MANNA FoodBank

What it reported doing in 2024

Organizational overview manna foodbank carries the honor and weight of responsibility of being the sole food bank serving western North Carolina and the qualla boundary. We procure and distribute food to more than 220 nonprofit partner agencies, 100 schools, and direct to neighbors through community markets. Our service area encompasses 6,434 square miles, including many rural areas and underfunded communities with high rates of food-insecurity. Therefore, to ensure that those in need receive food, we deliver to the most remote locations on a regular basis. The counties manna serves include many communities in rural, underfunded areas, buncombe, cherokee, clay, graham, haywood, henderson, jackson, macon, madison, mcdowell, mitchell, polk, swain, transylvania, yancey counties and the qualla boundary. At manna, we focus on food for today, food for tomorrow, and food for a lifetime. We respond to immediate hunger needs, strengthen access to nutritious food in local communities, and work toward lasting change so that everyone can count on a steady source of nourishment. Every part of our work, sourcing food, supporting partners, and listening to our neighbors, is centered on helping people thrive. Nutritious food distribution during fy 2024-2025, manna distributed more than 21 million pounds of food across western North Carolina. More than 70% of the food that manna distributed was classified as 'healthy staples' which consists of items like whole grains, proteins, dairy, fresh/frozen vegetables and fruits. Throughout fiscal year 2025, manna's overall distribution network, including pantries, meal sites, and school-based programs, received an average of 190,000 visits each month from neighbors seeking emergency food assistance. Each visit represents a household coming to one of these sites for groceries or a meal. This reflects the highest level of need manna has experienced in its 40+ year history. Supporting local farmers a significant portion of manna's inventory is sourced directly from regional farms. Purchasing locally grown produce and proteins strengthens food access while supporting rural economies. Through the local food purchase assistance plus (lfpa+) program, manna purchased more than 650,000 pounds of locally grown food from farmers and food hubs across western North Carolina at fair market rates. This investment expanded access to fresh, nutritious products and deepened relationships that now continue through the essential foods initiative. The 2024 buncombe county strategic partnerships grant further demonstrated this commitment by funding produce purchases from historically marginalized farmers for free distribution across buncombe county through partner agencies and community markets. Together, these efforts improved access to nutrient-dense foods for families while keeping food dollars in local communities and helping small farms remain viable. Snap enrollment assistance the supplemental nutrition assistance program (snap) remains one of the most effective tools for reducing hunger. Snap helps individuals and families with low incomes afford nutritious food, reducing hunger and improving health and stability while also boosting local economies by increasing dollars spent at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other food retailers and supporting jobs and small businesses. Manna's benefits outreach team helps eligible households apply for assistance and navigate the certification process. In fy 2024-2025, manna staff helped 1,888 households complete snap applications, generating more than 5 million in economic impact for local grocery stores and markets. These benefits translated into more than 900,000 snap-supported meals for families across the region.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 48.4%; rating input score 48
• Program expense ratio: 92.7%; rating input score 93
• Fundraising efficiency: $65.47 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 31st percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 96.2%; rating input score 96; 29th 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; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 48.7%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.63; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5.4% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 9.8% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 18.2% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings