need