University District Food Bank

What University District Food Bank does

University District Food Bank (UDFB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 91-1224834) founded in 1983 and headquartered in the University District of Northeast Seattle. It provides hunger-relief services to food-insecure individuals and families through a walk-in pantry, home delivery (450+ deliveries weekly), satellite pantries at North Seattle College and Magnuson Park, and the Packs For Kids school-based program serving 960+ children. The organization reports 2,200+ families served weekly, 109,000+ household visits and 253,000 individuals served annually, and more than 3.4 million pounds of food distributed per year, supplemented by the Rooftop Roots urban garden and an Apple A Day Café launched in 2024.

UDFB's service model combines direct distribution with wraparound support: Community Connections links recipients to partner agencies (YouthCare, LIHI, Doorway Project), and food supply is sourced through grocery rescue partnerships with Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, PCC, Safeway and QFC, alongside wholesale channels via Food Lifeline. Operational infrastructure is anchored by a purpose-built facility opened in 2016.

Revenue is contributed, not earned from recipients. Funding sources include individual and corporate donations, employer matching gifts, an annual fundraising auction (~$280,000 in 2022), government contracts with the City of Seattle, and grants from United Way King County and similar funders. The organization operates with a small paid staff complemented by AmeriCorps members and a large volunteer base, and experienced a 60% year-over-year increase in demand in 2023 that triggered a doubling of its food purchasing budget.

Name

University District Food Bank

Legal name

University District Food Bank

Website

https://udistrictfoodbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

University District Food Bank is a Seattle-based nonprofit founded in 1983 that distributes more than 3.4 million pounds of food annually to over 2,200 food-insecure families each week through a walk-in pantry, home delivery, satellite pantries, and school-based programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Assistance and Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Meal Preparation, Nutrition Support & Feeding Assistance (HLADAGAD)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Community food assistance
• Hunger relief programs
• Food distribution services
• Nonprofit social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Financial contributions from individual donors supporting food purchasing budget and general operations
2. Corporate and Community Donations: Contributions from local businesses, churches, and community organizations
3. Annual Auction Fundraiser: Take a Bite Out of Hunger annual benefit auction raising funds for food purchasing budget - raised nearly $280,000 in 2022
4. Government Contracts: City of Seattle contracts and funding supporting operations
5. Employer Matching Gifts: Many local employers match donations made by employees, retirees or immediate family

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

University District Food Bank provides free, dignified food assistance to residents of Northeast Seattle through a main walk-in grocery pantry, two satellite pantries, a home delivery service for homebound individuals, and a weekend backpack meal program for schoolchildren. Its model emphasizes low-barrier access (no ID or income verification), culturally relevant and nutritionally balanced groceries, and complementary services including a rooftop urban garden, a community resources connector program, and a free café for prepared meals.

Product overview

University District Food Bank is a nonprofit food assistance organization operating multiple interconnected programs in Northeast Seattle. The core offering is the U-District Pantry at Roosevelt Way, supplemented by two satellite pantries (North Seattle College and Magnuson Park), a Home Delivery Program for homebound individuals, and the Packs For Kids weekend meal program for schoolchildren. Additional services include the Rooftop Roots urban garden, Community Connections resource linking, and the Apple a Day Cafe providing prepared meals. The Shopper Advisory Council provides customer feedback. All programs work together to address food insecurity with a 'shopping with dignity' model serving over 2,200 families weekly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Apple a Day Café: A café adjacent to the food bank offering free, freshly prepared meals and beverages to patrons.
• Rooftop Roots
• Packs For Kids
• Community Connections

Products and services

• U-District Pantry (Roosevelt Pantry) Main walk-in food pantry providing fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, eggs, frozen meat, canned and dried goods, toiletries, baby formula, diapers, and pet foods to Northeast Seattle residents. Operates with no ID or income requirements and provides three days of healthy food per visit.
• Home Delivery Program Free grocery delivery service for homebound seniors, disabled individuals, and others unable to visit the pantry in person. Serves over 450 customers weekly with deliveries on Wednesdays and Saturdays by volunteer drivers, including bike-powered deliveries through partnership with Pedaling Relief Project.
• North Seattle College Food Pantry Satellite pantry at North Seattle College providing prepacked food via drive-through and walk-up service to food-insecure students and community members on Tuesday nights, part of a combined weekly service to 375 households across both satellite locations.
• Magnuson Park Community Food Pantry Satellite pantry at Mercy Magnuson Place in the Magnuson Park area providing a shopping model where guests walk through and choose their food from available items.
• Packs For Kids School-based backpack program providing over 960 children at 18 local Seattle schools with nutritious, easy-to-prepare weekend meals and snacks when school meals are unavailable.
• Rooftop Roots Year-round urban farming program growing fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs on the food bank's rooftop garden to supply nearly zero-footprint produce for pantry shoppers during spring, summer, and fall seasons.
• Community Connections Walk-in resource linking program connecting food bank customers to important services outside the food bank to improve economic stability and self-sufficiency, including help with housing and SNAP benefits access.
• Apple a Day Café Free café offering freshly prepared meals and beverages to food bank patrons in the space adjacent to the main pantry, providing immediate sustenance and a sense of community for those needing ready-to-eat food and meeting dietary restrictions while reducing food waste.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.4 million pounds of food distributed annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• InterconnectionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Donated 263 laptops to local school children in grades K-12 through Packs For Kids program partners
• Montlake Turkey TrotminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Community event donor - $26,500 donation
• Food LifelinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank network providing critical food donations that help keep the pantry supplied with healthy options
• Trader Joe's (University District, Ballard)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrocery store partner providing food donations including produce, bread, frozen items, canned goods
• Whole Foods Market (Roosevelt Square, Interbay)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrocery store partner providing food donations
• PCC Community Markets (Greenlake Village, View Ridge)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrocery store partner providing food donations; also involved in grocery rescue programs
• Safeway (University District, Wedgwood, Roosevelt)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrocery store partner providing food donations
• QFC (University Village)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrocery store partner providing food donations
• LIHI (Low Income Housing Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-location partner operating 49 units of affordable housing at the food bank facility
• YouthCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-location partner operating affordable housing at the food bank facility
• Doorway ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Bloom Project - urban farming job training program for youth ages 18-24
• Tilth AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides composting and worm education for Bloom Project participants
• Pedaling Relief ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBike-powered grocery rescue program rescuing 1000 lbs of food weekly; partners on home delivery to about 50 households
• United Way King CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported by United Way King County - major community partner
• Good Food PrinciplesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the Good Food Principles - food access advocacy organization
• Scarecrow VideominorOthersProvides in-kind donations supporting the food bank's mission
• Evado PRminorOthersProvides in-kind donations supporting the food bank's mission
• University District Farmers MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarmers market partner providing food donations
• Multiple Bakeries (Madison Park Bakery, Grateful Bread, Sea Wolf Bakery)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal bakeries providing donated baked goods for food bank distribution
• Multiple Churches (University Presbyterian Church, Sand Point Community Church, Christ Episcopal Church, Center for Spiritual Living, Wedgwood Community Church, St. Stephen's Church)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch community partners providing food donations and volunteer support
• Multiple Grocery Stores (Fred Meyer Ballard, Town & Country Market Ballard)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional grocery store partners providing food donations
• Humane Society of Seattle and King CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing food donations

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Hopelink: Large Eastside Seattle human services nonprofit operating food banks alongside housing, transportation, and other services. Comparable in multi-service nonprofit model and food bank operations, but serves a different sub-region of greater Seattle.
• Solid Ground: Seattle-based anti-poverty nonprofit offering food assistance (including a food bank), housing, and nutrition programs. Comparable in integrated services approach and geography, with broader social services portfolio than UDFB.
• Mary's Place: Seattle nonprofit providing emergency shelter and housing services to families experiencing homelessness, co-located with LIHI (UDFB's partner). Comparable in addressing intersecting needs of low-income Seattle residents, with a different primary mission focus.

Direct peers

• Food Bank of Iowa: Regional food bank distributing millions of pounds of food annually to partner agencies. Comparable scale and community food bank distribution model, operating in a different region but with similar food rescue and partner-agency distribution approach.
• Food Lifeline: Seattle-based food rescue and distribution organization that directly supplies UDFB and operates a similar food bank model across Western Washington. Direct peer operating in the same metro and serving similar food-insecure populations.
• Hunger Intervention Program: Seattle-area nonprofit providing nutritious meals and food assistance to low-income individuals and families. Direct peer operating in the same geography with similar food distribution programs targeting food-insecure residents.
• Northwest Harvest: Washington state's largest food bank distribution network, coordinating with partner food banks statewide. Comparable in mission and direct distribution model, with broader statewide geographic reach versus UDFB's neighborhood focus.

Emerging players

• FareStart: Seattle nonprofit providing culinary job training and meals to people experiencing poverty and homelessness. Comparable in food services + job training model (similar to UDFB's Bloom Project with Doorway Project), with a stronger emphasis on restaurant training.

Regional players

• Eastside Baby Corner: Eastside Seattle nonprofit providing food, clothing, and baby supplies to children in need. Comparable in serving families and children with essential needs in the greater Seattle area, but focused on baby/child items and Eastside geography.

Others

• Seattle Children's Hospital Family Resource Center: UDFB provides grocery packs to Seattle Children's Hospital patients and families. Adjacent partner serving overlapping vulnerable populations (children and families in medical crisis), though its core mission is healthcare rather than food.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/UDistFoodBank
• Facebookfacebook.com/UDistrictFoodBank
• Instagraminstagram.com/udistrictfoodbank

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 University District Food Bank