Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1971 that delivers nutritious meals, daily wellness checks, and social contact to homebound seniors and disabled residents across northern Sarasota County, Florida, via a volunteer-driven route network serving 886 clients in 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersSarasota, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc does
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded on December 7, 1971, that delivers nutritious home-delivered meals, daily wellness checks, and social interaction to homebound seniors, veterans, and physically or mentally disabled residents across northern Sarasota County, Florida. The organization operates from a single kitchen and office facility at 421 N. Lime Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237, supported by four full-time and four part-time staff plus approximately 500 active volunteers (200 weekly). In 2025 it served 119,287 meals to 886 clients at a production capacity of roughly 500 meals per day, bringing cumulative meals delivered since 1971 to over 7 million.
The core offering is the Home Delivered Meal Program, which charges a standard $8 per meal under a sliding-scale model where more than 75% of clients receive meals free or at reduced rates; clients or caregivers apply by phone, and volunteer drivers perform wellness checks during daily Monday–Friday deliveries across 18 zip codes. Adjacent programs include the Pet Love Program (delivering pet food and cat litter to clients' pets), the Hurricane Kit Pilot Program (emergency preparedness buckets for 100 clients), and the upcoming Medically Tailored Meals pilot launching Fall 2026 via the Food Is Medicine Coalition Accelerator, targeting heart disease, diabetes, and dialysis patients with Registered Dietitian–specified meals.
Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit model combining individual donations (eligible for matching through the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust), planned giving/bequests, foundation and corporate grants, county government sponsorship, annual fundraising events (March for Meals raised over $140,000 in 2025), and sliding-scale meal service fees. The organization holds a Charity Navigator four-star rating and a GuideStar Transparency Seal, and is a member of Meals on Wheels America while maintaining independent board governance. No parent company, ownership changes, or M&A activity is disclosed.
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc
- Legal name
- Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc
- Website
- https://mealsonwheelsofsarasota.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1971 that delivers nutritious meals, daily wellness checks, and social contact to homebound seniors and disabled residents across northern Sarasota County, Florida, via a volunteer-driven route network serving 886 clients in 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Senior Home-Delivered Meal Services
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Community Food Services (62421), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)
- SIC
- Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Meal Preparation, Nutrition Support & Feeding Assistance (HLADAGAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Meal Preparation & Nutrition Support (Non-Medical) (HSABAAAC)
Keywords
Where Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sarasota
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals, ranging from $5 to $500, with potential matching through the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust
- Planned Giving: Charitable bequests through wills/trusts, life insurance beneficiary designations, charitable remainder trusts, IRA beneficiary designations, payable-on-death accounts, and stock transfers
- Meal Service Fees: Sliding scale meal fees; $8 per meal standard rate with reduced rates based on household income
- Government Grants: Funding from government entities including Sarasota County Government sponsorship
- Foundation Grants: Grants from private foundations including $1.1 million from Saul Lapidus, $10,000 from Community Foundation of Sarasota County, $20,000 from Men of Redeemer, $35,000 from Church of the Redeemer, $7,500 from Lakewood Ranch Rotary Club, $50,000 from IAT Insurance Group, $15,000 from Wilson-Wood Foundation, $10,000 from Publix Super Markets Charities
- Annual Fundraising Events: March for Meals annual fundraiser exceeding $140,000 in 2025; Bingo Night events
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Rate - $8 per meal |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Reduced Rate - Based on household income |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels10 records
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota delivers heart-healthy, home-delivered meals Monday through Friday to homebound seniors, veterans, and disabled residents of northern Sarasota County. Each meal delivery is paired with a daily wellness check and friendly social interaction by trained volunteer drivers. Complementary programs include the Pet Love Program (pet food delivered with meals), the Hurricane Kit Pilot Program for emergency preparedness, and the upcoming Medically Tailored Meals pilot for clients with heart disease, diabetes, and dialysis needs.
Product overview
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota provides a unified home-delivered meal service combining nutritious meal delivery with safety checks and social interaction. The core offering is the Home Delivered Meal Program, which delivers approximately 500 heart-healthy meals daily to homebound seniors. This is complemented by Personal Check-Ins and Peace of Mind Checks where volunteer drivers perform daily wellness checks. Additional programs include the Pet Love Program delivering pet food alongside meals, the upcoming Medically Tailored Meals program for clients with medical conditions, and the Hurricane Kit Program for emergency preparedness.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pet Love Program: Program providing pet food and cat litter to clients' pets, as one in four seniors lives alone and their pet is their closest companion. Available to clients receiving the Home Delivered Meal Program at a reduced rate.
- Peace of Mind
Products and services
- Home Delivered Meal Program
- Pet Love Program
- Hurricane Kit Program
- Medically Tailored Meals Program (Food Is Medicine)
Quantifiable outcome
- 82% of clients report improved health from meals
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Food Is Medicine CoalitioncoreSelected January 2026 as one of six nonprofits nationwide to undergo six-month intensive curriculum-based training program (FIMC Accelerator). Will be equipped to prepare and deliver medically tailored meals.
- American Red CrossmajorFunding installation of generator for operations during hurricanes. Partnered on Hurricane Kit Pilot Program distributing preparedness supplies to 100 clients.
- All Faith's Food BankmajorPartner agency of All Faith's Food Bank; collaborated on Hurricane Kit Program and Thanksgiving turkey distribution.
- FP RestorationminorCorporate volunteer group that helped with meal delivery and Hurricane Kit Program.
- Gordon Food ServicesminorProvided catering for volunteer appreciation event.
- Sarasota Police DepartmentminorExecutive Director launched collaboration where officers committed to driving a route weekly to understand clients served and assist with wellness checks.
- Community ServingcoreCo-led the FIMC Accelerator Program with Food Is Medicine Coalition, God's Love We Deliver, Nonprofit Finance Fund, and Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School.
- God's Love We DelivercoreCo-led FIMC Accelerator Program. Organization created the medically tailored meal model and maintains nutrition standards.
- Nonprofit Finance FundcoreCo-led FIMC Accelerator Program to refine, replicate, and scale medically tailored meal interventions.
- Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law SchoolcoreCo-led FIMC Accelerator Program to ensure access to medically tailored meals regardless of location or ability to pay.
- World Central KitchenminorProvided meals after Hurricane Milton when operations were disrupted.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- God's Love We Deliver: NYC-based nonprofit that cooks and home-delivers medically tailored meals to people living with serious illness. Directly comparable as a peer in the Food Is Medicine Coalition Accelerator alongside Sarasota and as a benchmark for the medically tailored meals program Sarasota is launching in 2026.
- Mom's Meals: Purdue-affiliated, for-profit national provider of home-delivered meals, including medically tailored meals for health plans, Medicare/Medicaid populations, and post-acute care. The leading commercial analog to Sarasota's core service and a likely competitor/partner for the medically tailored meal pilot.
- Food & Friends: DC-area nonprofit delivering meals and groceries to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses. Mirrors Sarasota's combination of home-delivered nutrition plus wellness check via the delivery driver.
- Meals on Wheels America: National umbrella organization to which Meals on Wheels of Sarasota belongs. Directly comparable as the parent network of community-based home-delivered meal programs for seniors across the U.S.; provides advocacy, branding, and operational standards that Sarasota leverages.
- Project Angel Food: Los Angeles nonprofit preparing and home-delivering medically tailored meals to critically ill clients. Comparable in mission (nutrition + wellness check via volunteer delivery) and operational model, though larger scale.
- Open Hand Atlanta: Atlanta nonprofit providing home-delivered meals and nutrition services to adults with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and seniors. Closely comparable in meal-delivery-plus-companion-check model and medically tailored meal offerings.
- MANNA (Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance): Philadelphia nonprofit delivering medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling to clients with chronic illness. Closely mirrors Sarasota's More Than a Meal model and its planned expansion into RD-prescribed medically tailored meals.
Regional players
- Meals on Wheels of Manatee: Neighboring Florida county affiliate delivering homebound senior meals in Manatee County. Comparable mission, model, and population; not a direct competitor due to geography but a potential partner or model for expansion.
- Senior Friendship Centers: Sarasota-based nonprofit providing programs and services for older adults in southwest Florida, including meals, adult day care, and case management. Direct geographic overlap with Meals on Wheels of Sarasota and overlapping senior-nutrition programs.
Others
- All Faith's Food Bank: Sarasota County's primary food bank and a partner agency of Meals on Wheels of Sarasota. Indirectly comparable: complementary hunger-relief infrastructure rather than a direct meal-delivery competitor, but a key referral and disaster-response partner in the same geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc social profiles
Digital presenceMeals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc
What does Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc do?
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota delivers heart-healthy, home-delivered meals Monday through Friday to homebound seniors, veterans, and disabled residents of northern Sarasota County. Each meal delivery is paired with a daily wellness check and friendly social interaction by trained volunteer drivers. Complementary programs include the Pet Love Program (pet food delivered with meals), the Hurricane Kit Pilot Program for emergency preparedness, and the upcoming Medically Tailored Meals pilot for clients with heart disease, diabetes, and dialysis needs.
Is Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc a public or private company?
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc founded?
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc was founded in 1971. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc based?
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc is headquartered in Sarasota, United States, in the North America region.
How does Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are planned Giving, meal Service Fees, government Grants, foundation Grants and annual Fundraising Events.
Who are Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are God's Love We Deliver, Mom's Meals, Food & Friends, Meals on Wheels America, Project Angel Food, Open Hand Atlanta and MANNA (Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance). Regional players are Meals on Wheels of Manatee and Senior Friendship Centers. All Faith's Food Bank is listed as an others.
Does Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc have an API?
No public API is recorded for Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc.
What industry is Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc in?
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Inc's product category is Senior Home-Delivered Meal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLADAGAD, Meal Preparation, Nutrition Support & Feeding Assistance, with a secondary code of HSABAAAC, Meal Preparation & Nutrition Support (Non-Medical). Its NAICS code is 624120 and its SIC code is 8082.