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70 E LAKE ST STE 1200
Chicago IL 60601-5915
Chicago IL | IRS ruling year: 2006 | EIN: 20-4268851
In FY 2020, the GFN network recovered over 919M kilos (2B lbs.) of food and grocery products and re-directed this surplus to more than 16.9M food insecure persons, h ... (More)
In FY 2020, the GFN network recovered over 919M kilos (2B lbs.) of food and grocery products and re-directed this surplus to more than 16.9M food insecure persons, half of which are women and girls. From February through June 2020, the GFN network provided critical food relief and other essential services to an add'l 5M people impacted by the global health emergency, bringing the total number of people served to almost 22M people in 44 countries. GFN successfully aided members' capacity, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness through training, assuring food safety and equity in distribution, and good management through the GFN certification process. GFN members are food banking organizations in 44 countries, operating across multiple socio-economic and cultural contexts, primarily in emerging market economies in Latin America, Asia, and Sub Saharan Africa. The GFN system is comprised of 900 community-based Food Banks and local networks of more than 56K local charitable agencies (Less)
Great
This charity's score is 100%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores: 80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for The Global FoodBanking Network is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
The Global FoodBanking Network has earned a 100% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2020, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
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Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not ApplicableBoard Composition - 15/15 - 25/25 ptsBoard Composition - 15/15 - 25/25 pts
Charity Navigator looks for at least 3 board members, with more than 50% of those members identified as independent (not salaried).
The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Audit or Financial Review - Audited - 20/20 ptsIndependent Audit or Financial Review - Audited - 20/20 pts
An Audit, Review, or Compilation provides important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount:
| Total Revenue Amount | Expectation to Receive Credit |
|---|---|
| $1 million or higher | Expected to complete an audit |
| $500,000 - $1 million | Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation |
| Less than $500,000 | No expectation (removed from scoring methodology) |
Source: IRS Form 990
Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsConflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Board Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 ptsBoard Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Document Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 ptsDocument Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Whistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsWhistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Website - Listed - 3/3 ptsWebsite - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 8.87% - 15/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 8.87% - 15/15 pts
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
| Liabilities to Assets Ratio | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| Less than 50% | Full Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Partial Credit |
| 60% or more | No Credit |
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Ratio - 86.52% - 25/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 86.52% - 25/25 pts
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
| Program Expense Percentage | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| 70% or higher | Full Credit |
| 60% - 69.9% | Partial Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Zero Points for Program Expense Score |
| Below 50% | Zero Points for Both Program Expense AND Liabilities to Assets Scores |
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
No Data Available
Key Persons data is currently unavailable for this organization. This data is only available if this charity has at least one year of electronically-filed Form 990 data filed within the last six years.
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Activity data not reported from the IRS
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (The Global FoodBanking Network) or EIN (204268851) in the 'Search Term' field.
Not Currently Scored
The Global FoodBanking Network cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
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The Global FoodBanking Network reported its three largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
COVID-19 Response: In FY 20, the rapid onset and global spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic produced a public health, economic and humanitarian crisis unprecedented in modern times. Th ... (More)
COVID-19 Response: In FY 20, the rapid onset and global spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic produced a public health, economic and humanitarian crisis unprecedented in modern times. The pandemic has, and continues to, severely impact lives and livelihoods worldwide, destabilizing economies and food systems with devastating effect on the most vulnerable populations. As a result, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned of a "looming food crisis" accompanying the Pandemic, and the COVID-19 public health crisis becoming a hunger crisis. In FY 20, GFN was actively engaged in support of member food banks impacted by the coronavirus beginning in East Asian countries, approximately forty days prior to the UN World Health Organization's declaration of the global pandemic on March 12, 2020. Between March and June 2020, GFN supported member food banks in emergency response and provided critical food relief in 51 countries on six continents in response to COVID-19. GFN worked to assure food banks were open and able to provide relief in all countries; deployed crisis management interventions for members at risk due to internal or external factors or extreme local conditions; provided data and information sharing to inform, quantify scope, adjust actions, and secure resources to deploy globally; shared information throughout the network and with partner networks, provide technical assistance and share best practices and innovations that may implemented locally; and supported members through unrestricted financial assistance to procure and deploy resources adequate to need from private and public sectors. During FY 20, all (100%) of GFN members reported increased demand for emergency services by May 2020. Nearly half (49%) of members report the increased demand was 51% or greater of pre-COVID rates and more than one-third (37%) report increased demand of more than 91%. Food and hygiene products were delivered to an estimated 22 million people facing hunger, up from 16.9 million pre-crisis. Between March and June 2020, GFN deployed more than US$11 million in COVID-19 relief emergency response grants to food banks in 51 countries and an estimated 7,800 hours of technical assistance and programming activity to the network over 15 weeks (March-June). These financial resources, complemented by technical support, enabled food banks to purchase key staples, hire additional staff to cope with rising demand and the loss of volunteers, and expand service to new communities and hard-to-reach populations. GFN continues to mobilize a humanitarian response that both addresses the immediate COVID-19 crisis and support the recovery efforts in communities for a more resilient future. (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Capacity Building and Technical Assistance: GFN provides on-going technical assistance and strategic investments in member food banks under the "Powering Food Banks for Growth" program model. The Powe ... (More)
Capacity Building and Technical Assistance: GFN provides on-going technical assistance and strategic investments in member food banks under the "Powering Food Banks for Growth" program model. The Powering Food Banks for Growth model is tailored to the spec (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
New Food Bank Development - GFN Food Bank Incubator Program: In FY 20, GFN established the Food Bank Incubator Program, a 3 year project to help accelerate food banking operations in under-served comm ... (More)
New Food Bank Development - GFN Food Bank Incubator Program: In FY 20, GFN established the Food Bank Incubator Program, a 3 year project to help accelerate food banking operations in under-served communities and where no meaningful food bank presence has b (Less)
The Global FoodBanking Network has earned a 96% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 ptsConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 pts
30% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) supports local leaders of food banks in nearly 50 countries by providing resources and know-how, allowing leaders to better serve the people experiencing hunger in their communities. In 2021, member food banks served approximately 39 million people, including 13.4 million children, 7.4 million adults over 60, and 19.5 million women and girls.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings or town halls, Suggestion box/email
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?
The technical support and programs offered by GFN are led by the needs and requests of our member food banks. There are several points for engagement and interaction between GFN and the food banks in our Network. We have field services staff (RMs) that serve as the primary contact for food banks in those regions. RMs provide specialized technical assistance on different food bank topics and share GFN resources based on each food bank's needs. We administer an anonymous Member Satisfaction Survey on an annual basis and have seen member satisfaction scores increase significantly over the past year as we've listened to food bank's feedback.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
We administer an electronic member satisfaction survey every year to member food banks. In 2022, our member satisfaction score is 95%. We developed our Food Bank Incubator program in Africa and Southeast Asia after receiving feedback from our members who wanted more specialized support for developing new food banks in these regions. Our communication strategy has been adapted to provide regular, consistent information to the food banks from a designated relationship manager.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 95/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 95/100 pts
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 95 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 9 Equity Practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Equity Practices (5/7) | |
|---|---|
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Equity Policies and Procedures (4/7) | |
|---|---|
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
The Global FoodBanking Network has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableMission - 10/10 ptsMission - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
The Global FoodBanking Network’s (GFN) mission is to nourish the world’s hungry through uniting and advancing food banks. GFN members are food banking organizations in nearly 50 countries, operating across multiple socio-economic and cultural contexts, primarily in emerging market economies in Latin America, Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. GFN enhances members' efficiency and effectiveness through knowledge sharing, provides grants to build capacity, and ensures good management through the GFN certification process. In 2021, GFN member food banks recovered over 692M kilos of food and grocery products and re-directed this to approximately 39M people facing food insecurity, a 128% increase in people served over 2019 pre-COVID-19 levels. Of the people served, 13.4M were children between the ages of 0-17, 7.4M were adults over the age of 60, and half were women and girls. Member food banks partnered with nearly 59,000 community service agencies to distribute food.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
A world free of hunger.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals - 20/20 ptsGoals - 20/20 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Expand food relief in Sub-Saharan Africa, South and East Asia, and Latin America through Knowledge Networks, Food Bank Incubator, and New Food Bank Development programs.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Strengthen food banks to serve vulnerable populations, develop child feeding and emergency response programs, and strengthen supply chains to achieve 2030 goal of improving food access for 50M people.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Establish GFN and members as leaders in food recovery and food loss and waste and advance policy agendas that solidify the role of food banks in resilient food systems.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
GFN's executive team and directors have completed The Leadership Challenge's three-day in-person intensive workshop to learn how to model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage those around them. All staff members also participated in The Leadership Challenge's introductory in-person training session. Senior management is provided with executive coaching sessions, and all people managers have attended a workshop on effectively managing remote and hybrid staff. Additionally, senior management has allocated an amount in their budgets for professional development (courses, training, webinars, etc.) for each team member.
Mobilizing for Mission - 15/15 ptsMobilizing for Mission - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
We partner with a number of organizations aligned to the issues of hunger and food insecurity, child malnutrition, food loss and waste. These organizations include WRAP, World Wildlife Fund, World Resources Institute, World Union of Wholesale Markets, and various private sector organizations that support our work. GFN publishes research and resources with Harvard Food Law & Policy Clinic and the Global Child Nutrition Foundation. Our staff participates in the SDG 2 Advocacy Hub and Champions 12.3, groups of executives from governments, businesses, international organizations, research institutions, and civil society dedicated to accelerate progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Internally, GFN facilitates knowledge exchange and networking for our member food banks through our Food Bank Incubator program, regional and global conferences, and Latin American Knowledge Networks. Since 2021, our communications efforts have significantly scaled.
Adaptability Story - 30/30 ptsAdaptability Story - 30/30 pts
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
The long-term effects of the pandemic, increasingly disastrous impacts of climate change, and rising food and fuel costs resulting from the invasion of Ukraine have only worsened the hunger crisis in the past year. GFN’s member food banks continue to face many challenges, including increased demand for food assistance, supply chain disruptions, human capital limitations, and more. Yet member food banks, along with technical support and funding from GFN, continue to serve more people and have distributed 128% more food over 2019 pre-COVID-19 levels. We are proud to report that the quality and cadence of our programs and the support we offer food banks have increased and largely remained uncompromised by the remote environment since March 2020. In addition to individualized technical support our field staff offer to each member food bank, we launched a pilot of Knowledge Networks, virtual cohorts for specific food bank topics like food safety and product sourcing for member food banks in Latin America, with plans to launch in other regions. The invasion of Ukraine in late February significantly impacted the world, including disrupting the global food system. GFN created an emergency response fund and raised over $1,265,000 to support our partner, the European Food Banks Federation, and provide support for food banks in and around Ukraine. In recent months, as COVID-19 restrictions have eased, GFN staff have resumed travel to member food banks to conduct essential in-person audits and assessments.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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