Rachel's Table

What Rachel's Table does

Rachel's Table of Western Massachusetts is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 (spun off from the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts in 2023) that operates one of the largest volunteer-driven food rescue operations in Western Massachusetts. Headquartered in Springfield, MA, the organization collects surplus food from over 90 grocery stores, restaurants, caterers, bakeries, and farms six days per week and redistributes it to more than 65 partner agencies — including food pantries, shelters, after-school programs, and community kitchens — across Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin Counties, with occasional extension into Hartford County, CT. It is funded entirely through donations (individual, corporate, legacy, and in-kind), grants (USDA, Harold Grinspoon Foundation, Arbella Insurance Foundation), and fundraising events (Outrun Hunger 5K and Bountiful Bowls gala), and delivers all services free of charge to beneficiaries.

The organization runs five core programs: Food Rescue (daily collection and delivery via refrigerated van and 200+ volunteer drivers), Food Purchase Programs (donor-funded seasonal and specialized food needs including ESSENtials kosher food distribution and the Thanksgiving Project), Bea's Harvest (a gleaning program that harvested 116,455 lbs of farm produce in 2025), Growing Gardens (community garden support for 11 partner agencies in 2025), and the Teen Board (a youth empowerment program with a biennial Hunger Awareness ArtsFest). The technology stack is intentionally lightweight and operational: a refrigerated van for cold-chain logistics, Civic Champs for volunteer event registration, and StoryMaps (ArcGIS) for documenting gleaning and Growing Gardens activities. In 2025 the organization delivered 987,775 pounds of healthy food — a 75% increase since October 2022, when the refrigerated van was acquired.

The business model is grant- and donation-funded with no fees charged to beneficiaries or partner agencies. Revenue streams are highly diversified across individual giving (one-time, monthly, tribute, and legacy gifts), corporate sponsorships (founding sponsors PeoplesBank, Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, and WWLP-22News; plus ~18 additional supporting corporate sponsors), in-kind food donations, fundraising events (Outrun Hunger 2026 raised over $120,000), and government/foundation grants. The organization employs approximately 10 staff, governs through a 14-member Board of Trustees, and amplifies its impact through 500+ volunteers and formal partnerships with NOFA-MA, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, UMass Amherst, Smith College, Grow Food Northampton, and the Holyoke Food Equity Collective.

Name

Rachel's Table

Legal name

Rachel's Table of Western Massachusetts

Website

https://feedwma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rachel's Table of Western Massachusetts is a nonprofit food rescue organization that collects surplus food from grocers, restaurants, and farms via volunteers and redistributes it to 65+ partner agencies across Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin Counties, serving food-insecure communities through five core programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Rescue and Hunger Alleviation Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Community Food Services (62421), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD), Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF)

Keywords

• Food rescue services
• Hunger alleviation programs
• Surplus food redistribution
• Community gleaning programs
• Food security nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly monetary donations from individuals, including tribute gifts in honor or memory of loved ones.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships at various levels (e.g., Outrun Hunger race sponsors ranging from $250 to $25,000), founding corporate sponsors, and in-kind donations of services and goods.
3. Legacy/Planned Gifts: Legacy gifts and planned giving programs for long-term donor engagement.
4. Food Donations (In-Kind): Surplus food donated by grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries, caterers, and farms — received at no cost and redistributed to agencies.
5. Fundraising Events: Revenue from events such as the Outrun Hunger 5K race (raised over $120,000 in 2026) and Bountiful Bowls signature celebration dinner.
6. Government and Foundation Grants: Grant funding from entities such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Harold Grinspoon Foundation, and others to support specific programs like Growing Gardens and the Teen Board.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Rachel's Table of Western Massachusetts rescues surplus food from local supermarkets, restaurants, caterers, bakeries, and farms through a volunteer-driven network and redistributes it free of charge to 65+ partner agencies (food pantries, shelters, after-school programs, community meals) serving food-insecure individuals and families across Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin Counties in Western Massachusetts. The organization operates four core programs—Food Rescue, Food Purchase, Bea's Harvest (gleaning), and Growing Gardens—plus a Teen Board youth engagement program, supported by 500+ volunteers, a refrigerated van, and two annual fundraising events. All programs and services are free for beneficiaries; operations are funded by individual donations, corporate sponsorships, government and foundation grants, and signature events including the Outrun Hunger 5K and Bountiful Bowls gala.

Product overview

Rachel's Table of Western Massachusetts operates as a food rescue and hunger alleviation nonprofit organized around five core programs: Food Rescue (collecting and distributing surplus food six days per week via volunteers), Bea's Harvest (a gleaning program harvesting surplus produce from local farms), Growing Gardens (supporting partner agencies in building community gardens), Food Purchase Programs (donor-funded purchasing addressing specific and seasonal food needs), and Teen Board (a youth empowerment program). The organization also runs two major annual fundraising events — Outrun Hunger (a 5K race and 1-mile fun walk) and Bountiful Bowls (a celebration dinner with awards) — which fund and publicize its core programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Rescue

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered 987,775 pounds of healthy food in 2025 (up from 925,000 lbs in 2024)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers16 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

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• NOFA-MA (Northeast Organic Farming Association Massachusetts Chapter)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn conjunction with their food access and equity programs, NOFA-MA provides technical expertise and site support for the Growing Gardens program, including quality training for program participants.
• FOCUS SpringfieldsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOCUS Springfield supports Springfield residents in learning and telling the story of Growing Gardens through community-focused, narrative documentary filmmaking.
• UMass AmherstsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents explore food security through mutually beneficial, civic-oriented projects spanning volunteer management research, distribution evaluation, short filmmaking, and policy summary and analysis.
• Smith CollegesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmith College students in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) classes collaborate with Rachel's Table staff on data-based projects to analyze and improve services, and share impact through visual storytelling.
• Food Bank of Western MassachusettscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRachel's Table became the wheels for the Food Bank-enabled agency program — together they fill each other's gaps across the community. Partnership with Big Y also helps extend reach. Fifty percent of RTWM's agencies are not served by the Food Bank.
• Holyoke Food Equity CollectivesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough gleaning together, teaming up at neighborhood gardens, and developing multi-language educational materials for home gardeners, the partnership mutually enhances volunteer engagement and collective efforts to build an equitable and accessible food system.
• Stone Soup CafesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStone Soup Cafe provides a space for gleaners to lead culturally relevant cooking and food preservation workshops, supports annual collaboration with Deerfield Academy students, and serves as a hub for gleaned produce in Greenfield.
• Grow Food NorthamptonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRachel's Table partners with Grow Food Northampton to provide bilingual (English-Spanish) recipes and culturally relevant plant starts to agencies participating in the Growing Gardens program.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• City Harvest: Large-scale New York City food rescue organization. Comparable in its combination of food rescue, gleaning, and direct agency delivery, but operating at metropolitan scale.
• Feeding America (network): National hunger-relief umbrella network comprising 200+ regional food banks. Rachel's Table operates in a space parallel to and complementary with Feeding America's affiliate food bank model.
• Greater Boston Food Bank: Largest hunger-relief organization in New England operating across Eastern Massachusetts. A scaled food bank model that illustrates the regional operator category Rachel's Table complements rather than directly competes with.

Direct peers

• Food Rescue US: National nonprofit focused specifically on food rescue and direct delivery of surplus food. Closest operational analog to Rachel's Table's core Food Rescue program, demonstrating a comparable volunteer-driven logistics model.
• Home City: Springfield-based nonprofit operating the Farmers to Families Food Box program and broader food distribution. Listed as a Rachel's Table partner agency; serves overlapping Hampden County food-insecure population.
• Food Bank of Western Massachusetts: Direct regional peer serving Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin Counties. Operates as the primary food bank partner that Rachel's Table complements — 50% of RT's partner agencies are not served by the Food Bank.
• Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen: Springfield soup kitchen and pantry that is a Rachel's Table recipient agency. Provides direct meal services to food-insecure populations in Hampden County.
• Stone Soup Cafe: Greenfield community cafe serving meals; partner with Rachel's Table as a gleaning produce hub and host for culturally relevant cooking workshops in Franklin County.
• Open Pantry Emergency Food Services: Springfield-based emergency food pantry that is both a recipient partner agency of Rachel's Table and an independent operator of food distribution and pantry services in Hampden County.
• Amherst Survival Center: Community survival services and food distribution organization in Hampshire County. Listed as a Rachel's Table partner agency; operates parallel food pantry and meal programs serving food-insecure residents.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rachelstablewma
• Facebookfacebook.com/RachelsTableWesternMA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rachel-s-table
• Instagraminstagram.com/rachelstablewesternma

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 Rachel's Table