White Bear Area Food Shelf

What it reported doing in 2024

Since 1977, the white bear area food shelf has served as a critical resource for families experiencing food insecurity in the white bear area. We work to eliminate barriers that traditionally limit access to healthy food for families living on a fixed or low income. The food and support needs in our community continue to grow exponentially. Due to rising costs of living, the number of people utilizing the white bear area food shelf has tripled in the last 5 years. Food insecurity rates have reached historic highs across the state of Minnesota. To tackle this challenge, the white bear area food shelf has been listening to the community and evolving its programs for today and far into the future.in 2025, the white bear area food shelf continued to adapt its programming to meet community needs. Responding to feedback about long lines at its popular community market, it introduced a "virtual line" adopting a tool used by restaurants called "waitlist me". Residents place their name on the list and receive a text message when they are approaching the top of the list to shop. This reduces the amount of time someone needs to dedicate to accessing food and has increased the number of people the community market can serve each day. The organization also released a new 3-year strategic plan focused on building physical and programmatic capacity to maintain the high levels of service numbers as they are projected to continue at this level for some time. Curbside pick-up: open 5 days/week, provided fresh, frozen and staple groceries to an average of 146 visitors per market. -community market: corner market-style food shelf offering food rescued from 9 local grocery stores plus additional produce and culturally connected staples to an average of 143 visitors, four days/week. -senior mobile markets provided fresh groceries to three senior housing facilities to over 90 low-income seniors monthly. -summer weekly free produce markets served 4,018 visitors in fy25. -schools: *periodic college pop-up grocery markets served a total of 403 visitors during the school year.*kidpack elementary backpack program provided 300 elementary students with weekend food packs weekly throughout the school year. *school pantries supplied high-protein snacks and grocery staples to three high schools and two middle schools. "it relieves so much stress in my life. I don't have to choose between bills or food. It also allows me to make and eat nutritional meals." white bear area food shelf clientthe food shelf impact over the past 5 yearschart of visits per year2021 26,5982022 33,8572023 43,7052024 66,7492025 78,298individuals served by age-34% children (0-17)-54% adults (18-64)-12% seniors (65+)

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 91.3%; rating input score 91
• Program expense ratio: 94%; rating input score 94
• Fundraising efficiency: $101.38 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 3%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.3; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2.3%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 19.9% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 17.1% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7.8% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings