Berkshire Bounty

What Berkshire Bounty does

Berkshire Bounty is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit food rescue organization (EIN 83-0905992) operating exclusively in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, founded in 2016 as Backyard Bounty of the Berkshires by Mark Lefenfeld and Jay Weintraub. Its core function is collecting donated and purchased food from a network of 31 retailers and local farms and redistributing it to 34 emergency food distribution sites including food pantries, public schools, and senior centers. In 2025, the organization collected 720,000 pounds of food, served 20,900 people, and brought cumulative rescue volume since founding to over 3.2 million pounds.

The organization's programmatic offering consists of the Food Rescue Program (retail and farm donation collection and delivery), the Food Purchase Program ($300,000 of nutritious food purchased in 2025 to supplement donations and improve quality and cultural appropriateness), the Farm to Food Access Program (in partnership with Berkshire Grown), and the Farm to Families home delivery program (in partnership with Just Roots and Berkshire Fallon Health Collaborative). There is no proprietary technology platform; operations are executed through volunteer coordination and manual logistics across 100+ registered and active volunteers, with seasonal programs such as Farm Harvest, Fruit Tree Gleaning, and a Produce Gleaner Intern Program.

The business model is charitable fundraising: Berkshire Bounty is funded by tax-deductible individual donations (accepted via PayPal, check, and a Qgiv-powered online portal) and grants from a diversified base of 18+ foundations and family funds, including the Mifflin Memorial Fund, Mabel Louise Riley Foundation, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, and others. The organization is led by Executive Director Morgan Ovitsky with a small professional staff (Development Director Sara Haimowitz, Program Manager Jenny Schwartz, Financial Manager Kayley Stasiewski, Social Media Coordinator Elizabeth McElhaney) and a Board of Directors. Liability protection for donated food handling is provided under the federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act.

Name

Berkshire Bounty

Legal name

Berkshire Bounty

Website

https://berkshirebounty.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Berkshire Bounty is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit food rescue organization that collects donated and purchased food from 31 retailers and farms and delivers it to 34 emergency food sites across Berkshire County, Massachusetts, serving 20,900 people in 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Rescue and Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food Waste Reduction & Diversion Services (Donation, Animal Feed, Source Reduction Programs) (EUAIAEAH)

Keywords

• Food rescue
• Food redistribution
• Hunger relief
• Nonprofit food services
• Community food security

Headquarters

HQ city

Great Barrington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Berkshire Bounty is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. The organization receives grants from foundations including Mifflin Memorial Fund and other supporters to fund its Food Purchase Program and operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Berkshire Bounty is a volunteer-driven food rescue and redistribution organization that collects donated surplus food from a network of 31 retailers and local farms, then delivers it to 34 emergency food distribution sites including food pantries, public schools, and senior centers across Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The organization supplements donated food through its Food Purchase Program (using grant funds to buy nutritious and culturally appropriate items) and runs home-delivery programs targeting food-insecure families.

Product overview

Berkshire Bounty is a 501(c)(3) food rescue organization offering a unified set of programs focused on collecting, purchasing, and delivering nutritious food to emergency food distribution programs across Berkshire County. The core offerings consist of Food Rescue (collecting from 31 retailers and delivering to 34 sites), the Food Purchase Program (purchasing $300,000 worth of nutritious food annually), and the Farm to Food Access Program (in partnership with Berkshire Grown). These programs are supported by volunteer operations including Weekly Collection routes, Special Events, Farm Harvest, Farm to Families deliveries, and Fruit Tree Gleaning. The organization also runs a seasonal Produce Gleaner Intern program. All programs work together to advance community food security through food rescue and delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Rescue Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 720,000 lbs of food collected and 20,900 people served in 2025 alone
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Guido's Fresh MarketplacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal grocery retailer and one of the largest employers in the Berkshires with over 300 employees. Guido's has been a community supporter especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-founder Matt Masiero serves on the Board of Directors.
• Berkshire Food Co-opcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal food cooperative providing donated food items to Berkshire Bounty's food rescue network.
• Big YcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional grocery chain participating as a food donor in the food rescue program.
• Stop & ShopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrocery retailer providing donated food items to the food rescue network.
• WalmartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetail partner providing donated food for redistribution to food-insecure populations.
• Berkshire GrowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal nonprofit supporting and promoting locally-based agriculture. Partnership for Farm to Food Access program to purchase and distribute locally grown food to emergency food sites.
• Just RootscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Farm to Families program, making home deliveries of farm fresh produce and protein to families.
• Berkshire Fallon Health CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare collaborative partner in Farm to Families home delivery program providing farm fresh produce and protein.
• Berkshire United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner collaborating on special events and annual county-wide food distributions.
• Local Farms NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with farms including Graylight Farm, Hosta Hill, Indian Line Farm, North Plain Farm, Mxmorningstar Farm, Markristo Farm, Mycoterra Farm, Berkshire Education and Correction Services, Project Sprout, Windy Hill Farm, and others for produce rescue and gleaning programs.
• Food Pantries NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor34 distribution organizations including Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, South Community Food Pantry, The People's Pantry, Berkshire Dream Center, Salvation Army, and many others receiving food deliveries.
• CHP (Community Health Programs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider partner for food distribution including WIC program at Berkshire South.
• Berkshire Regional Planning CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional planning body supporting community initiatives.
• GreenagersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development organization focused on sustainable agriculture.
• Berkshire Mobile Farmers MarketminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile food access organization serving the county.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Philabundance: Greater Philadelphia region food bank and food rescue organization operating direct food distribution, retail rescue, and a partner agency network. Direct model peer to Berkshire Bounty with substantially larger operational scale and an established direct-distribution program.
• Greater Boston Food Bank: Largest hunger-relief organization in New England, operating a food rescue and redistribution model similar in concept to Berkshire Bounty but serving the greater Boston region. Comparable in operating model (donor retail pickups, pantry distribution, volunteer logistics) but materially larger in scale and geographic reach.
• City Harvest: New York City's largest food rescue organization, operating a direct food rescue and redistribution model across the five boroughs. Compares to Berkshire Bounty in core activity (rescuing retailer surplus and distributing to agencies) but at materially larger scale and in an urban geography.
• Community FoodBank of New Jersey: Large New Jersey food bank operating a similar model of retail food rescue, purchased food programs, and distribution through a partner agency network. Direct model peer at materially greater scale, useful as a scaling benchmark for Berkshire Bounty's operational trajectory.
• Food Bank of Western Massachusetts: Larger regional food bank explicitly cited in Berkshire Bounty's own reporting (Food Bank of Western MA source) as the data source for county-level food insecurity statistics. Operates the same Berkshire County geography with overlapping food distribution, but at substantially greater scale and a broader pantry network.

Regional players

• Vermont Foodbank: Statewide hunger-relief organization serving Vermont with a comparable rural distribution model — collecting food and distributing to a network of pantries and meal sites. Comparable to Berkshire Bounty in serving a low-density rural geography with high food insecurity, though at greater scale.

Emerging players

• FoodCloud: Tech-enabled food rescue platform connecting retailers with charities to redistribute surplus food. Comparable to Berkshire Bounty in mission and core activity (retail-to-charity food rescue) but differentiated by technology infrastructure that Berkshire Bounty lacks.

Direct peers

• Lovin' Spoonfuls: Massachusetts-based food rescue nonprofit that picks up surplus food from retailers and distributors and delivers it to hunger relief agencies. Operates in Eastern and Central Massachusetts with the same volunteer-coordinated retail-to-agency model as Berkshire Bounty.
• Food Rescue US: National nonprofit using a technology-enabled volunteer platform to connect food donors with agencies serving food-insecure populations. Direct conceptual peer to Berkshire Bounty's volunteer-driven food rescue model, with the key differentiator being Food Rescue US's app-based coordination infrastructure absent at Berkshire Bounty.
• Forgotten Harvest: Michigan-based food rescue nonprofit that collects surplus food from grocers, restaurants, and farms and redistributes it to emergency food providers. Closely aligned operating model to Berkshire Bounty with a volunteer-supported collection and distribution network serving a regional geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/berkshirebounty
• Instagraminstagram.com/berkshire_bounty/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berkshire-bounty

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Berkshire Bounty