The Challenge
How might we develop a financial model that secures the Food Bank’s future with sustainable funding sources (possibly disrupting the funding models currently in place for the local community).
About the Project
Hunger isn’t a one-day event – it’s 365 days a year. These are challenging times that our community is currently experiencing. We are in a developing recession, seeing higher gas prices, groceries cost more, and cash flow is now tighter for many of us. In addition to this, the landscape of what people want to get involved in and/or donate to is changing; how people ‘give’ now and how they will do so in the future remains to be seen. Identifying ways that we can continue to support our community, yet with a greater focus on regular financial stability, is of crucial importance for the success of the Food Bank.
The local food bank – the Partners in Mission Food Bank - envision a community where everyone has access to adequate nutritious food. They provided over 14,200 food hampers to local families in 2021, as well as surplus provisions to 16 local hot meal and shelter programs in the Kingston Area. Some relevant statistics include:
About Us / Clients
- 2021 Food Bank Users: 6022 (over 1700 children) in 3141 households
- 7 staff & over 100 volunteers
- 2022 Charity Intelligence Top 10 Food Bank in Canada (published MoneySense online)
- 46% of our clients are on Ontario Disability Support Program
- 20% of our clients are on Ontario Works
- 4% of our clients are receiving Old Age Security
- 3% are working full-time
- 4% are working part-time
Food Hampers:
- 2022 - 19.7% up over 2021 (for hampers)
- May 2021 was 28% up over May 2020 (also a record year!)
Project Results
An interdisciplinary team of 4 students started by carrying out an environmental scan that reviewed how other Food Banks were funding their operations. At the end of the project, the team presented their findings and provided:
- a financial sustainability report
- social media / website research
- project data collection & analysis (qualitative and quantitative)
- a volunteer engagement strategy, social media engagement & content exemplars and donor interface recommendations
Want to learn more about this project or organization? Contact the Experiential Learning & Programming Team: asc.el@queensu.ca.