The Global FoodBanking Network

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
204268851
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
3127824560
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
International Development

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$13,075,039
Expenses
$16,808,508
Assets
$10,680,349
Liabilities
$1,384,881

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

Leadership & pay

31 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Douglas L O'Brien (Vice President, Programs, Asst. Secretary (until December 2024))
  • Lisa J Moon (President and CEO)
  • Vicki Clarke (Vice President, Development, Secretary)

Highest reported compensation

  • Lisa J Moon (President and CEO): $451,539 total reported compensation
  • Michael Oko (VP, Communications & Marketing): $251,374 total reported compensation
  • Douglas L O'Brien (Vice President, Programs, Asst. Secretary (until December 2024)): $245,479 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 nourish the world's hungry through uniting and advancing food banks.

What it reported doing in 2024

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING: GFN provides capability-building services through subject matter experts, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and partner engagement and aligns these knowledge services with catalytic financing, with an aim of accelerating food bank social and environmental impact and effectiveness. The focus for knowledge services is determined through organizational assessment, and food banking members pursue a multiyear plan to increase organizational effectiveness in targeted ways. GFN provided knowledge resources through a variety of pathways in FY2025, including: Re-starting the rigorous, standards-based Certification Process; one-to-one advisory services conducted virtually and in person; training and experience-sharing at a regional meeting held in Accra, Ghana; subject-focused webinars; and Fellowship Exchanges among food banks. Common areas for capability building include food safety, logistics and supply chain efficiencies, product sourcing, nonprofit fundraising, governance, and data collection and decision-making. GFN PROVIDES SERVICES TO ALL NETWORK MEMBERS BUT OFFERS CONCENTRATED SUPPORT IN MARKETS THAT ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY HUNGER AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. Across the network in FY2025, nine of the 10 food banks that had the largest increases in people served year-over-year came from emerging and developing markets.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 52% for direct work, and 48% for grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 85
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 17
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 81.2%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.1 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Pass
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Pass
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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: -28.6%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.64; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13.3%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 18.3% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 15% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 17.6% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 81.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $13.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $452K · 31 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $470K reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 11 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 32/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 3/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 22/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 11/100.