Food for Neighbors

What Food for Neighbors does

Food for Neighbors is a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 81-3736063) founded in 2016 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia. It operates a community-driven food collection and distribution system — the Red Bag Program — that targets food insecurity among middle and high school students (ages 11–18) in Northern Virginia, an underserved segment relative to elementary-focused food banks. Donor households receive branded Red Bags five times per school year, fill them with shelf-stable food and toiletries, and leave them for volunteer pickup; volunteer drivers on optimized routes collect and deliver the bags to one of 10 regional sorting sites, with food reaching partner school pantries the same day. As of 2026 the organization serves 60 schools across Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties plus Falls Church City, supporting 10,500+ students through 3,400+ donor households and 3,800+ volunteers, with 820,000+ pounds of food collected since founding.

The operating model is volunteer-first with a small paid executive team (1–10 staff, including Executive Director, Directors of Finance, Operations, Marketing/Communications, Technology, and School Partnerships). Supporting programs include Virtual Red Bag (online donation channel), Hunger Heroes (recurring monthly giving from $10/month), Grocery Gift Card Program for vulnerable families, School Pantry Program (helps schools establish in-house food pantries), Holiday Meals distributions, Corporate Food Packing Events (minimum $2,000–$25,000+ sponsorship tiers), and a Community Expansion Program packaging the model for replication in new geographies. Technology is intentionally lean: Donorbox/Stripe/PayPal for payments, SignUpGenius for volunteer scheduling, Double the Donation for matching gifts, Bonfire for merchandise, and a Driver Routing app for pickup logistics — no proprietary AI or ML systems are disclosed.

Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary donations, grants, and in-kind contributions rather than product sales. Income streams include individual donations (one-time and recurring), corporate sponsorships with five tiers (Neighborhood Ambassador through Community Champion), foundation grants (Community Foundation of Northern Virginia, Philip L. Graham Fund, 100 Women Strong, among others), employer matching gifts, in-kind food donations from retail partners (Giant Food, Amazon Fresh), and modest merchandise sales via Bonfire. Marketing is community-led, with 65%+ of donor/volunteer sign-ups arriving via personal referral and additional reach through social media, earned media (WUSA9, Washington Post, regional outlets), and partner communications. Corporate partners include Amazon, Capital One, Dominion Energy, Leidos, Salesforce, DLA Piper, and Allstate Foundation; school partners include Fairfax County, Arlington County, Loudoun County, and Falls Church City Public Schools.

Name

Food for Neighbors

Legal name

Food For Neighbors

Website

https://foodforneighbors.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Food for Neighbors is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the Red Bag Program, collecting and distributing donated food directly to 60 middle and high schools in Northern Virginia to address weekend and holiday hunger among 10,500+ food-insecure students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Food Service Contractors (72231)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meal Program Compliance & Administration (NSLP/SBP, Reimbursements) (EDAEAEAC), School Feeding & Social Protection Partnerships (Conditional Cash Transfers, etc.) (EDADALAL), Food Procurement, Inventory & Supply Chain for Schools (EDAEAEAE)

Keywords

• Community food assistance
• Youth hunger relief
• School food pantries
• Food donation programs
• Nonprofit food distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Reston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring monetary donations from individual supporters. Monthly recurring donations through Hunger Heroes program starting at $10/month. One-time donations via website using Donorbox payment processing with Stripe, PayPal support.
2. Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships: Annual corporate partnerships at various levels (Community Champion, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Neighborhood Ambassador). Includes financial sponsorships, matching donation campaigns, and in-kind contributions.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise through Bonfire platform. Net proceeds from all merchandise purchases donated directly to Food for Neighbors.
4. In-Kind Food Donations: Food and toiletry donations collected through Red Bag Program and food drives, sorted, and distributed to schools. Not direct revenue but represents value-in-kind supporting program delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Food for Neighbors runs the Red Bag Program, a community food collection and distribution system in which household donors fill red bags with shelf-stable food five times per school year, volunteer drivers collect them from porches using a routing app, and the food is sorted and delivered same-day to in-house pantries at 60 partner middle and high schools across Northern Virginia. Supplemental offerings include grocery gift cards for the most vulnerable families, school pantry setup support, holiday meal distributions, monthly recurring giving, and corporate team-building food packing events.

Product overview

Food for Neighbors operates as a nonprofit food assistance organization focused on addressing teen hunger in Northern Virginia. The core offering is the Red Bag Program, a community-based food donation and distribution system where donors fill red bags with shelf-stable food five times per school year, and volunteers collect, sort, and deliver donations directly to partner school pantries the same day. Supporting programs include Virtual Red Bag (online giving alternative), Hunger Heroes monthly giving program, Grocery Gift Card Program for vulnerable families, School Pantry Program (helping schools establish food pantries), Holiday Meals Program, Food Packing Events (corporate team-building), Food Drive Hosting, Community Expansion Program (training new chapters), School Partner Portal (resource center for schools), and an FFN Merch Store. The organization does not offer a technology platform product but serves as a food distribution intermediary connecting community donors with food-insecure students through school-based partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Red Bag Program: The core community food donation program where volunteers collect food from donors and deliver it to schools.
• Virtual Red Bag
• Hunger Heroes

Products and services

• Red Bag Program Flagship community food donation and distribution program in which household donors receive red bags, fill them with shelf-stable food and toiletries five times per school year, and leave them for volunteer pickup from porches; volunteer drivers use a routing app to collect, weigh, and deliver the food same day to in-house pantries at 60 partner middle and high schools across Northern Virginia. For household donors in single-family homes.
• Virtual Red Bag Online giving option for donors unable to leave physical Red Bags, including residents of apartments, condos, and gated communities where door-to-door pickup is not available, or donors who want to supplement their physical donations; contributions support all Food for Neighbors programs including the Red Bag Program, gift cards, and pantries.
• Hunger Heroes Monthly Giving Program Recurring monthly donation program for individual supporters starting at $10/month; $30/month provides weekend food for one student, $50/month provides grocery gift cards for a vulnerable family, and $100/month helps equip a new school pantry, giving donors predictable recurring support for teen food security.
• Food Packing Events Turnkey corporate and group team-building events where organizations purchase and pack shelf-stable food at their own location for a minimum $2,000 investment; Food for Neighbors provides bins, event coordination, and optional guest speakers, with packed food delivered directly to partnering schools.
• Food Drive Hosting Organized food collection drives for groups and businesses, where collected donations are delivered to Red Bag Events for sorting and distribution to local partner schools, enabling organizations to run community food drives with Food for Neighbors' logistics infrastructure.
• Corporate Sponsorships Financial partnership opportunities for businesses to sponsor Red Bag Events starting at a minimum $25,000 commitment, with benefits including reserved volunteer spots, brand visibility on signage, and recognition in newsletters and social media; additional tiered annual partnership levels (Community Champion, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Neighborhood Ambassador) are available.
• FFN Merch Store Online merchandise store selling branded Food for Neighbors apparel and gear through the Bonfire platform, with payment processing, fulfillment, and customer service handled by Bonfire; net proceeds are donated directly to Food for Neighbors to provide supplemental weekend food for local students.
• Community Expansion Program Program to bring the Food for Neighbors model to new communities outside the current Northern Virginia service area, including structured training for Area Managers, Event Coordinators, Driver Coordinators, and Bag Drop-Off Coordinators to launch local Red Bag programs in their school communities.
• Tribute Donations Donation option allowing individuals to give in honor or memory of someone special, with the ability to send a personalized message and optionally notify the honoree or their family; all gifts support food assistance for students in need.

Quantifiable outcome

• 820,000+ pounds of food collected and distributed since 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• AmazonflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon has partnered with Food for Neighbors, including Amazon Fresh and Amazon delivery van support for food collection events in the HQ2 region.
• Fairfax CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFairfax County partnership supporting food security initiatives and community programs. County has provided mini-grants for food security efforts.
• Giant FoodcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGiant Food grocery chain partner providing food donations and support for Red Bag Program collection efforts.
• Riverside Presbyterian ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partner hosting a food sorting site in Ashburn area, providing essential operational space.
• Crossroads United Methodist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partner hosting a food sorting site, providing space for operations in Loudoun County.
• Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge - HerndonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization providing volunteer support and hosting events.
• bartacominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRestaurant partner supporting events and fundraising initiatives.
• CrossFit Reston and CrossFit FairfaxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFitness community partners hosting fundraisers and volunteer events to support teen hunger relief.
• Arlington CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty partnership including Arlington County Food Security Mini-Grant awards and school partnerships.
• Fairfax County Public SchoolsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary school partnership supporting 38+ middle and high schools through Ignite Partnership program. School staff identify students in need and distribute food resources.
• Loudoun County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool partnership supporting 11 middle and high schools across Ashburn and Sterling areas.
• Arlington County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool partnership supporting 9 middle and high schools in Arlington County.
• Falls Church City Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool partnership supporting approximately 10% of middle/high school students in The City of Falls Church.
• German Armed ForcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilitary organization that joined Food for Neighbors in tackling teen food insecurity, providing volunteer support at events.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Capital Area Food Bank: Regional food bank serving the Washington, D.C. metro area, including Northern Virginia. Comparable as a broader-scope food distribution intermediary operating across the same geography, though its mandate is much wider than FFN's teen-focused school-channel model.
• Feeding America: National network of food banks addressing hunger across the U.S., including school-based programs. Comparable as the dominant umbrella player in food assistance; relevant to FFN as a potential partner or competitor for school-district food security contracts.
• No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength): National campaign focused on ending childhood hunger, with significant investment in school breakfast, summer meals, and afterschool nutrition programs. Comparable as a school-channel-focused anti-hunger organization, though it operates at national policy and grantmaking scale rather than direct distribution.

Direct peers

• Blessings in a Backpack: National nonprofit providing weekend food bags to food-insecure elementary and middle school students. Most directly comparable peer — same school-pantry / weekend-hunger model — though their typical partner school is elementary, making FFN a leading example of a teen-focused equivalent.
• MANNA Food Bank: Regional food bank operating backpack and school-based food assistance programs for food-insecure children, including teen-aged students. Comparable as a regional food intermediary using school channels to reach food-insecure children, with overlapping volunteer- and donor-driven operating model.
• Food for Others: Northern Virginia–based food assistance nonprofit providing groceries to food-insecure families in Fairfax County and surrounding areas. Comparable as a directly competing community food distribution nonprofit in FFN's primary service geography, with overlapping donor pool and volunteer base.

Regional players

• Loudoun Hunger Relief: Loudoun County, VA–based food assistance nonprofit serving residents facing food insecurity. Comparable as a regional food assistance player with overlapping service area (Loudoun County), competing for the same local donor households and corporate sponsors.
• Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC): Arlington, VA–based food pantry providing free groceries to neighbors in need. Comparable as a directly competing regional food assistance nonprofit in one of FFN's core counties (Arlington), with overlapping donor and corporate sponsor pools.

Emerging players

• Food Connection (DC Central Kitchen): Programs run by DC Central Kitchen focus on school-based and family meal distribution in the broader D.C. metro. Comparable as an adjacent community food player operating in the same regional media/funding market, with partial overlap on weekend and school-based food distribution.

Others

• WhyHunger: National nonprofit that connects people to food resources and supports grassroots food justice organizations. Comparable as an enabling/thematic peer — not a direct service competitor — that operates in FFN's advocacy and resource-navigation ecosystem and could partner on teen hunger awareness.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@foodforneighbors1327
• Facebookfacebook.com/foodforneighbors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/food-for-neighbors
• Instagraminstagram.com/foodforneighbors

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Food for Neighbors