Chattanooga Area Food Bank

Legal name: Chattanooga Area Food Bank Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
620867645
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Official website data refreshed
Aug 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chattanooga, TN, USA
Phone
(423) 622-1800
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Food Banks, Pantries

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$41,711,262
Expenses
$39,240,950
Assets
$19,588,577
Liabilities
$645,850

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MELISSA BLEVINS (PRESIDENT AND CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • MELISSA BLEVINS (PRESIDENT AND CEO): $194,238 total reported compensation
  • TIM MADDOX (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $127,464 total reported compensation
  • ANGELA NICHOLETTE (CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER): $119,451 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To lead a network of partners in providing nutritious food, resources, and connection to end hunger in our region.

What it reported doing in 2024

Program service consists of food distribution to eliminate hunger and promote better nutrition. Various activities within the program include leading a more than 300 member network of partner agencies, providing supplemental food to children and seniors at risk, and providing emergency food to individuals and families experiencing financial hardship.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 85% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 89% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 88
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 52
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 88.2%; rating input score 88
  • Program expense ratio: 93.7%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: $36.29 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 58.8%; rating input score 59; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 5.9%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.5; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.1%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.4% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 5 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 2 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 88.2% of revenue deployed · 93.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $36.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $194K · 18 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $310K reported
  • Consistency: 45 of 46 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 166 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 133 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 59/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 57/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.