The Food Depot

What it reported doing in 2024

The food depot fosters healthy communities by engaging a network of partners and developing long-term solutions for a healthy, hunger-free northern New Mexico. As the food bank for nine counties, the food depot provides hunger relief to an average of 43,000 individuals experiencing food insecurity each month. The food depot offers groceries and resources to persons experiencing food insecurity through strategic food bank programs and a network of 85 nonprofit hunger relief partners. Overall, the food depot distributes to 150 locations across nine counties: colfax, harding, los alamos, mora, rio arriba, san miguel, santa fe, taos, and union. Throughout the year, the food depot provided an estimated 681,144 meals each month to people. Clients include children, seniors, individuals, and working families. The food depot's staff and volunteers operate food bank programs to address food insecurity in northern New Mexico, including: casita de comida, diaper depot, food mobile, the food depot pantry, food 4 kids, food 4 pets, and mobile food pantries. To serve the needs of its partners and food bank programs, the food depot acts as a food rescue organization, partnering with stores to rescue surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. The food bank combines rescued food with food acquired from local and national food manufacturers, food drives, the u.s. Department of agriculture, growers, food distributors, and food brokers. In fy 2025, the food depot provided 9,808,476 pounds of food, enough for 8,173,730 meals to new mexicans experiencing food insecurity in nine counties. The food bank provided food or services 565,790 specific times in fy 2025. Partner agencies are organizations with a hunger-relief component of their mission and registered as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or churches. Agencies are contracted with the food depot to distribute or serve food purchased from or provided by the food depot. Partner agencies have been a part of the food depot's programming since food bank inception. Agency partnerships provide the majority of food distribution. In fy 2025, the food depot partnered with 85 nonprofit partner agencies in eight counties. Organizations include churches, shelters, community centers, soup kitchens, emergency pantries, college campuses, transitional or supported living programs, and more. Agencies provide many other essential services to our communities aside from hunger-relief services, such as case management, counseling, housing, family services, street outreach, rehabilitation, faith-based services, harm reduction, and education. Agencies receive support from the food depot in pursuing their hunger relief goals, including site visits, technical assistance, educational opportunities, and resources for clients. In fy 2025, partner agencies distributed 5,652,730 pounds of food, the equivalent of 4,710,608 meals. Partner distributions reached 10,048 households, or 21,403 individuals, for a total of 494,299 service instances.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 89.5%; rating input score 90
• Program expense ratio: 91.7%; rating input score 92
• Fundraising efficiency: $30.07 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 2.6%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.92; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2.4%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.3% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 11.7% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings