Meals on Wheels America

What it reported doing in 2025

The meals on wheels america strategy and impact team provides thought leadership, research and data, innovative programming and tools, and grant opportunities to aid community-based senior nutrition providers - our members - in extending their reach and impact. The team leverages best practices and evidence-informed programming to expand the capacity of local providers to serve more seniors and to serve them in increasingly effective ways. The work also includes efforts to further integrate meals on wheels services into health care and prepare local providers to enter their own health care contracting work.in 2025, meals on wheels america was able to continue its capacity-building efforts by driving resources, especially funding, to members. Our funding supported capacity building broadly and specific grants for meeting unmet needs of clients, expanding availability of medically tailored meals suited to the needs of older adults with chronic conditions, increasing availability of social connection opportunities to reduce isolation among high-risk older adults and support the human-animal bond, supporting in-home safety through major and minor home repairs, and supporting relief and recovery efforts associated with emergencies. Alongside these funding opportunities, we provided members with a robust end the wait asset library full of templates and resources to help local providers drive greater engagement and support in their communities, a social connection toolkit to equip providers with practical tools and strategies to foster life-changing moments of connection with seniors, a data to action toolkit to help providers use data and research make the case for support to various constituents, and added resources to our medically tailored meals toolkit to support members in the production and procurement of meals designed to help address medical conditions. In partnership with other departments, we expanded the more (member offers, rewards & expertise) program, which helps members reduce operational costs and increase efficiency through discounted pricing, trusted guidance and rewards on the products and services they use most.in addition, the strategy and impact team:-engaged in research to demonstrate the impact and value that meals on wheels has in addressing hunger, malnutrition, isolation and loneliness among millions of seniors each year.-deepened our investment in a range of supportive services that augment the core nutrition component of the meals on wheels offering through strategic partnerships with organizations like:1. The home depot foundation, which supports the helping homebound heroes grant program, enabled 20 providers to deliver necessary home repairs and safety modifications that help veteran seniors. In 2025, we celebrated a major milestone repairing our 4,000th veteran home.2. Petsmart charities, which underwrote our national commitment to reducing isolation and loneliness by ensuring that seniors have the companionship and support they deserve. This year, we celebrated the delivery of our 15 millionth pet meal through this partnership, and petsmart charities renewed their commitment for another three years.3. Caesars foundation powered grants to help 18 members expand nutrition and social connection programming and supported our first-ever collaborative accelerator initiative, working with six organizations to strengthen their sustainable fundraising and infrastructure locally.as 11,000 americans turn 60 every day, this work supports our commitment to ensuring that local meals on wheels providers have the tools and resources they need to meet the growing demand for services in their communities.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 45.9%; rating input score 46
• Program expense ratio: 67.5%; rating input score 68
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.09 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: 87.6%; rating input score 88; 26th 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; 64th 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: 38.1%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.18; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 12.3%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 8.5% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 12.4% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 14.3% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings