WHITE PONY EXPRESS
All of us taking care of all of us
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
We aim to solve three problems: hunger, food waste, and air pollution. In Contra Costa County, more than 112,000 adults and children cannot access enough food for their households every day, including a staggering 40% of our children. Waste occurs at various points along the food supply chain, ranging from field to fork. However, the food surplus generated at the retail portion of the supply chain presents the greatest opportunity for food recovery because retailers function as the linchpin of the food supply chain. Unsold food in supermarkets or used by restaurants typically goes to landfills, where it has a dreadful effect on the environment. The UN estimates greenhouse gases created by discarded food in landfills produces 2.2 gigatons of CO2. Moreover, rotting food creates methane gas, a greenhouse gas over 20 times more toxic than carbon dioxide. Food insecurity, waste, and our environmental crisis are all addressed and alleviated through food rescue efforts.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Food Rescue
Our Food Rescue program meets the challenge that food markets face – what to do with surplus fresh food – to solve the problem of hunger. Our donors provide 15,000 lbs. of high-quality surplus food every day. We pick up this surplus food and deliver it to over 80 organizations serving those in need. We operate 7 days a week, 364 days per year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we expanded to meet the spike in community need, doubling and tripling food donations. Our food donation partners include grocery stores, distributors, farmers markets, restaurants, and other food retailers.
White Pony General Store
Our General Store program distributes new and like-new clothing, shoes, emergency supplies, educational toys, and books. We have brought 60 unique pop-up “Mobile Boutiques” to neighborhoods in need, offering a personalized and joyful shopping experience. In winter, our Cold Weather Program provides life-saving warm clothing, backpacks, and supplies. WPGS offers a comprehensive Children’s Program and an initiative focused on our neighbors experiencing homelessness.
Where we work
Awards
Nonprofit of the Year 2018
CA Senate District 7
External reviews

Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of accolades/recognition received from third-party organizations
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Homeless people
Related Program
Food Rescue
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In 2020, Dr. Carol Weyland Conner was presented AARP's 2019 Andrus Award for community service. In 2018 we were named one of California's nonprofit's of the year by CA Steve Glazer.
Number of suppliers with whom the SME/Coop/Enterprise has an agreement, contract, or ongoing business relationship as a result of the nonprofit's efforts
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth, Economically disadvantaged people, Immigrants and migrants
Related Program
Food Rescue
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of carbon emissions prevented (estimated by CO2 equivalent)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Food Rescue
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In 2020 and 2021, WPE's 18 million pouds of food rescued and averted from landfills save 303 tons of CO2e from filling the air.
Total pounds of food rescued
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Homeless people, Immigrants and migrants
Related Program
Food Rescue
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Since inception in 2013, White Pony Express had rescued 18 million pounds of nutritious, fresh food and distributed it through 80+ recipient agencies.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
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?
There is so much material wealth in America that no one needs to go to bed without proper food, clothing, or shelter. And yet in our state of California, a state so wealthy that it has the fifth-largest economy in the world, an estimated four-and-a-half million people—more than a third of the state’s population—are either at or near the poverty level.
There is a simple solution that can end the problems of hunger and marginalization for good—a new paradigm: voluntary shared abundance. In this model of life, responsibility for helping the family of man is assumed by everyone, or in the phrase the White Pony Express often uses, “All of us taking care of all of us.” To support and nurture this new paradigm, this idea sprang to mind: “to enable those who have more than they need to easily give it to those with less, so that all can share in the happiness and abundance of life.”
This new paradigm will not come about through fresh organizations of bureaucracy, carved from limited mental understandings and resources. Nor will it come through charitable, philanthropic giving, which perpetuates marginalization by reinforcing the notion of “have” and “have not”. It comes through spontaneous service to life, where each one helps each one in the one family of man.
White Pony Express is creating a new paradigm for solving mankind’s age-old problem of marginalization, hunger, and want. Our model, or something like it, is already being used by individuals and groups in communities from New York to San Francisco, many of whom have never heard of the White Pony Express— they discovered the paradigm on their own. That is what is supposed to happen! We hope that gradually—and before too long!—this paradigm will be adopted by Americans everywhere as our way forward toward the realization of the basic unity of all life.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our current organizational objective is to position White Pony Express to successfully manage and integrate the growth it has experienced since the onset of the pandemic and to prepare for the anticipated growth to come in 2022 and 2023.
To meet the objective, our strategy is to continue to enhance, grow, and improve WPE’s infrastructure using best practices to attain a ‘gold standard’ operation that can be easily replicated.
Programmatic Objectives
To inaugurate the Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) program and engage at least 200 active users on the app by 2023.
To develop a new model for clothing and goods that is aligned with the food rescue model and enables pre-pandemic distribution levels.
Customer/Constituent Objectives
To increase volunteer base by 20% by 2023.
To actively participate in and influence the public policy arena related to Senate Bill 1383.
Financial Objectives
To increase financial and in-kind donations by 15% by 2023.
To align accounting and financial management with industry best practices.
Internal/Operational Objectives
To increase efficiency through integrated data and improved technology, including deploying a new CRM, by 2023.
To expand targeted communication among our various audiences to achieve respective and specific goals.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
WPE will define, plan, and execute on the organization’s naturally occurring growth in every phase of its business, including:
• Program development
• Financial management and reporting
• Integrated data system and improved technology
• Increased donor funds and in-kind donations
To meet our goals, WPE capabilities include an experienced staff, 400 volunteers, a strong board of directors, a robust balance sheet, and long-term food donor partners to sustain our growth trajectory.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In just 8 years, our small but mighty team of 17 staff, dedicated volunteers, and 10 vehicles have rescued and delivered 18 million pounds of fresh, high-quality food—enough for more than 15 million meals! This nutritious food has been diverted from landfills, preventing 303+ tons of greenhouse gas production. WPE has distributed 700,000+ items of clothing, shoes, books, and educational toys. Through our partners, and powered by 400+ volunteers, our growing circle of giving serves 120,000+ people in our community annually.
Specifically, our progress has included:
- Holding 34+ Mobile Boutique events,
- Distributing 700,000+ clothing items, toys, and books.
- Building a base of 400+ community volunteers.
- Partnering with 100+ food, toy, and clothing donors.
- Partnering with 80+ nonprofits, through whom we serve 120,000 neighbors in need.
- Having no space to having 5-year leases for warehouses aggregating 9,000 sq. ft in Pleasant Hill, CA.
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?
Our 80+ regular recipient agencies serve a wide range of demographics and include shelters, community centers, senior living facilities, foster youth programs, homes for people with disabilities, NS under-sourced schools. These agencies serve homeless people, low-income families, seniors, refugees, undocumented individuals, those afflicted with COVID-19, and other vulnerable people.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Paper surveys, Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Case management notes,
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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 inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
The Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) program will help thousands of food insecure people by providing us with a new food donation model. Since COVID started, WPE has nearly tripled our food rescue and delivery services, providing over 4,500,000 pounds of fresh, healthy food. Through the efforts of our deeply dedicated team, we added a second large volunteer shift each day, allowing us to add 30 agencies to our food distribution schedule. Unfortunately, we still have 10 agencies on our waiting list. The supply is there, the demand is there, and we are working around the clock. We are only limited by our program’s operational capacity. NHN creates an innovative, decentralized system for food distribution that will increase our ability to connect and serve the community.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board, Our community partners,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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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
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
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.
WHITE PONY EXPRESS
Board of directorsas of 2/9/2022
Mr. Robert Carpenter
(Retired) President and CEO of Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE)
Term: 2020 - 2023
MD. Gwendolyn Hamilton
Retired (Peditrician
Term: 2021 - 2023
Isa Campbell
Cindy Gershen
MDUSD
Lorraine Granit
Brad Smith
RCI-Properties
James May
Gwendolyn Hamilton, M.D.
Robert Carpenter
(Retired) Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
Brant Watson
Heffernan Group
Gary Conner
Colin McKie
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 ? No -
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? 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
No data