What Food Aid Foundation does

Food Aid Foundation is a non-profit food bank established in 2013 in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, and registered as a Malaysian NGO (reg. no. 201301022112 / 1051942-D). It operates as Malaysia's first and pioneering food bank, rescuing surplus food from manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers that has lost commercial value but remains safe for consumption, and redistributing it to welfare homes, refugee communities, low-income (B40) families, homeless individuals, and soup kitchens across all 16 Malaysian states. In 2024 the foundation collected 1,232,139 kg of food, distributed 3,405,261 meals valued at RM 20,431,564, and helped nearly 5 million people cumulatively through food rescue, food drives, and cash donation campaigns.

The foundation's core physical infrastructure comprises a warehouse with cold room, van, and chiller truck for handling both perishable and non-perishable items, supplemented by a regional operation in Kota Bharu. Service offerings are organized around three donation channels — Cash Donations, Food Rescue, and Food Drives — with supplementary programmes including the Gerak-Rezeki F&B Entrepreneur Development (GFED) training initiative funded by Star Foundation, an Okara Bread sustainable product line developed with Taylor's University Impact Lab, corporate Special Events, and a Food For Thought content platform. Operations run on a lean paid team of 11 employees supported by volunteers, with extensive corporate CSR partnerships anchored by Brahim's as main partner and a roster including PPB Group, Lotus's, Mondelez, Nestlé/MAGGI, Sodexo, Tesco, ARAYZTA, Shopee, Cadbury, Astro, and financial grants from MSIG, REHDA, the Embassy of Japan (RM150,000), Maxis (RM150,000), and others.

Revenue mechanics are donation-based rather than commercial. The foundation holds tax-exempt status under Subsection 44(6) of the Income Tax Act 1967 (LHDN ref. no.: LHDN.01/35/42/51/179-6.7900), making cash contributions eligible for donor tax deductions. Funding sources include one-off corporate grants (cumulative documented grants exceed RM610,000 across 2020–2025), CSR-aligned event sponsorships (Ramadan campaigns, disaster relief), recurring corporate donors providing surplus food inventory, and individual cash donations via bank transfer and online portal. Distribution operates via direct field operations, food drive campaigns at schools and corporates, and a network of over 100 partner welfare organizations receiving monthly allocations.

Name

Food Aid Foundation

Legal name

Food Aid Foundation

Website

https://foodaidfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Food Aid Foundation is Malaysia's pioneering non-profit food bank (est. 2013), collecting surplus food from manufacturers and retailers and redistributing it to welfare homes, refugee communities, B40 families, homeless, and soup kitchens across all 16 Malaysian states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers) (BPADAJAA), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Food rescue operations
• Hunger relief programs
• Food waste reduction
• Surplus food redistribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Kuala Lumpur

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cash Donations: As a non-profit organization, Food Aid Foundation relies on cash contributions from donors to purchase food, support emergency relief efforts, and maintain operations. Donations are eligible for tax exemption under Subsection 44(6) of the Income Tax Act 1967.
2. Food Donations (In-kind): Receives surplus or unused food from manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and individuals that is redistributed to those in need.
3. Corporate Grants and Partnerships: Receives grants from corporations (e.g., Star Foundation RM50,000, MSIG RM50,000, Japanese Embassy RM150,000) and corporate sponsorships for specific programs and initiatives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Food Aid Foundation is Malaysia's pioneering food bank (established 2013) that operates a non-profit food rescue and redistribution service. It collects surplus or unused food from manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, corporations, and individuals, then sorts and redistributes it to welfare homes, charitable organizations, refugee communities, low-income families (B40), the homeless, and soup kitchens across Malaysia. Operations are supported by cash donations, corporate grants, and CSR partnerships, with recipients receiving the food free of charge.

Product overview

Food Aid Foundation operates as a single, unified non-profit food banking service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering combines three integrated services: Cash Donation (monetary contributions), Food Rescue (accepting surplus food from commercial sources), and Food Drives (community-organized food collections). These feed into the central food bank operations that collect, sort, and redistribute food to beneficiaries. Supplementary offerings include the Okara Bread sustainable product made from soy pulp, the Gerak-Rezeki F&B Entrepreneur Development programme providing culinary and business training, Special Events for corporate partners, and the Food Box programme for remote non-perishable food collection. The Food For Thought blog provides educational content on food waste and hunger issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cash Donation Monetary contribution program allowing individuals and corporations to fund food purchases, emergency relief efforts, and daily operations of the food bank. All cash donations are eligible for tax exemption under Subsection 44(6) of the Income Tax Act 1967 (tax exemption ref. no. LHDN.01/35/42/51/179-6.7900), with tax-deductible receipts issued for donations of RM50 and above.
• Food Rescue Service accepting surplus food from manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers that has lost commercial value but is still safe for consumption, including close-to-expiry stock, off-spec products, incorrect labelling, damaged packaging, and excess inventory. Donated food is collected via the foundation's own warehouse, cold room, van, and chiller truck, sorted, and redistributed to welfare homes, refugee communities, low-income families, homeless individuals, and soup kitchens across Malaysia.
• Food Drives Community-organized food collection campaign that encourages schools, universities, and companies to host food drives to raise awareness about hunger and reduce food waste. Collected non-perishable items are channelled into the foundation's central food bank for redistribution to beneficiaries.
• Gerak-Rezeki F&B Entrepreneur Development (GFED) Programme Skills-training programme equipping marginalised communities (B40 group, single parents, retrenched workers, and unemployed individuals) with food-handling courses, a 10-week culinary training, and food-and-beverage business-skills coaching. Funded by Star Foundation's RM50,000 grant to convert food-aid recipients into economically empowered community members.
• Okara Bread Sustainable food product made from soy pulp (a byproduct of tofu and soy milk production), developed in collaboration with Taylor's University Impact Lab to reduce food waste while promoting a healthier and more affordable food option for communities.
• Special Event Programs Bespoke one-off food-based projects for corporate partners and community groups, including the Special Treats Program, Festivity Event Dining, Disaster Relief Project, Emergency Food Relief Project, and Social Entrepreneurship Program. These events enable CSR activations, employee engagement, and disaster response in partnership with the foundation.
• Food Box Non-perishable food collection initiative that allows individuals and offices to host a Food Aid Foundation collection box at their premises, enabling remote in-kind donations from locations far from the foundation's warehouse.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,232,139 KG of food collected in 2024
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and main partner.

• UOB MalaysiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025UOB Malaysia generously sponsored nutritious food through the Heartbeat Food Ration Distribution program in Sabah, supporting Food Aid Sabah's visit to CFFM Orphanage.
• Texas Chicken MalaysiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2025Texas Chicken Malaysia made a generous RM10,000 donation to Food Aid Foundation through their 2025 Ramadan CSR campaign, raised from sales of their Ayam Limau Berapi combo meals.
• Ipsen Pharma Singapore Pte. Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2023Ipsen Pharma Singapore sent a team of nine volunteers to assist with daily operational tasks at Food Aid Foundation.
• Citi MalaysiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2023Citi Global Community Day involved cooking 1,000 packs of nutritious meals and volunteer sessions to pack and deliver food items.
• McCain FoodsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2023McCain Foods partnered with Food Aid Foundation for Cooking for a Cause event, preparing 500 cooked meals and 100 food bags.
• Bursa MalaysiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2023Bursa Malaysia joined Food Aid Foundation for Rewang Ramadan, distributing 1,200 bowls of bubur lambuk to five locations.
• Cadbury Dairy MilkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2022Cadbury Dairy Milk partnered with Lotus's and Food Aid Foundation for a cookout session to prepare and distribute over 500 servings of cooked meals.
• MAGGI (Nestlé Malaysia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2022MAGGI collaborated with Food Aid Foundation to distribute over 120,000 bowls of Bubur Lambuk to 200 locations across Malaysia during Ramadan.
• ShopeecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2021Shopee collaborated with Food Aid Foundation and FELDA to distribute 50,000 food boxes to those in need nationwide.
• AstrocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 August 2021Astro worked with Food Aid Foundation to present daily essential packs to 800 B40 families, with 8 tonnes of food essentials donated.
• Kuala Lumpur Convention CentreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2020Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre partnered to provide surplus food and raise awareness about limiting food waste.
• FedEx MalaysiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 February 2019Over 200 FedEx Express team members participated in FedEx Cares activities in collaboration with Food Aid Foundation.
• Brahim's (Main Partner)main partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrahim's is the main partner of Food Aid Foundation, providing ongoing support for food aid operations and distribution efforts.
• PPB Group BerhadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPPB Group has been a recurring sponsor of food relief sessions, providing funding for cooking and distribution of meals to communities in need. They have sponsored multiple food relief events since 2023.
• Lotus'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLotus's is a key partner that has collaborated on RamRaya events and other food relief initiatives, helping distribute meals to orphanages across multiple locations.
• Mondelez InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMondelez International partners with Food Aid Foundation for food rescue initiatives and community support programs.
• Nestlé MalaysiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNestlé Malaysia supports Food Aid Foundation through various CSR initiatives including the MAGGI Bubur Lambuk distribution program.
• ARAYZTA Food SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARAYZTA Food Solutions is listed as a key partner supporting Food Aid Foundation's operations.
• SodexocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSodexo is listed as a partner supporting Food Aid Foundation's food aid operations.
• Tesco MalaysiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTesco Malaysia collaborated with Food Aid Foundation for Ramadan cookout and food relief initiatives, providing RM200,000 in community support.
• Taylor's UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaylor's University Impact Lab collaborated with Food Aid Foundation on food surveys and sustainable product development like Okara Bread.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Foodbank Australia: Australia's largest food rescue charity; comparable national-scale food bank model sourcing surplus from manufacturers and retailers, useful for benchmarking scale and corporate partnership depth.
• Mercy Malaysia: Established Malaysian humanitarian NGO with a broader disaster-relief and emergency-response mandate that includes food security components; a more diversified incumbent competing for similar corporate CSR and grant funding.

Direct peers

• The Food Bank Singapore: Singapore's main food rescue and redistribution non-profit; runs an almost identical food-rescue-from-F&B-retailers-and-distributors-to-charities model, serving as the closest regional comparator for Food Aid Foundation.
• FareShare (UK): UK food redistribution charity that rescues surplus food from the supply chain and redistributes to charities; very similar model combining warehouse operations, cold chain logistics, and corporate food donor partnerships.
• The Felix Project (UK): London-based food redistribution charity rescuing surplus food for vulnerable groups; analogous in combining a central warehouse/cold-room infrastructure with volunteer-driven distribution.
• Kechara Soup Kitchen: Malaysia-based non-profit that distributes cooked meals and groceries to the homeless and underprivileged; directly comparable operating model and beneficiary base within the same Malaysian market.
• City Harvest (US): New York City's largest food rescue organization; directly comparable food-rescue-from-food-businesses-to-charities model with similar beneficiary segments (low-income families, soup kitchens).

Regional players

• MyFundAction: Malaysia-based non-profit running community and welfare programs including food aid; operates in the same Malaysian geography and competes for similar donor and volunteer pools.

Emerging players

• Food Aid Singapore: Singapore-based food charity with a similar name and humanitarian focus; an emerging regional player in food assistance that mirrors Food Aid Foundation's brand positioning.
• Yayasan Food Bank Malaysia: Malaysian food bank foundation working to reduce food waste and feed the underprivileged; an emerging domestic competitor targeting the same corporate donors and beneficiary communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/foodaidfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/food-aid-foundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Food Aid Foundation