Urbandale Food Pantry

What Urbandale Food Pantry does

Urbandale Food Pantry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008 and headquartered at 7901 Douglas Ave, Urbandale, Iowa. It provides no-cost emergency and supplemental food assistance to food-insecure individuals and families across Polk County and central Iowa, with no proof-of-income requirement. Core offerings include a once-per-month pantry program distributing a three-day supply of shelf-stable and fresh items plus personal care goods, and a daily Food Rescue "Antime Room" that redistributes perishable produce, bakery, and prepared items donated by grocery stores and restaurants. The pantry operates one physical site with extended weekday hours and Saturday mornings, served by 8 paid staff and 100+ volunteers, and in the first 12 months at its new facility (April 2025-April 2026) recorded over 24,000 visits serving roughly 4,800 individuals per month across 67 zip codes.

Name

Urbandale Food Pantry

Legal name

Urbandale Food Pantry

Website

https://urbandalefoodpantry.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Urbandale Food Pantry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Urbandale, Iowa that provides no-cost food assistance and personal care items to food-insecure individuals and families across Polk County, operating a once-monthly pantry and a daily food-rescue redistribution program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Assistance Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD), Food Waste Reduction & Diversion Services (Donation, Animal Feed, Source Reduction Programs) (EUAIAEAH)

Keywords

• Food assistance services
• Hunger relief programs
• Food rescue operations
• Community food bank
• Emergency food distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Urbandale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Monetary Donations: The organization is funded through monetary donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. Accepts one-time and recurring donations, employer donor-directed funds, Facebook fundraisers, legacy giving, stocks, IRA charitable rollovers, and Donor Advised Funds.
2. Food Donations: Receives food donations from individuals, grocery stores, restaurants, and businesses through food drives, Amazon Wishlist, and Grow to Give program.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Urbandale Food Pantry distributes supplemental groceries, fresh produce, and personal care items to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity in Polk County and the Des Moines metro, at no cost and with no proof of income required. It also operates a Food Rescue Program that picks up perishable items approaching sell-by date from local grocery stores and restaurants and redistributes them daily through an anytime-access room. The pantry is part of the DMARC network of 14 metro pantries and is sustained by donations and an active volunteer base of over 100 community members.

Product overview

The Urbandale Food Pantry operates as a single-location community food assistance organization offering food distribution services. The core offering is the Food Assistance Program, which provides supplemental food and personal care items to individuals and families. Supporting services include the Food Rescue Program (which recovers perishable items from grocery stores and restaurants for daily redistribution), volunteer engagement, and donation processing for both food and monetary contributions. The pantry is part of the DMARC (Des Moines Area Religious Council) network of 14 food pantries in the metro area, allowing clients to access services once per calendar month.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Assistance Program Provides supplemental food to individuals and families in need, offering fresh and canned fruits and vegetables, pasta, rice, cereal, tuna, chicken, beans, and personal care items. Clients can access the pantry once per calendar month.
• Food Rescue Program Picks up perishable items approaching sell-by dates from grocery stores and restaurants, redistributing produce, bakery items, and prepared meals to families. Available daily through the 'anytime room' where 100+ individuals typically pick up rescued food each day.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 24,000 pantry visits in first year at new facility
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrbandale Food Pantry is one of 14 DMARC food pantries in the metro area. Part of the DMARC Food Pantry Network allowing clients to use one pantry per month. Follows DMARC standards and guidelines including Good Samaritan Food Donation Act compliance.
• Hunger Free Polk CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to address food insecurity in Polk County, working together to provide resources and support for families in need.
• Urbandale Ministerial AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal faith-based coalition supporting the pantry's mission through community engagement and resources.
• Food Bank of IowacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner. Danielle Williams, board member, started volunteering at Food Bank of Iowa. Partners for food sourcing and distribution.
• Urban HarvestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity garden in Urbandale committed to providing fresh produce for the local food pantry through the Grow to Give program.
• Local Grocery Stores and RestaurantscoreOthersFood industry partners that donate produce, bakery items, and perishable goods approaching sell-by dates. Food rescue program picks up items daily. Covered by Good Samaritan Law with potential tax deductions.
• Hy-VeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRick Morr, Store Director at Hy-Vee, serves on the Board of Directors. Corporate partnership supporting food rescue and donations.
• City of UrbandalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDerek Zarn, Communications Director for City of Urbandale, serves on the board. City helped pay for new facility location. Partnership for community services hub.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• River Bend Food Bank: Regional food bank serving eastern Iowa and western Illinois, comparable in food distribution mission and food-rescue sourcing but operating in an adjacent geographic market.
• Second Harvest Heartland: Large Upper Midwest food bank serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin with similar food rescue, distribution, and partnership-based models. Operates in an adjacent regional geography.

Direct peers

• Food Bank of Iowa: Regional food bank serving Iowa with which UFP has a core partnership (board member Danielle Williams began as a Food Bank of Iowa volunteer). Both organizations address food insecurity through distribution and sourcing, making them direct functional peers in the Des Moines food assistance ecosystem.
• Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC): Operator of the 14-pantry network of which UFP is a member. DMARC coordinates the food pantry network across the Des Moines metro, directly comparable in mission (food assistance) and overlapping client base with UFP.
• Meals from the Heartland: Iowa-based food assistance nonprofit focused on packaging meals for distribution to food-insecure populations. Operates in the same Central Iowa geography with overlapping volunteer bases and food distribution mission.
• Hunger Free Polk County: Coalition partner addressing food insecurity in the same geographic market (Polk County). Shares the same target population and donor base as UFP and collaborates on community-wide anti-hunger initiatives.

Broad incumbents

• Midwest Food Bank: Regional food bank serving multiple Midwest states from larger distribution centers. Comparable food sourcing and distribution mission but at materially greater geographic and operational scale than UFP.
• Feeding America: National umbrella network of 200+ food banks and the largest U.S. hunger-relief organization. Not a direct competitor but defines the broader operating environment, partnerships, and standards (e.g., Good Samaritan compliance) that UFP navigates.
• No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength): National campaign addressing childhood food insecurity. While UFP serves minors (1 in 3 clients are under 18) and No Kid Hungry targets the same population, the latter operates nationally through grants and advocacy rather than direct food distribution.

Emerging players

• Food Rescue US: National platform connecting food donors with agencies to redirect surplus food, directly overlapping with UFP's food rescue program. Focused specifically on the food-waste-to-hunger use case that is one of UFP's differentiators.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UrbandaleFoodPantry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urbandale-food-pantry

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 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 Urbandale Food Pantry