Northern Illinois Food Bank
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Northern Illinois Food Bank's Strategic Plan: UNITE plan builds on the success of our 2020 plan, incorporates the experiences of human-centered design, and acknowledges that food insecurity disproportionately impacts some neighbors because of systemic inequities including the challenges of racism that have been highlighted prominently in recent civil unrest. Our overall goal is to reach 90% of food insecure neighbors within our 13 counties by 2025. To accomplish this, we will invest in empowering our neighbors, engaging our network, enhancing the food supply, evolving the Food Bank, all while embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion for all.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Food Acquisition and Distribution
Over the past 39 years we have built a strong and intricate network of partners working together to serve a persistent need for food assistance across our 13-county service area. With the collaboration of more than 900 network members, Northern Illinois Food Bank provides nutritious meals for more than 500,000 neighbors every year and distributed 100 million meals in FY21, a 25% increase over the previous year. We are proud to be the 14th largest food bank in the Feeding America network.
Our headquarters is located at our West Suburban Center in Geneva, a LEED Gold building. This center and our North Suburban Center in Par City, Northwest Center in Rockford and South Suburban Center in Joliet all have Superior ratings from AIB for safe food handling and storage and serve as pick up locations for our member agencies as well as providing volunteer opportunities for individuals, corporate and community groups. (www.solvehungertoday.org/volunteer).
Child Nutrition Program
Our Child Nutrition Program provides cold suppers and snacks at after-school sites for children attending educational and recreational activities and breakfasts and lunches at summer activity sites and neighborhood parks. In collaboration with more than 150 schools we give children at risk of hunger on weekends a backpacks of food to take home on Fridays. After the disruptions of the past year caused by the pandemic, we have been able to return to the level of distributions we were doing pre-COVID, although staffing issues at after-school sites are impacting the distribution of meals.
Senior Grocery Program
The Senior Grocery Program delivers 1,500 boxes of shelf-stable foods selected with seniors dietary need in mind (whole grains, protein, low-sodium soups and vegetables etc.) each month to seniors in subsidized housing and those living independently through member food pantries. Understanding the desire seniors have for fresh produce, we are now adding a bag of fruits and vegetables to these deliveries. We also provide five Senior Mobile Pantries each month bringing fresh produce, lean meats, dairy and nutritious non-perishable foods to locations where seniors live.
My Pantry Express
The Food Bank launched My Pantry Express in February 2019 to combat the challenges and inequities experienced by underserved populations. The purpose is to use technology to facilitate convenient access to nutritious food for food-insecure individuals and families, targeting neighbors currently not using charitable food resources due to barriers of access, knowledge, and emotional stigma or shame. Neighbors visit www.mypantryexpress.org, a bilingual website, where they can choose from 35 food items and 17 weekly pick-up dates and times. In partnership with DoorDash we also offer home delivery of groceries within 10 miles of our four centers. Currently the program collaborates with trusted partners and member agencies in six counties. My Pantry Express creates a private, online shopping experience for our neighbors replicating for-profit shopping trends and normalizing the charitable food experience.
Mobile Market Program
Mobile Markets bring nutritious food to neighbors at convenient community locations to complement other agencies and programs providing food across our service area. All are welcome and no ID or referral is required to receive food. Mobile Market distributions have been a life-line for neighbors, especially those neighbors seeking help for the first time and helped the Food Bank respond to the need created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Popping-up in communities all over Northern Illinois, Mobile Markets provided free groceries to hundreds of households at every location. The Food Bank continues to provide up to 18 Mobile Markets weekly across our 13 county service area. Each market serves between 100 and 600 households and are still using a drive through distribution model. Each household receives pre-packed boxes of fresh produce, meat, and dairy, along with important staples like rice, pasta. Neighbors are given information and encouraged to also use the food pantry network.
Where we work
Accreditations
Charity Navigator 4-star 2021
Awards
AIB Food Safety Accreditation 2021
American Institute of Baking
Affiliations & memberships
Feeding America 2016
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of meals served or provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Food Acquisition and Distribution
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Northern Illinois Food Bank distributes meals through a network of agencies and programs in 13 Northern Illinois counties. One meal = 1.2 pounds of food.
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Food Acquisition and Distribution
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Northern Illinois Food Bank engages volunteers to sort and pack food at its three distribution centers. We also have a skills-based volunteer program. This number represents the hours donated
Number of SNAP applications submitted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Food Acquisition and Distribution
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Northern Illinois Food Bank conducts SNAP Outreach to help eligible residents of our service area to apply for SNAP assistance.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The goals of our Strategic Plan UNITE are focused on providing the services that our neighbors need and want to stabilize their lives and provide for their families. We want to make families feel safe welcome and valued when they visit any of our member agencies or program distributions to receive food. We want to increase accessibility so that neighbors can receive food when and where it works for their lifestyle and work schedule.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our FY22 Strategic Priorities are:
EMPOWER OUR NEIGHBORS:
• Establish a Customer Resource Center to enroll
more neighbors in the program and connect them to
resources within their communities.
• Grow My Pantry Express through increased
distribution locations and home delivery, plus
implement a neighbor advisory panel to guide
future strategy.
• Develop an online map tool for neighbors to better
locate feeding programs and additional resources.
• Reach neighbors not familiar with the Food Bank
by expanding direct-to-neighbor communication
through multiple channels.
ENGAGE OUR NETWORK
• Collaborate with our Agency Network to reintroduce
neighbors’ ability to choose the items they want
and need.
• Increase meals provided through our Child Nutrition
and Senior Nutrition programs.
• Develop two new Screen and Intervene healthcare
partnerships to identify and serve patients at risk of food
insecurity. Open a hospital-based food pantry.
• Launch an Agency Capacity Assessment survey
and use results to inform overall Agency Network
strategy and growth.
ENHANCE FOOD SUPPLY
• Increase our supply of fresh produce and
Foods2Encourage (F2E) items to provide consistent,
nutritious options for our neighbors.
• Implement a demand-based, strategic approach for
food sourcing and allocation across our Agency
Network and programs, focusing on what foods
neighbors would find most helpful.
• Expedite movement of food from warehouse to
neighbor through increased agency pick-ups at our
four centers.
EMBRACE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
• Define and implement metrics for success for DEI in
order to grow as a diverse and inclusive organization
both internally and for those we serve.
• Co-define Network DEI Priorities with the Member
Agency Advisory Council and our Agency Network.
• Continue to provide Food Bank Team and Agency
Network DEI Education.
EVOLVE THE FOODBANK
• Relocate our North Suburban Center in Lake County
to expand capacity for volunteers, agency pick-ups
and food processing.
• Implement a Customer Relationship Management
(CRM) database for tracking and communicating with
our Agency Network and a Warehouse Management
System for improved operational efficiency.
• Refresh the Food Bank brand and messaging
to increase awareness and resources within the
wider community.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
With our 27 dedicated board members, 150 employees and thousands of volunteers, we are committed to working towards our vision that everyone in Northern Illinois can have the food they need to thrive. We operate twenty-four semis and refrigerated straight trucks that are used to deliver food to member agencies and pick up food donations, as well as three Mobile Pantry trucks.
Our member food pantries, soup kitchens and group homes account for 75% of the food we distribute with the remaining 25% being provided through food bank managed direct-to-neighbor programs. Member agencies access our on-line shopping list to order the food they need from a selection of over one hundred donated and purchased food items, including 25 core staples that are always available. Food bank trucks and drivers deliver to each agency weekly or twice monthly and agency staff and volunteers can visit any of our four centers to pick up additional food between deliveries. Member agencies can also pick up food from local retail stores through our Direct Connect program. The food bank matches agencies with stores in their area and assigns them specific days to pick up donations of meat, fresh produce, dairy, deli and bakery items. With over 500 retail stores participating in this program their donations account for 30% of distributed food. We offer training and networking to help our member agencies build capacity and sustainability and grants to acquire trucks, freezers, coolers and shelving.
We are a financially healthy organization with more than six months of operating reserves and 97% of our resources continue to go to our programs.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In FY21 the Food Bank network distributed 100M meals, a 25% increase from FY20 through our partnership with
more than 900 food pantries, soup kitchens and feeding programs, Over 15,000 unique volunteers and 47,000 donors gave time or funds to support our work.
Of the food we distributed 30% was fresh produce,17% protein and 20% dairy
97% of resources go to programs that feed our neighbors
My Pantry Express, our on-line food pantry distributed 1.2M meals through 16 pick-up sites
The Senior Grocery program provided 370K meals through 37 program sites
The Child Nutrition program distributed 1.3M meals distributed through 449 program sites
Build Healthy Communities Program distributed 1.3M meals through 7 program sites in collaboration with healthcare partners
1,000 Mobile Markets and Pop-ups distributed 18M meals including 1.4M meals through
mobiles for children, seniors and healthcare partners
Our SNAP Outreach and Resource Call Center provided access to 2M meals through 2,400 applications and assisted 8,100 callers with information on food resources
The Food Bank run Winnebago Community Market provided 3.2M meals through 4 weekly distributions
49,000 Holiday Meal Boxes distributed through our member agencies
Milk2MyPlate provided 164K gallons of milk through 55 member agencies
1,800 hours of training facilitated by the Food Bank and completed by member agencies
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client 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
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Northern Illinois Food Bank
Board of directorsas of 03/16/2022
Mr. Doug Eckroke
Uline
Term: 2021 - 2022
Doug Eckrote
Uline
Stacey Barsema
Barsema Family Foundation
William Connell
Duchossois Capital Management
Tom Dant
Meijer
Brian McCaskey
Chicago Bears
Carol Peterson
Exelon
Christine Reller
ABC 7 Chicago
Maydene Moore
Bank of America
Kim Holmes
Discover (retired)
Corey Berends
Conagra
Dave Brearton
Mondelez (retired)
Nate Carden
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP
Michael Gurin
Cognitek
Moses Herring, Sr.
Faith Movers Church
Lela Johnson
attorney
Cathy Lang
Epsilon
Justin Massa
IDEO
John Millner
John Millner & Associates
Nadine Moore
Boston Consulting Group
Dale Richardson
Compeer Financial (retired)
Paul Rodriguez
Xperi
Sandy Rodriguez
Roche Diagnostics
Craig Sesemann
Partners Warehouse
Anthony Suggs
Albertsons
Wilbur You
Youtech
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/16/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- 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 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.
- 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.