HEARTSIDE GLEANING INITIATIVE INC

Name

HEARTSIDE GLEANING INITIATIVE INC

Legal name

Heartside Gleaning Initiative Inc

Website

https://heartsidegleaning.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Heartside Gleaning Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that collects excess fresh produce from local farmers markets and distributes it for free through weekly Good Food Boxes and partner pantries to food-insecure residents across six Grand Rapids neighborhoods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Recovery and Redistribution Services

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Food recovery services
• Gleaning and redistribution
• Food insecurity programs
• Fresh produce donation
• Community food access

Headquarters

HQ city

Ada

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monetary donations from individuals via PayPal on the organization's website, supporting day-to-day operations, insurance, supplies, and transportation equipment.
2. Grants and Organizational Support: Funding from grant-making organizations and institutional supporters including Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance, Trinity Health Saint Mary's, and Trinity Lutheran Church.
3. Annual Fundraising Event: Annual GRatatouille fundraising event as a key revenue generation activity.
4. Amazon Smile: Amazon donates a portion of purchases when shoppers designate Heartside Gleaning as their charity through Amazon Smile program.
5. Facebook Fundraisers: Supporters can create fundraisers on Facebook to benefit the organization.
6. Recipe Book Sales: Sale of recipe books containing over 60 healthy recipes with step-by-step instructions and nutrition facts. Sold for $12 via PayPal or $10 in-person at Fulton Street Farmers Market. Buy One, Give One model where purchases fund donations to produce recipients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Heartside Gleaning Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects excess fresh produce from local farmers markets (Fulton Street and Downtown Market) and grocers, then redistributes it free of charge to food-insecure residents in the Grand Rapids Heartside neighborhood and surrounding communities. Its primary distribution mechanism is the weekly Good Food Box program, supplemented by the Fresh Food Fair event, partner-pantry distributions, and a Buy One Give One recipe book.

Product overview

Heartside Gleaning Initiative is a non-profit organization that operates as a single unified program focused on food security and reducing food waste. The core offering is the Good Food Box program, which collects excess produce from local farmers markets and distributes fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs directly to food-insecure individuals and families. Supporting products include the Buy One, Give One Recipe Book (60+ healthy recipes), the Fresh Food Fair weekly distribution event, and the annual GRatatouille fundraising event. All offerings work together to fulfill the mission of increasing access to nourishing food to promote a thriving community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Good Food Box (GFB): Program that provides fresh produce boxes to individuals and families in need in the Grand Rapids community.
• Fresh Food Fair

Products and services

• Good Food Box (GFB) Program A core program that packs and distributes boxes of fresh produce and (since 2022) lean protein directly to food-insecure households in the Grand Rapids Heartside neighborhood and surrounding communities, with no quantity restrictions. Distributed weekly on Wednesdays through the Fresh Food Fair event at Potter's House Elementary School and via partners including Puertas Abiertas, Hispanic Center of West Michigan, National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, and Mercy Health.
• Food Gleaning and Redistribution Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves neighborhoods with 11.7% unemployment and 35%+ poverty rates where 70% of population experiences food insecurity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Trinity Health Saint Mary'smajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Provided support to double the number of households receiving fresh produce and to add lean protein for recipients.
• Trinity Lutheran ChurchmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Provided funding support to double household produce recipients and add lean protein options.
• Greater Wyoming Community Resource AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Provided support to expand programming to provide lean protein (eggs and beans) to Good Food Box recipients at Puertas Abiertas.
• Puertas AbiertascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Recipient organization for expanded Good Food Box program including lean protein. Serves the Latino community.
• National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020NKFM collaborated with HGI, Hispanic Center of West Michigan, and Mercy Health to provide fresh produce boxes to families in the Latino community during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting increased food access needs.
• Hispanic Center of West Michigan (HCWM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Partnered with HGI to distribute Good Food Box program produce to the Latino community during COVID-19 pandemic, addressing heightened food insecurity concerns.
• Mercy HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Collaborated with HGI on the Good Food Box program to provide fresh food to Grand Rapids Latino community during the pandemic.
• Flat River Outreach MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKelly Glas, Food Pantry Program Manager at Flat River Outreach Ministries, serves on HGI's Board of Directors. Partner organization for food distribution.
• Degage MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHomeless shelter in the Heartside community that receives gleaned food donations to support their mission of feeding homeless individuals.
• Fulton Street Farmers MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary source of gleaned produce. HGI collects 500-700 lbs weekly from vendors at this market. Market board supported HGI's launch with marketing opportunity.
• Downtown Market (Grand Rapids)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarket where HGI collects excess produce. HGI presented to the Downtown Market board in April 2014 to launch the partnership.
• Spectrum HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured HGI in their 'Every Meal Matters' publication as a case study highlighting gleaning food contributions to community health.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FoodForward: FoodForward is a Southern California food recovery nonprofit that gleans surplus produce from farmers markets and wholesale produce markets and redistributes it to communities facing hunger. Operationally almost identical to HGI's farmers-market gleaning and free-produce distribution model.
• AmpleHarvest.org: AmpleHarvest.org connects backyard gardeners and local farmers with nearby food pantries, enabling gleaning-style donations of excess produce. Comparable to HGI in addressing the supply side of food recovery at the local level.
• Food Rescue US: Food Rescue US is a national nonprofit that connects volunteers directly with food donors (restaurants, grocers, farms) via an app to deliver surplus to agencies serving food-insecure individuals. Operationally aligned with HGI's direct-distribution, volunteer-driven ethos.
• Boulder Food Rescue: Boulder Food Rescue recovers surplus food from grocers, farms, and markets in Boulder County and redistributes it directly to people experiencing food insecurity, with a strong volunteer/donor-funded structure. Closely comparable to HGI in scale, mission, and volunteer-driven gleaning model.
• Urban Gleaners: Urban Gleaners is a Portland, Oregon nonprofit that gleans produce from urban farms, farmers markets, and gleaning trees to deliver to food agencies and pantries. Comparable to HGI's gleaning-then-distribute operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200+ food banks that rescues food from grocers, manufacturers, and restaurants and distributes via member pantries. Represents the broader incumbent operating model HGI sits alongside and could eventually affiliate with.

Emerging players

• Wholesome Wave: Wholesome Wave operates nutrition incentive programs (e.g., Double Up Food Bucks) and partners with community organizations to increase affordable access to fresh produce for low-income families. Adjacent mission to HGI and a potential partner/funder for produce-prescription expansion.

Regional players

• Gleaners Community Food Bank: Gleaners Community Food Bank is a Southeastern Michigan food bank distributing food through partner agencies across five counties. Operates at much larger scale but with overlapping mission and a gleaning/recovery program element comparable to HGI's.
• Food Bank of Eastern Michigan: Food Bank of Eastern Michigan is a regional food bank serving 22 counties in eastern Michigan through a partner pantry network. Same-state, similar mission; comparable on geography rather than operating model.
• Feeding America West Michigan: Feeding America West Michigan is the regional Feeding America affiliate serving West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, with overlapping beneficiary geography and complementary (but larger-scale, grocery-rescue-based) food distribution. Most geographically proximate larger peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heartside-gleaning-initiative-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 HEARTSIDE GLEANING INITIATIVE INC