Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Food insecurity exists in every county in the United States. The most recent government data shows that 48.1 million people—including 15.3 million children—live in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. That means 1 in 5 children under the age of 18 struggles with food insecurity. Every day MFB redistributes good, wholesome food that would otherwise be wasted.
"Our hope is to help bridge the gap between prosperity and poverty in our community." - David Kieser, Co-Founder & President / CEO.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Hunger Relief
Midwest Food Bank formed a parternship in 2005 with The Salvation Army during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. We continue to help as much as possible, and keep on hand several loads of boxes ready to be sent out at a moment's notice. Through donations and purchases each box contains: food, personal care items, and literature for a family of 4-6. Last year, MFB nationally gave out over 13,000 disaster boxes & supplies.
Food Distribution
Distribution is the central program of MFB, serving over a thousand partner agencies. Each nonprofit organization go through an application process in order to begin receiving food. They depend on us to help them obtain food, on average receiving over 40% of their total food supply. These hunger-relief agencies are the front line between health and happiness versus hunger and despair.
Domestic locations are in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Texas
International Relief
Midwest Food Bank, NFP provides via our partners food & supplies all over the world - from countries affected by natural disaster to places enduring economic despair. MFB food & supplies have been distributed in nearly 20 countries through missionary partnerships at orphanages, schools, and clinics. Currently, we have operations underway in Kenya, Africa.
Where we work
Awards
4 Star 2012
4 Star Charity Navigator
4 Star 2013
4 Star Charity Navigator
4 Star 2014
4 Star Charity Navigator
4 Star 2015
4 Star Charity Navigator
4 Star 2016
4 Star Charity Navigator
4 Star 2017
4 Star Charity Navigator
4 Star 2018
4 Star Charity Navigator
4 Star 2019
4 Star Charity Navigator
4 Star 2020
4 Star Charity Navigator
4 Star 2021
4 Start Charity Navigator
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of press articles published
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Food Distribution
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Midwest Food Bank periodically issues press releases. All can be found at https://midwestfoodbank.org/news/press-release
Number of unique website visitors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Food Distribution
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Midwest Food Bank uses Google Analytics to track visits to our Website: midwestfoodbank.org
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Food Distribution
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Midwest Food Bank is a volunteer run organization. Empowering Volunteers is one of our values as an organization.
Goals & Strategy
Learn 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?
As a faith based organization it is the mission of Midwest Food Bank to alleviate hunger and poverty by gathering and distributing food donations to not-for-profits and disaster sites without cost to the recipients.
Food insecurity exists in every county in the United States. Our model is to place ourselves in the middle; between those with abundance and those with little.
We accomplish our purpose by providing ongoing support to our partner nonprofit agencies. They depend on us to help them obtain food, on average receiving over 40% of their total food supply from MFB. These hunger-relief agencies impact over 3.6 million people in need, and are the front line between health and happiness versus hunger and despair.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Trucking = Blessings Delivered
It all starts with trucking. With our own fleet of semis, product is delivered to our facilities from all across the country. With our refrigerated vehicles and dedicated drivers, food is also picked up locally that is unable to be sold, but is still of good quality, from a wide range of grocers and food establishments. This food is typically picked up by our volunteer drivers, avoiding the need brokering a paid driver keeping MFB's costs limited to the operation of the vehicles.
Distribution = Sharing the Blessings
Distribution is the central program of MFB. Each nonprofit organization go through an application process in order to begin receiving food. They depend on us to help them obtain food, on average receiving a significant portion of their total food supply. These hunger-relief agencies are the front line between health and happiness versus hunger and despair.
Disaster Relief = Delivering Hope
Midwest Food Bank formed a parternship in 2005 with The Salvation Army during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. We continue to help as much as possible, and keep on hand several loads of boxes ready to be sent out at a moment's notice. Through donations and purchases each box contains: food, personal care items, and literature for a family of 4-6.
Tender Mercies = Feeding Thousands / One package at a time
Our Tender Mercies Program is an impactful solution that addresses two of the most unjust hardships - hunger and lack of nutrition. Our answer was to combine raw ingredients (Beans, TVP, Rice, Seasoning & Vitamins) into a satisfying, tasty meal that is high in nutrition, fiber and protein.
Volunteers = Hands & Feet
Volunteers are an integral part of the success of MFB's mission to bridge the gap. Our volunteers come from all ages and walks of life, with diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. Seniors, retirees, teenagers, homemakers, corporate employees, faith-based groups, entrepreneurs, college students, donate their time throughout the year. They are the backbone of MFB, assisting in all aspects of warehouse, administrative, and special event operations.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Capabilities in achieving our goals are our: fleet of semis, multiple distribution centers, direct relationship with The Salvation Army, and our robust volunteer base.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Here is brief look at the happenings at each MFB location.
Bloomington-Normal, IL [Est. 2003]
Biggest year yet in terms of volunteers and food distribution.
New, larger location purchased in late November.
Remodel underway, plan to move Spring 2017
Peoria, IL [Est. 2007]
22% increase in the number of volunteer hours.
Two additional remote food distribution sites established
Indianapolis, IN [Est. 2008]
Created a network of remote distribution sites.
Able to serve more agencies
Peachtree City, GA [Est. 2011]
Expanded facility to include a loading dock and 8,000 sq. ft. of additional warehouse space.
Plan to begin using new space in Spring 2017
Morton, IL [Est. 2012]
Expanded Tender Mercies program.
Now serving 25 agencies as a remote distribution site
Fort Myers, FL [Est. 2014]
Continued growth and partnership building.
Expanded agency list
Nairobi, Kenya, Africa [Est. 2014]
Officially designated as NGO by the Kenyan Government.
Finalized partnership with SoyAfric.
Crocodile meat facility completed.
Gilbert, AZ [Est. 2016]
Closed on new facility in September 2016.
Remodeling underway.
Plan to begin serving agencies in Spring 2017.
Where will Midwest Food Bank go in the future? God knows. His hand will lead in 2017, just as in the past. MFB plans to acknowledge Him in all our ways, and let Him direct our path.
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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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Midwest Food Bank provides food to over 2,000 nonprofit partners. We survey all partners on an annual basis and visit their facility periodically for in person listening.
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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), Case management notes, Community meetings/Town halls, Suggestion box/email,
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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 strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
We are changing the cadence and platforms we use when communicating with nonprofits.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
We allow the feedback from the nonprofit agencies inform us on - Days for distribution - Distribution processes - Volume of food made available to the nonprofits.
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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 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 people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback,
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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
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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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
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Midwest Food Bank NFP
Board of directorsas of 07/08/2022
Mr. David Kieser
Dave Hodel
Ralph Endress
Dennis Mott
William Leman
Ann Kafer
Brandon Lipps
Trent Scholl
Jim Gapinski
Eric Sheldahl
Dave Hodel
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? No -
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? Not applicable -
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? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 07/08/2022GuideStar 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 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 seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.