Food Bank of Waterloo Region is a 3-star charity. It has a results reporting grade of A which is above average. For every dollar donated, 72 cents are available to go toward the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.  

Founded in 1980, the Food Bank of Waterloo Region (FBWR) obtains and distributes foods to the Waterloo community with the aim of having no one go hungry. In Waterloo, one in ten households struggle to put food on the table. Two years ago that number was one in 20 households. Due to supply chain issues, unemployment, and rising food prices, food insecurity rates are rapidly growing. In fiscal 2023 (year ended June), FBWR spent $1.4m on its programs. This is an 18% increase from the $1.1m spent on programming in F2022. 

The Food Assistance Network is the charity’s main program. It is a network of over 120 community programs and agency partners working together to provide food and support to individuals in Waterloo. In F2023, FBWR reports on serving an average of 2,395 meals every day to 58,688 unique individuals This is a 45% increase from the 40,530 individuals served in F2022. The charity also reports that it served 7,459 new households during the year. Out of the 58,688 individuals, 35% are under the age of 18, 13% are single parents, and 10% have no income. The Food Assistance Network also operates a hamper program. In this program FBWR fills hamper baskets full of fresh and non-perishable food then distributes it. In F2023, 4.5 million pounds of food was sorted, and 62,070 fresh food hampers and 5,153 non-perishable food hampers were distributed. Another program that is a part of the Food Assistance Network is the Food Recovery program. In Canada, it is estimated that nearly 32% of lost and wasted food is edible and could have been redirected to help people. The Food Recovery program works with corporate, community, and food industry partners to redirect discarded food to people in need.

The Food Bank of Waterloo Region received $8.1 million in donations in F2023. It also received $744k in government funding, representing 2.5% of total revenue. In F2023, FBWR also received $20.1m in donated goods, a 17% increase from F2022. Administrative costs are 10% of revenue and fundraising costs are 18% of donations. Overhead spending costs are 28% meaning that for every dollar donated, 72 cents are available to go toward the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range. 

In F2023, the Food Bank of Waterloo Region has reserve funds of $11.6m. This means the charity can cover program costs for eight years and seven months. In F2023, FBWR had a surplus of $1.7m, a 57% decrease from F2022. It also spent $251k on capital expenditures in F2023. 

Profile updated on May 30, 2024 by Abby Stout.