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Funding comes from three sources, says Pam Molitoris, executive director of the Central Illinois Food Bank. Money comes from public support, which is initiated through direct mail campaigns, special events and the United Way. It also comes from government funds like the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Food Assistance Program, which covers a fair amount of the distribution costs. Also, funds come from “shared contributions and maintenance,” a term for the what agencies pay the food bank for shipping and handling. Agencies don’t have to pay for produce in the summer, when it’s plentiful, but they can pay as much as 18 cents per pound for meat and other temperature-sensitive products.
Central Illinois Food Bank attempts to reduce its costs in a number of ways. First, no actual money is involved in procuring the food. When the food bank requests items from parent organization Feeding America’s national database, it’s on a “first come, first served” basis, though factors like population, poverty rate and unemployment are considered if food banks are vying for popular items.
The food bank must pay contracted trucking companies to deliver the food, but they try to take advantage of special deals. If a truck is delivering inventory to Chicago, for example, Gilmore and her organization will sign up for a “back haul,” meaning the truck would bring food on its return trip. “Back hauls” cost less, since the trucks are already making the trip, she says. The food bank also uses “Haulin’ for Humanity,” a Chicago-based trucking company specifically for charities. It charges only transportation costs like gas.
The organization has also started to use its trucking more efficiently, contacting agencies when they know a product will be coming in. They’ve met in Wal-Mart parking lots, dropping off eggs to agency representatives, who will then take them to their offices.
“It’s almost a case of having to play catchup,” Molitoris explains. “We’ve got the product, but what do we do with it?” Molitoris says her group may try sharing regions with one of the seven other food banks.
