The Greater Boston Food Bank
Overview
Mission
Through the compassion and commitment of our supporters, staff, partners, and volunteers, The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) takes a bold, innovative and multi-pronged approach to achieve our mission. Our Mission: End Hunger Here Sorting food in the warehouseGBFB is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and among the largest food banks in the country. Last year, we distributed 107 million pounds of nutritious food to people who struggle to have enough to eat. We are committed to increasing our food distribution to provide three meals a day to every person in need in Eastern Massachusetts while supporting healthy lives and healthy communities.
What it reported doing in 2024
Gbfb acquires food through food industry product donations, food drives, and financial contributions that enable us to purchase additional high-nutrient quality food. We also benefit from the generosity of over 18,000 volunteers annually who help sort and distribute donated food products. Gbfb works to acquire, store, organize and distribute food through local food pantries, community meal programs, shelters, youth programs, senior centers and other community centers in the 190 cities and towns of eastern Massachusetts that gbfb serves. Gbfb's food assistance locator provides an easy way for people in need to find help nearby. Gbfb also distributes food directly to those in need through dedicated programs that serve particularly vulnerable groups, such as seniors and children. Since 2009, gbfb has operated out of a state-of-the-art 117,000 square-foot food distribution facility, the yawkey distribution center, located in the newmarket section of boston. The greater boston food bank is a member of feeding america, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 94% of the money available for current operations came from contributions.
- Distribution model
- Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 91% of its reported program spending out as grants.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 042717782
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Website reviewed
- Jul 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Headquarters
- Boston, MA, USA
- Rating
- 85
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Available reserves provide a limited financial cushion and the filing reports few safeguards for setting executive pay.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 86
- Transparency & Controls: 81
- Accountability: 92
- Sustainability: 49
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 86.8%; rating input score 87
- Program expense ratio: 91.6%; rating input score 92
- Fundraising efficiency: $22.23 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 95%; rating input score 95; 41st percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
- Public monitoring controls: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
- Public policy transparency: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
- Public financial transparency: 1 of 5 controls in place; rating input score 20
- Impact reporting controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
- Public relationship transparency: Yes; rating input score 100
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Public governance controls: 1 of 4 controls in place; rating input score 25
- Zakat policy transparency: Limited
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 5.5%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
- Operating reserve ratio: 0.5; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 1.8%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 8.1% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 7.3% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 2 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
- Where the money goes: 86.8% of revenue deployed · 91.6% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 24 of 24 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $155.1M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $627K · 34 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Consistency: 40 of 41 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 16 annual filings from 2009 to 2024
- Money network: 11 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link