Today: More Need Than Ever
For more than 20 years, the Ohio Association of Foodbanks has advocated for equitable public policy at the state and federal levels to decrease hunger in Ohio, working with partners to inform policymakers, media, and other stakeholders about the issues facing low-income Ohioans. In 2010, the association collected more than 30,000 paper plates with messages from Ohioans who count on Ohios emergency food network and whose voices are not often heard in the statehouse or the halls of Congress.
The economic downturn in 2008 brought new challenges as more people who have fallen out of the middle class and into poverty seek assistance from Ohios emergency food providers for the first time. The association continues to work to meet the growing need, while looking to the future for new and innovative ways to end hunger in our state.
Proud Equal Opportunity Employer
The Ohio Association of Foodbanks is currently seeking a Health Insurance Outreach Specialist to join its team. This position will advance health equity by outreaching to uninsured children, parents, and pregnant people in Franklin County and helping them navigate the Medicaid enrollment process. OAF offers a generous benefits package, including paid time off, medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401 retirement contributions, life and short-term disability insurance, paid parking, and more. The starting salary for this entry-level, full-time position is $52,000. View the full job description. To apply, submit a resume and cover letter that outlines your qualifications and experience to Zach Reat, Director of Health Initiatives , by Friday, Sept 30.
The Ohio Association of Foodbanks is currently recruiting for Hunger and Health national service positions throughout Ohio. Please view open AmeriCorps VISTA positions and submit your application for one of many exciting positions!
The Ohio Association of Foodbanks is an equal opportunity employer. The association does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex , national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
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Ohio Food Banks Report Record Need Call On State For Funding
Families struggling financially will oftentimes turn to local food banks to put food on the table, but food banks and pantries across Ohio are in need of help right now as well.
Twelve different food pantries throughout Ohio are now asking for assistance due to the increasing demand from families in need.
The Ohio Association of Foodbanks are calling on the state of Ohio for a $50 million grant in American Rescue Plan funds to help continue to feed those community members that are in need.
Poverty, population and unemployment will all factor into how much each food bank receives from that grant.
The Dayton Foodbank would receive $3.2 million of that fund.
They have an allowance of up to $600,000 for food budgeting, but recently has had to increase their budget due to inflation.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows an 11% increase in food prices since last year.
Economists say this is not just because of inflation, but the war in Ukraine, droughts out west and the bird flu all play a part in the price jump.
Dayton Foodbank plans on hosting pop up food drives to help with the high demand.
The next event will be a drive-thru food distribution at the old Salem Mall in Trotwood this afternoon from 1p.m. to 3p.m.
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Ohio Agricultural Clearance Program
The Ohio Agricultural Clearance Program directs surplus or unmarketable agricultural products from nearly 100 Ohio farmers, growers and producers to Ohios 12 Feeding America foodbanks. The program provides tens of millions of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to hungry Ohio households each year and is funded by the State of Ohio in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. This program, which provides some of the most nutritious food available through the emergency hunger relief network at just pennies on the pound, also prevents unnecessary waste at Ohio farms and supports local agricultural jobs.
To learn more about recent outcomes of the Ohio Agricultural Clearance Program, view our latest annual report. If you are a farmer, grower or producer and are interested in learning more about how you can participate with OACP, please contact Erin Wright at .
Hunger In Southeast Ohio

In Southeast Ohio, 1 in 6 individuals, including 1 in 4 children, struggle with hunger. Those facing food insecurity include seniors, children, working adults, veterans, and students. A combination of rising food prices, SNAP benefit cuts, wage stagnation and underemployment has contributed to an increase need in our emergency food services. These individuals face tough choices, choosing between food and other basic necessities like paying for utilities, transportation, medicine, housing, and education.
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Training And Technical Assistance
We also seek out opportunities to bolster Ohios charitable hunger relief network through funding, training, and technical assistance. Most recently, thanks to the support of funders like the State of Ohio and UnitedHealthcare, we have leveraged more than $1.5 million to support the purchase of refrigerators, freezers, trucks, food storage and food handling equipment, and more.
Ohio Association Of Foodbanks
- Leader of Food banks Says She is Happy With Last Minute Changes to State BudgetJo InglesThe provisions that eventually were taken out were among some of the most harmful seen in decades, she says. Listen 0:46
- Foodbanks Are Preparing Summer Food Programs for Ohio’s Kids Jo InglesTo accommodate the closing of schools over the break, some food programs will take place in other locations. Listen 1:15
- More College Students Could Be Eligible for Food Assistance ProgramJo InglesLow-income students who previously didn’t quality for SNAP might now because of changes to the program as a result of the pandemic. Listen 1:01
- Foodbank Lines In Ohio Are Long AgainJo InglesOfficials with Ohios foodbanks say they experienced long lines in the spring when the pandemic first hit but subsided over the summer. Listen 1:07
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The Beginning: Focus On Food
The Ohio Association of Foodbanks began as a collaboration between Ohios foodbank directors in the early 1980s during the development of the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program . The USDA had a surplus of dairy and other commodities purchased to stabilize agricultural markets, and TEFAP was created as a way to direct the surplus to people in need. In 1985 Ohios foodbanks began working with state government agencies to develop a program to distribute the TEFAP commodities in Ohio. The food would go to regional foodbanks, who would distribute it to the soup kitchens, food pantries, and homeless shelters that serve hungry people.
Even in the best of times, the amount of commodity food available was generally insufficient to meet the needs of hungry Ohioans. In 1991, the directors of Ohios 12 foodbanks formalized their collaboration and created the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. Housed at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, the association worked to garner political support for Ohios foodbanks and to stretch dollars through consolidated food purchasing. By purchasing food and distributing it to the emergency food network through the regional foodbanks, Ohios foodbanks were able to purchase, on average, four meals with just one dollar.
This shared buying program allocated and distributed shelf-stable food and protein items to foodbanks. Today, it is called the Ohio Food Program.
Business Master File Data
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Non-financial services of facilities to other organizations
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170
Affiliation:
Independent – the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary .
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Data Sources: Irs Forms 990
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. .
Previous: Finance & Accountability / Next: Leadership & Adaptability
Impact & Results
This score estimates the actual impact a nonprofit has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
Impact & Results Score
Proud Sponsor Of Americorps Vista Members
Since 2006, the Ohio Association of Foodbanks has partnered with the Corporation for National and Community Service to place AmeriCorps VISTA members in meaningful positions at hunger and poverty relief organizations throughout Ohio.
To learn more about the benefits of national service and to view open positions for year-long or summer terms of service, visit our national service recruitment page.
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Hunger Affects So Many In Our Community
Many of our neighbors are making difficult choices – whether to buy food or pay for rent or utilities. They are the working poor who struggle each day to provide life’s necessities for their families.
343,000 people
served by the Food Bank and its more than 1,000 partner agencies in FY2021 across our 6-county service area.
1 in 6 people
in the Food Bank’s service area is food insecure, meaning they do not know where their next meal will come from.
1 in 5 children
live in poverty across our service area. Clevelands child poverty rate has been consistently among the highest of large U.S. cities.
87,000+ new people
Salary Of Key Persons

Presented here are up to five of this organization’s highest compensated employees. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses, and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program In
Charitable programs are unable to fully support those facing hunger. The combination of charity and government assistance programs are necessary to help bridge the meal gap.
SNAP, formerly food stamps, provides temporary help for people going through hard times providing supplemental money to buy food until they can get back on their feet.
In ,
Food Banks Food Pantries
Mission:Our mission is to assist Ohios 12 Feeding America member affiliated foodbanks with providing food and resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common inter … Our mission is to assist Ohios 12 Feeding America member affiliated foodbanks with providing food and resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.
Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a 501 organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1991, and donations are tax-deductible.
Columbus OH 43215-3607
Important note on the timeliness of ratings
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits’ annual tax filings . As a result, the Finance & Accountability score for Ohio Association of Foodbanks is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
Encompass Rating System by Charity Navigator
Overall Score
This charity’s score is a passing score.This overall score is calculated entirely from a single beacon score: 100% Finance & Accountability
Finance & Accountability
This score provides an assessment of a nonprofit’s financial health and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
Finance & Accountability Score
out of 100
The score earned by Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a passing score
Higher effect on score
More data
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The Next Step: Growth And Innovation
In 2001, Lisa Hamler-Fugitt became executive director. Under her leadership, the food program budget has grown from $2.5 million in its early years to $24.55 million in state fiscal year 2020. Today, the association receives support from public, private, foundation, and individual sources.
Recognizing that hunger is a symptom of poverty, the association began to look for ways to address the causes of hunger and help people move from food lines into grocery store lines. In 2006, the association became the home of The Ohio Benefit Bank . The OBB began as an effort to reduce poverty by making the benefit application process easier to navigate. Over its 13 year lifespan, the OBB connected more than 1 million Ohioans with nearly $2 billion in work support programs and tax credits, before it was discontinued July 31, 2019 due to lack of funding to support the software platform.
AmeriCorps VISTA members serving at regional foodbanks in the first years of the OBB trained new OBB counselors and expanded the program. Since then, the Ohio Association of Foodbanks national service program has grown to be the largest in Ohio.