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Human Services : Food Banks, Food Pantries, and Food Distribution

Food Gatherers

Food Gatherers exists to alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes in our community (Washtenaw County, Michigan).

four stars

97.99

1 Carrot Way Ann Arbor, MI 48105
tel: (734) 761-2796   Web Site
EIN: 38-2853858

Board Leadership
Simon Whitelocke
Chair

CEO
Eileen Spring
President and CEO

 
 
  Score
(out of 100) 		Rating
Overall Score & Rating 97.99 four stars
  Financial 97.17 four stars
  Accountability & Transparency 100.00 four stars
This rating was published 06/01/2021 and includes data from FY2020, the most recent 990 received at that time.
Why isn't this based on more recent data?

Food Gatherers exists to alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes in our community by: reducing food waste through the rescue and distribution of perishable and non-perishable food; coordinating with other hunger relief providers; educating the public about hunger; and developing new food resources. Food Gatherers is not only Michigan's first food rescue program, but the first program of its kind to be founded by a for-profit business, Zingerman's Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1988, we provide enough food for nearly 14,000 meals a day to 170 community programs serving our neighbors, mostly families and children, in need of food. More than 7,000 individual volunteers donate their time to Food Gatherers annually (numbers are currently lower due to COVID-19 pandemic).

Food Gatherers exists to alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes in our community by: reducing food waste through the rescue and distribution of perishable and non-perishable food; coordinating with other hunger relief providers; educating the public about hunger; and developing new food resources. Food Gatherers is not only Michigan's first food rescue program, but the first program of its kind to be founded by a for-profit business, Zingerman's Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1988, we provide enough food for nearly 14,000 meals a day to 170 community programs serving our neighbors, mostly families and children, in need of food. More than 7,000 individual volunteers donate their time to Food Gatherers annually (numbers are currently lower due to COVID-19 pandemic).

Impact & Results Score

data icon
Score
100/100
Program Name: Healthy School Pantry Program, Summer Food Service Program and Partner Agency Distribution
Program Name: Healthy School Pantry Program, Summer Food Service Program and Partner Agency Distribution

Note: The Impact & Results score currently has no effect on the nonprofit's Star Rating.

The Impact & Results score is a measure of how well a nonprofit delivers on its stated mission. To issue a score, Charity Navigator estimates the actual impact the nonprofit has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact. Learn more about our Impact & Results methodology here.

Program Activities
Food Gatherers primarily collects, warehouses and distributes food to front-line organizations like food pantries and soup kitchens. It also manages smaller programs that serve meals and provide groceries directly to beneficiaries.
Impact Statement
$2 provides a meal to a person in need.
Assessment Benchmark
Impact & Results scores of food distribution programs are based on the cost of a meal relative to the cost that a food-secure person incurs to buy a meal in that county. Programs receive an Impact & Results score of 100 if they are less than 75% the cost of a meal and a score of 75 if they are less than 125%. If a nonprofit reports impact but doesn't meet the threshold for cost-effectiveness, it earns a score of 50.
Methodology
ImpactMatters analyzed publicly available data to rate the cost-effectiveness of Food Gatherers.
Data Source
Outcome data collected during the program. Food Gatherers publicly reports the amount of food it provides.
Method for Attributing Outcomes
We assume that the distribution of a meal from one nonprofit's food distribution program does not diminish the amount of food distributed by any other (neighboring) food distribution program. This “counterfactual” assumption about the amount of food distributed in the absence of Food Gatherers’s food distribution program implies that the benefit of a meal to a beneficiary in need constitutes a net gain; the gain is not offset by reductions in food provided to other beneficiaries in need. We therefore set the counterfactual to zero.
Details
Analysis conducted by ImpactMatters and published on November 22, 2019.
This impact information is current as of September 2020, when it was provided to us by ImpactMatters. At this time, Impact information published on this organization's page has no effect on its rating per our methodology.

Learn more about how we calculate the overall score and rating.

Financial

four stars

97.17

Accountability & Transparency

four stars

100.00

This rating was published 06/01/2021 and includes data from FY2020, the most recent 990 received at that time.
Why isn't this based on more recent data?
Overall Rating Chart
  Program Expenses
(Percent of the charity's total expenses spent on the programs
and services it delivers)		 94.2%
  Administrative Expenses 2.7%
  Fundraising Expenses 2.9%
  Fundraising Efficiency $0.02
  Working Capital Ratio (years) 0.85
  Program Expenses Growth 4.2%
  Liabilities to Assets 2.8%
All data for Financial Performance Metrics calculations was provided by Food Gatherers on recent 990s filed with the IRS.
All data for Financial Performance Metrics calculations was provided by Food Gatherers on recent 990s filed with the IRS.
Information Provided on the Form 990  
  Independent Voting Board Members
  No Material diversion of assets
  Audited financials prepared by independent accountant
  Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From related parties
  Documents Board Meeting Minutes
  Provided copy of Form 990 to organization's governing body in advance of filing
  Conflict of Interest Policy
  Whistleblower Policy
  Records Retention and Destruction Policy
  CEO listed with salary
  Process for determining CEO compensation
  Board Listed / Board Members Not Compensated
Is the following information easily accessible on the charity's website?  
  Donor Privacy Policy
  Board Members Listed
  Audited Financials
  Form 990
  Key staff listed

Highly Rated

Charity Name & State Overall Score Overall Rating
Food Gatherers (MI) 97.99 four stars
North Helpline (WA) 89.26 three stars
Feeding Westchester (NY) 88.01 three stars
Feeding the Gulf Coast (AL) 96.46 four stars
Rhode Island Community Food Bank (RI) 91.82 four stars

Compare These Charities (Highly Rated)

REVENUE  
Contributions  
   Contributions, Gifts & Grants $12,723,340
   Federated Campaigns $67,279
   Membership Dues $0
   Fundraising Events $378,109
   Related Organizations $0
   Government Grants $4,911,906
Total Contributions $18,080,634
   Program Service Revenue $310,985
Total Primary Revenue $18,391,619
   Other Revenue $30,344
TOTAL REVENUE $18,421,963
   
EXPENSES  
   Program Expenses $14,746,918
   Administrative Expenses $427,656
   Fundraising Expenses $484,560
TOTAL FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES $15,659,134
   
Payments to Affiliates $0
Excess (or Deficit) for the year $2,762,829
   
Net Assets $11,898,583

Program names and associated costs are listed for the top programs as reported on the charity's most recently filed Form 990. The top programs displayed will include the largest three programs, or those programs covering at least 60% of the charity's total expenses, whichever comes first.

Program Name Amount Spent % of Program Expenses
Food Rescue and Distribution $13,897,114 94.2%
Community Kitchen $495,835 3.4%
Summer Food Service $353,969 2.4%

Ratings History
Food Gatherers has received 17 consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator.

Form 990 FYE Date Published Overall Score Overall Rating
CN 2.1
2020-06 06/01/2021 97.99 four stars
2019-06 05/01/2020 95.05 four stars
2018-06 04/01/2019 94.08 four stars
2017-06 02/01/2018 98.23 four stars
2016-06 06/01/2017 98.23 four stars
2015-06 08/01/2016 98.01 four stars
2014-06 06/01/2016 94.17 four stars
 
CN 2.0
2014-06 09/01/2015 92.52 four stars
2013-06 05/01/2014 93.89 four stars
2012-06 05/01/2013 99.69 four stars
2011-06 05/01/2012 93.27 four stars
2010-06 09/20/2011 97.17 four stars
 
CN 1.0
2010-06 12/22/2010 96.00 four stars
2009-06 08/01/2010 97.40 four stars
2008-06 05/01/2009 99.67 four stars
2007-06 04/01/2008 97.78 four stars
2006-06 02/01/2007 99.58 four stars
2005-06 03/01/2006 99.57 four stars
2004-06 05/01/2005 97.03 four stars

The data displayed on this tab is provided by the IRS in the form of Publication 78 and the Business Master File (BMF).

EIN 38-2853858
Name in IRS Master File FOOD GATHERERS
NTEE Code [Not Provided by IRS]
NTEE Classification [Not Provided by IRS]
NTEE Type [Not Provided by IRS]
Classification Charitable Organization
Subsection 501(c)(3)  (View the list of codes)
Activities (429) Other inner city or community benefit activities
Foundation Status Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public   170(b)(1)(A)(vi)
Deductibility Contributions are deductible
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).
Group Name [Not Applicable]
Ruling Date September, 1989
Filing Requirement 990 (all other) or 990EZ return
Fiscal Year End June
IRS Forms 990
(provided courtesy of Foundation Center)		 (Log In or Register Now to View Forms 990!)
  • June, 2018
  • June, 2017
  • June, 2016
  • June, 2015
  • June, 2014
Compensation % of Expenses Paid to Title
$149,062 0.95% Eileen Spring President, CEO

Highly Rated

Charity Name & State Overall Score Overall Rating
Food Gatherers (MI) 97.99 four stars
Food for Free (MA) 92.74 four stars
Connecticut Food Bank (CT) 90.63 four stars
Manna on Main Street (PA) 85.48 three stars
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts (MA) 94.01 four stars

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This charity has an official representative registered with Charity Navigator.

Charity Contact Info

Food Gatherers
1 Carrot Way
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
tel: (734) 761-2796
fax: (734) 930-0550
EIN: 38-2853858

Mail donations to:
P.O. Box 131037
Ann Arbor, MI 48113

Visit Web Site

Board Leadership

Simon Whitelocke
Chair

CEO

Eileen Spring
President and CEO

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