TC Food Justice

What TC Food Justice does

TC Food Justice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that reduces food waste and addresses hunger in the Twin Cities metro area by linking food donors with hunger relief organizations. The organization operates six interconnected programs: a volunteer-driven Food Rescue program that collects excess produce and bread from smaller grocers, farmers markets, and donors for same or next-day delivery by bike or car; a staff-operated Heavy Haul Program launched in 2025 using two vans for large-volume deliveries to schools, churches, and small community organizations; a Direct Purchase Program funded by grants and donations that sources fresh produce, meat, eggs, and dairy from local farms with emphasis on BIPOC and women-owned operations; a Metro Surge Crisis Response program delivering grocery bags and personal supplies through schools during community emergencies; a Full Fridge Initiative; and a Shared Routes storytelling program. Technology consists of a licensed Food Rescue US software platform used for volunteer coordination, scheduling, and logistics tracking — no proprietary technology is developed in-house.

The organization is funded entirely through grants, monetary donations, and philanthropic support, with all food rescue and delivery services provided free of cost to both donor and recipient organizations. Geographic reach spans the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, with sourcing extending to farmers across nine or more Twin Cities counties and into Wisconsin (Amish farmers). Recipient relationships include 43 schools served during the Metro Surge Crisis Response, multiple hunger relief organizations, and Indigenous hunger relief partners across Minnesota receiving culturally-relevant foods such as wild rice and bison via partnerships like Native Wise Farm. Operating scale indicators include hundreds of thousands of pounds hauled through the Heavy Haul Program, 28,000 pounds of produce and 7,751 packed grocery bags delivered during crisis response, and a paid staff of 11 supported by volunteers.

Name

TC Food Justice

Legal name

TC Food Justice

Website

https://tcfoodjustice.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TC Food Justice is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 that reduces food waste and hunger in the Twin Cities by rescuing excess produce via volunteers and vans, purchasing from local BIPOC and women-owned farms, and delivering free food to schools, hunger relief organizations, and Indigenous partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Rescue and Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

Keywords

• Food rescue services
• Hunger relief programs
• Food waste reduction
• Volunteer logistics
• Community food distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: TC Food Justice is a nonprofit organization that operates through monetary donations and grant funding. Grants and donations fund the Direct Purchase Program where fresh vegetables, meat, eggs, and dairy are purchased from local farmers for distribution.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TC Food Justice is a nonprofit organization that rescues fresh produce, meat, eggs, dairy, and bread that would otherwise be wasted from smaller grocers, farmers markets, and local farmers, then delivers it free of cost to hunger relief organizations, schools, and families in need across the Twin Cities. The organization coordinates volunteer-based same or next-day pickups and deliveries and runs a staff-operated Heavy Haul Program using vans for larger donations, serving partners excluded from traditional large-scale food rescue programs.

Product overview

TC Food Justice operates as a food rescue and hunger relief organization in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. The organization runs multiple interconnected programs: the Food Rescues program (core volunteer-based service), Heavy Haul Rescues (staff-operated van deliveries), Direct Purchase Program (local farm sourcing), Metro Surge Crisis Response (emergency school deliveries), Full Fridge Initiative, and Shared Routes storytelling program. These programs work together to reduce food waste and provide fresh food access, with all deliveries operating free of cost to both donor and recipient organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Rescues Volunteer-coordinated food rescue service that picks up fresh produce and bread that would otherwise be wasted from smaller grocers, farmers markets, and farmers, then delivers it same or next day to hunger relief organizations in the Twin Cities. Serves organizations excluded from traditional larger-scale food rescue programs.
• Heavy Haul Rescues Staff-operated van-based program that hauls large food donations to schools, churches, and small community organizations, with flexible pickup and delivery schedules adapted to partners' specific needs. Delivers at no cost.
• Direct Purchase Program Uses grant funds and monetary donations to purchase fresh vegetables, meat, eggs, and dairy directly from local farmers, with emphasis on BIPOC and women-owned farms, and delivers the food personally to hunger relief partners at no cost.
• Metro Surge Crisis Response Crisis response initiative delivering grocery bags and personal supplies to Twin Cities schools, which then distribute them to families through trusted teachers, adapting to community needs during periods when families cannot safely leave their homes.
• Full Fridge Initiative Program aimed at keeping refrigerators stocked with fresh food for communities in need.
• Shared Routes Storytelling and community connection program documenting food and community partnerships, including profiles of partner farms like Native Wise.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28,000 pounds of produce delivered during Metro Surge Crisis Response
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Food Rescue UScoreTechnology or IntegrationTCFJ licenses Food Rescue US software to assist in managing food rescue operations. This technology platform helps coordinate volunteers, schedule pickups and deliveries, and track logistics for the food rescue program.
• Native Wise FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarm in Fond du Lac, Minnesota that supplies wild rice and bison meat to TCFJ through the Direct Purchase Program. Delivered to Indigenous hunger relief partners across the state. Represents the program's focus on BIPOC-owned farms.
• Hunger Relief OrganizationscoreOthersPartner organizations include food shelves and community meal programs in the Twin Cities that receive rescued food and direct purchase products. TCFJ delivers free of cost.
• Brick and Mortar StoresminorOthersRetail stores that donate excess produce and food items to be rescued and delivered to hunger relief organizations.
• Amish Farmers in WisconsinminorOthersAmish farmers in Wisconsin supply fresh produce including potatoes, cabbage, onions, squash, and carrots for the Metro Surge Crisis Response program.
• Farmers MarketsminorOthersFarmers markets that donate excess produce. TCFJ serves smaller markets excluded from traditional larger-scale food rescue programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TCFoodJustice
• Instagraminstagram.com/tcfoodjustice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tc-food-justice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 TC Food Justice