PLATINUM2023

DES MOINES AREA RELIGIOUS COUNCIL

United to Meet the Need

aka DMARC   |   Des Moines, IA   |  www.dmarcunited.org

Mission

DMARC is an interfaith organization that exists to work together to meet basic human needs for the greater Des Moines community.

Ruling year info

1989

CEO

Matt Unger

Main address

100 Army Post Rd

Des Moines, IA 50315 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

42-0788211

NTEE code info

Food Banks, Food Pantries (K31)

Interfaith Issues (X90)

Emergency Assistance (Food, Clothing, Cash) (P60)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

DMARC is an interfaith organization that partners with nearly 200 faith communities from six world faith traditions including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Hinduism in order to meet basic human needs in the greater Des Moines community and Central Iowa. The DMARC Food Pantry Network is comprised of 14 partner pantries, one on-site pantry, two mobile pantries, a food delivery program, and warehouse which serves as a distribution center to keep all pantries stocked with healthy food items. The DMARC Food Pantry Network operates through three pillars: 1. Creating a dignified experience as close to a grocery store as possible; 2. Providing healthy, nutritious foods with an emphasis on produce; and 3. Collecting data to tell the broader story of food insecurity. The organization strives to provide healthy, culturally-appropriate food through the DMARC Food Pantry Network, and welcomes all those who need assistance, no matter their circumstances.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

DMARC Food Pantry Network

Established in 1976, the Food Pantry Network provides people in low-income households with emergency food assistance. The program ensures access to affordable, nutritious food, while relieving food insecurity and hunger for the most vulnerable segments of our community, including children, single-parent families, seniors, and persons with disabilities. The program helps meet the short-term need for food when families are not eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or when available resources are inadequate to meet their food needs. Families can receive a free, three-day supply of nutritionally balanced food once every calendar month. With 14 partner pantries, two mobile food pantries visiting over 31 different sites, and one Refuel Station which focuses its efforts to assist children and families at area Boys and Girls locations. Today, the DMARC Food Pantry Network is one of the largest food pantry networks in the state of Iowa and in fiscal year 2020, assisted over 57,000 unique individuals.

Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people

Where we work

Awards

The Aurora Award 2010

The Des Moines Register

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

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
Related Program

DMARC Food Pantry Network

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Decreasing

Context Notes

Standard estimate by providers is that 1.2# equals one meal. In 2022 the total pounds distributed by the DMARC Food Pantry Network was 4,480,662 #'s of food.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

We envision a community where everyone is food secure. Since 1976, the DMARC Food Pantry Network has sought to provide immediate relief to people living with food insecurity. However, we know that it is not enough to simply fill stomachs. We want to nourish bodies and minds as well. That's why DMARC has a commitment to providing healthy food, and puts an emphasis on distributing fresh produce. We also engage in advocacy and educational efforts to raise awareness of the issue of food insecurity with the general public, congregations, and community leaders.

1. Return to a four-day food supply or develop and alternative distribution model.
2. Add pantry data partners to expand our data network and more fully capture the reality of food insecurity.
3. Increase funding for DMARC's "Fresh Fund" to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. Advocate on the issue of food insecurity with the public and elected officials.

DMARC continues to build upon its over 40 years of food assistance work here in Central Iowa. We are a long-standing advocate for the food insecure and have built up solid relationships with community partners. We have a base of nearly 200 member congregations that are faithful supporters, and we look to enhance those relationships in the years to come. Our staff is committed to our mission and is excited about the opportunity to truly put an end to the food insecurity issue here in our very own backyard.

We launched our first of its kind Mobile Food Pantry in July 2016, designed to reach food deserts in Polk County, Iowa. We're constantly looking for collaborations focused on creative solutions e.g. introducing healthy choice at a young age in our schools. We are an active party of the Hunger Free Polk County initiative as well as the United Way OpportUNITY program, both designed to address basic needs in our community.
In March of 2022, relocated to its new headquarters at 100 Army Post Rd, Des Moines, IA 50315, and in September of 2022 opened its first-ever on-site food pantry on Des Moines' southside. The DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry replaced two mobile pantry locations.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • 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, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, 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 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

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback

Financials

DES MOINES AREA RELIGIOUS COUNCIL
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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.

DES MOINES AREA RELIGIOUS COUNCIL

Board of directors
as of 03/14/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Denise Bubeck

The Family Leader Church

Term: 2022 - 2023

Christ Naumann

John Deere

Matt Strawn

The Strawn Co.

Emily Webb

BusinesSolver

Luai Amro

Wells Fargo

Denise Bubeck

The Family Leader

Lisa Logan

NCMIC

Randy Jensen

Retired

Rachel Collier Murdock

DMACC

Ihsan Yaseen

AlRazi Academy

Rev Rachel Thorson Mithelman

St. Johns Lutheran Church

Stuart Oxer

Red Boot Distillery

Tara Kramer

Community Volunteer

Rev, Ryan Russel

Community Volunteer

Matt Durham

Holmes/Murphy

Ron Beane

LADOS Board Rep

Rachel Collier Murdock

LDS

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • 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

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 3/14/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

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
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Decline to state

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 03/14/2023

GuideStar 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

Policies and processes
  • 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 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.