The Food Basket Hawai'i

Name

The Food Basket Hawai'i

Legal name

The Food Basket, Inc.

Website

https://hawaiifoodbasket.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank / Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Food Service Contractors (72231)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers) (BPADAJAA)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Hunger relief programs
• SNAP outreach
• Community supported agriculture
• Farmer support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts financial donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations to support food distribution operations and programs.
2. Government Grants: The Food Basket receives federal funding including USDA grants (such as the $8.4 million GusNIP grant for DA BUX program) and County of Hawai'i ARPA funding for the Community Food Security Project.
3. Commodity Supplemental Food Program: Kūpuna Pantry is funded by the federal Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) to serve low-income elderly community members.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Food Basket Hawai'i is the designated food bank for Hawai'i Island, operating emergency food distribution, nutrition programs for seniors (Kūpuna Pantry) and children (School Pantry/Keiki Backpacks), SNAP application assistance, a community-supported agriculture program (DA BOX CSA), a statewide produce-incentive program (DA BUX), farmer support services (Mālama Da Farmer), and long-term food systems development through the Ho'olako Campus and Community Food Security Project. Programs are provided free of charge to eligible recipients and funded through donations and government grants.

Product overview

The Food Basket Hawai'i is a food bank and food security organization serving Hawai'i Island. Rather than a unified technology product, it operates a portfolio of distinct programs including food distribution initiatives (Kūpuna Pantry, School Pantry/Keiki Backpacks), agricultural support (DA BOX CSA, Ho'olako Farmers Market, Kōkua Harvest), SNAP assistance (SNAP Outreach, DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks), and long-term food system development (Community Food Security Project, Ho'olako Campus). These programs collectively address immediate hunger relief, support for local farmers, and building sustainable local food systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kūpuna Pantry Monthly food box program providing staple foods — nonfat dry milk, juice, farina, oats, cereal, rice, pasta, peanut butter, dry beans, canned meat/poultry/fish, and canned vegetables/fruits — to low-income elderly community members aged 60+. Funded by the federal Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).
• School Pantry / Keiki Backpacks Nutritional supplement program providing food to low-income elementary school students at 12 CEP school partners across Hawai'i Island, plus keiki backpacks during long school breaks and holidays. Has served 43,496 individuals including 34,004 children to date, with 4,445 families served in 2024 and 21,954 backpacks delivered.
• SNAP Outreach Program assisting Hawai'i residents with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) applications and renewals, addressing barriers such as lack of awareness, time, uncertainty, and stigma. Serves approximately 1 in 3 SNAP-eligible households not currently receiving benefits.
• DA BOX CSA Community Supported Agriculture program that purchases Hawai'i Island-grown produce from local farmers and resells to customers island-wide. Each weekly produce package includes a minimum of 7 items, typically 1-2 fruits and 5-6 vegetables.
• DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks Statewide incentive program that provides 50% discounts on Hawai'i-grown produce for SNAP/EBT cardholders. Participating retailers discount produce, and The Food Basket reimburses retailers for the discounts. In 2024: 231,478 transactions, $2.5M in discounts issued, $5M in local produce purchases, benefiting 165,659 low-income Hawai'i residents across 100+ grocery stores.
• Community Food Security Project Multi-year initiative developing a Five-Year Community Food Security Plan for Hawai'i Island, shaped by community input through interviews, surveys, listening sessions, and action planning summits. Funded by County of Hawai'i through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
• Ho'olako Campus A food systems campus (estimated $86M project cost) designed to increase food security, expand education, and strengthen community resilience. Includes Food Basket Distribution & Logistics Center, Agricultural Innovation & Processing Center, Farm Park & Agricultural Incubator Lands, Farmers Market Pavilion & Retail Hub, and Community Farm & Learning Center. Projected to create 200+ jobs and train residents in agri-tech and logistics.
• Ho'olako Farmers Market Community-centered farmers market at Ho'olako Campus (505 Ponahawai St., Hilo) prioritizing locally grown products from Hawai'i County. Tentative market days: Wednesdays and Sundays. Opening pending SNAP authorization (as of April 2026).
• Kōkua Harvest Community-driven gleaning project on Hawai'i Island that reduces food waste, strengthens community ties, and improves access to fresh produce by harvesting crops that would otherwise go to waste.
• Food and Fund Drives Community engagement programs enabling individuals and organizations to host food drives or fund drives to support The Food Basket's hunger relief efforts across Hawai'i Island.
• DA Kōkua Connection (Monthly Giving) Monthly giving program that provides sustainable funding for The Food Basket's ongoing operations. Members receive automated donation processing, quarterly impact updates, and engagement opportunities.
• Mālama Da Farmer Business support services and opportunities for Hawai'i Island farmers including grants, loans, technical assistance, soil testing, and access to farmers markets, DA BOX CSA, and DA BUX.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves over 35,000 individuals monthly through emergency food distribution
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hawai'i Good Food AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2024DA BUX is a statewide program administered by The Food Basket in partnership with the Hawai'i Good Food Alliance. The program provides 50% discounts on Hawai'i-grown produce for SNAP customers, with The Food Basket reimbursing retailers for the discounts.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Aloha Harvest: Hawaii-based food rescue and gleaning organization. Directly comparable to The Food Basket's Kōkua Harvest program in mission and operational model, focused on reducing food waste across Hawaiian islands.
• Food Bank of New York City: Large urban food bank operating partner agency networks, SNAP outreach, and nutrition incentive programming. Comparable operational scale and program mix to The Food Basket, though in a higher-density market.
• DC Central Kitchen: Combines emergency food distribution with culinary job training and local food sourcing. Highly comparable to The Food Basket's blended emergency-relief plus food-systems approach (e.g., Ho'olako Campus).
• Hawaii Foodbank: Sister food bank serving Oahu and the broader state of Hawaii. Operates similar emergency food distribution, partner agency networks, and SNAP outreach programs, but in a different island geography.
• Food Finders Food Bank: Regional food bank combining emergency food distribution, partner agency networks, and nutrition programs. Operates at comparable scale to The Food Basket with a similar mix of direct distribution and partner-mediated service delivery.

Emerging players

• Wholesome Wave: National nonprofit operating produce-prescription and SNAP-incentive programs through partner organizations. Directly comparable programmatic model to DA BUX and The Food Basket's Food is Medicine initiatives.
• Fair Food Network: National coordinator of the Double Up Food Bucks SNAP-incentive program — the same model that powers DA BUX. Operates incentive programs in multiple states and represents both a strategic partner and a comparable programmatic framework.
• MA'O Organic Farms: Hawaii-based social enterprise combining organic farming with youth leadership training. Overlaps with The Food Basket's local-food-system mission, farmer support services, and Ho'olako agricultural innovation goals.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National network of food banks with which The Food Basket is affiliated. Operates the largest hunger-relief infrastructure in the U.S. and provides shared logistics, sourcing, and programmatic resources to member food banks.

Others

• WhyHunger: National food justice and anti-hunger advocacy organization. Connected to The Food Basket through shared movement goals around ending hunger and building equitable local food systems.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-food-basket-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Food Basket Hawai'i