What Just Harvest does

Just Harvest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1986 and headquartered at 317 East Carson St. in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, operating across Allegheny County with 24 employees. Its mission is to address hunger at its root causes — economic injustice, systemic racism, and income inequality — through three integrated functions: direct service delivery, food access programming, and systemic policy advocacy. The organization serves low-income individuals and families, SNAP recipients, immigrant communities, and seniors, and explicitly frames its work as "taking action against hunger since 1986."

The core service portfolio comprises five programs. SNAP Help assists with applications for SNAP, LIHEAP, Medical Assistance, and TANF benefits, with accompanying case advocacy to resolve benefit denials through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Fresh Access enables SNAP redemption at more than a dozen Pittsburgh farmers markets, layered with the Food Bucks matching program (run in partnership with The Food Trust) that delivers roughly $300,000 in additional annual fresh-produce purchases across 55,000 Pennsylvania households. The Free Tax Preparation Coalition, operated jointly with United Way of Southwestern PA since 2009, provides IRS-certified free tax filing January through April at four physical sites and has completed approximately 9,000 returns annually for households earning under $70,000-$89,000. The Resources program functions as a referral guide to Allegheny County social services. Underlying technology is minimal: the organization leverages the state-run PA COMPASS platform for benefits applications, Google Analytics for web measurement, and Classy for donation processing.

Just Harvest's business model is mission-driven and non-commercial. All client-facing services are provided free of charge; revenue generation is not the operational objective. Funding flows from individual donations, foundation grants, government grants, and pass-through state budget allocations (notably $2 million in Pennsylvania's 2025-26 budget for Food Bucks expansion and $500,000 in the 2026 Pittsburgh Parks and Recreation budget for the Pittsburgh Food Justice Fund). The go-to-market approach is community-led: direct client engagement at office and satellite sites, grassroots email advocacy, free community events (Just Drinks, JustART, Empty Bowls), and earned media in regional outlets. Customers are not monetized; rather, the constituency base is mobilized as advocates to drive policy change on SNAP, TANF, and food justice issues at municipal, state, and federal levels.

Name

Just Harvest

Legal name

Just Harvest

Website

https://justharvest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Just Harvest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1986 in Pittsburgh that helps low-income Allegheny County residents access SNAP, LIHEAP, Medical Assistance, and TANF benefits, runs the Fresh Access farmers-market SNAP program, and leads a free tax preparation coalition, while advocating for hunger-related policy reform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Just Harvest is a nonprofit organization that funds its operations through charitable donations from individuals and organizations, as well as grants from foundations and government agencies to support its hunger relief and advocacy programs.
2. Free Services (Mission-Driven): All services provided to clients are free of charge, including SNAP application assistance, free tax preparation, and Fresh Access farmers market programs. Revenue generation is not the objective but rather social impact.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Just Harvest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides free direct services to low-income individuals and families in Allegheny County, including assistance applying for SNAP, LIHEAP, Medical Assistance, and TANF benefits; free IRS-certified tax return preparation; SNAP redemption and produce-matching incentives at Pittsburgh farmers markets; and case advocacy. All client services are free of charge, funded instead through charitable donations and grants.

Product overview

Just Harvest is a non-profit organization providing direct service programs focused on addressing hunger in Allegheny County. The organization operates five core service offerings: SNAP Help for benefit application assistance (covering SNAP, LIHEAP, Medical Assistance, and TANF); Fresh Access for SNAP redemption at Pittsburgh farmers markets with produce incentives; Free Tax Preparation (launched 2003) providing IRS-certified free tax filing January-April; Case Advocacy helping clients navigate benefit issues with PA DHS; and a Resources guide connecting people to local social services. The organization also conducts policy advocacy campaigns to strengthen safety net programs, increase food access, and support economic justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fresh Access: Program enabling customers to shop with SNAP at farmers markets in Pittsburgh.
• Free Tax Prep Coalition

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,000 tax returns completed annually for low-income households
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Way of Southwestern PAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009United Way of Southwestern PA sponsors the Free Tax Preparation Coalition which Just Harvest leads, providing free income tax return preparation throughout the Pittsburgh region since 2009.
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRS partners with Just Harvest's Free Tax Prep program, providing certification and oversight for IRS-certified volunteer tax preparers.
• Greater Pittsburgh Community Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks with a network of 850+ partner agencies across 11 counties. The Food Bank is a key ecosystem partner in addressing food insecurity in the region.
• The Food TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Food Trust runs the Food Bucks program which provides SNAP shoppers an extra $2.00 to spend on fruits and veggies for every $5.00 spent, implemented at Fresh Access Farmers Markets.
• Carnegie Library of PittsburghminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Free Tax Preparation Coalition, providing free tax help through the library system.
• Veterans Leadership Program of Western PAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner providing tax assistance services to veterans and their families.
• YMCA of Greater PittsburghminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner offering free tax preparation services at YMCA locations.
• Allegheny Valley Association of ChurchesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner providing tax assistance services.
• BlueprintsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner providing tax assistance services.
• Human Services Mon ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner providing tax assistance services.
• North Hills Community OutreachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner providing tax assistance services.
• Project DestinyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner providing tax assistance services.
• PA 2-1-1 SouthwestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner providing tax assistance services and referral coordination.
• Robert Morris UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner providing tax assistance services through student volunteers.
• Westmoreland Community ActionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner providing tax assistance services.
• Harvard Food Law and Policy CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored the Pittsburgh School Food Environment report through a year-long partnership with Harvard, Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, and Pittsburgh Public Schools.
• Pittsburgh Food Policy CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJust Harvest is a member of the PFPC and helped lead the school food environment assessment project.
• Meet the Need CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of current and former TANF participants and advocacy organizations (including Just Harvest, Community Legal Services, Pennsylvania Health Access Network, Black Women's Policy Agenda) working to improve TANF program and increase grant amounts.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Bread for the World: National Christian hunger-advocacy organization focused on federal nutrition policy. Comparable as a policy and grassroots-advocacy peer pursuing systemic change in U.S. anti-hunger programs.
• Feeding America: National hunger-relief network and the largest U.S. food bank umbrella. Operates broader food distribution and advocacy, of which Just Harvest's Fresh Access program is a smaller, hyperlocal analog.
• WhyHunger: National hunger-advocacy and resource-connection nonprofit. Comparable in combining direct service referrals with policy advocacy around SNAP and food justice.
• MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger: National hunger-advocacy nonprofit funding grassroots organizations and lobbying on federal nutrition policy. Comparable advocacy and grantmaking posture to Just Harvest's anti-hunger mission.
• Food Research & Action Center (FRAC): National anti-hunger advocacy organization working on SNAP policy and benefit access. Highly comparable on the policy-advocacy side of Just Harvest's work, especially around H.R.1 and SNAP cuts.
• Hunger Free America: National anti-hunger organization running SNAP outreach, benefits navigation, and advocacy. Closely comparable mix of direct SNAP application assistance and federal/state policy work.

Direct peers

• The Food Trust: Philadelphia-based nonprofit running the Food Bucks SNAP-incentive program that Just Harvest implements locally. Highly comparable mission of increasing fresh-food access through SNAP incentives and farmers markets.
• Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank: Regional hunger-relief organization serving 11 counties including Allegheny. Just Harvest is a formal partner in its 850+ agency network, and the two share overlapping missions around food access and SNAP outreach in Pittsburgh.
• Pittsburgh Food Policy Council: Local Pittsburgh food-systems coalition of which Just Harvest is a member. Comparable focus on local food policy, including the joint Pittsburgh School Food Environment report with Harvard.

Regional players

• Project Bread: Massachusetts-based anti-hunger organization combining direct service (FoodSource Hotline) with advocacy. Comparable model of state-level hunger policy plus direct benefits navigation, though operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/squarespace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/just-harvest-action-against-hunger
• Instagraminstagram.com/justharvestpa

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 Just Harvest