FoodShare

About FoodShare:

Founded in 1985, FoodShare is a Toronto-based social enterprise and community development organization that aims to improve access to fresh produce, encourage healthy eating, and build sustainable neighbourhoods. FoodShare’s mission is to increase "knowledge and access to good healthy foods.” In 2016, FoodShare's programs reached 272,776 people across Toronto, which is up 8% from 2015.

FoodShare’s Growing programs include support for the development of community gardens, workshops to teach people about gardening, and a mid-scale composting system to produce nutrient-rich soil. In 2016, 7,640 lbs of produce were harvested from school gardens. Further, FoodShare’s workshops trained 1,609 people to grow food.  

FoodShare’s Fresh Produce programs include delivering food boxes filled with healthy food, referring community members to local low-cost food programs, delivering affordable fruits and vegetables to schools, daycare and community hubs, and organizing community food markets and mobile food markets. In 2016, FoodShare delivered 2,213,227 lbs of fresh food to 140 Toronto neighbourhoods, benefitting 265 schools and non-profit agencies. FoodShare also operated 30 Food Markets and 10 Mobile Food Markets, and delivered 31,519 food boxes in 2016.

FoodShare’s Cooking programs include operating a catering company where proceeds are given to the charity, providing individuals with access to a professional kitchen, delivering soup in the winter, and cooking meals for its staff, volunteers and guests. In 2016, 76,894 meals were cooked, serving 37,320 healthy school lunches to students and delivered 22,500 cups of soup to homeless people.

Financial Review:

FoodShare Toronto is a medium-sized charity with donations of $2.5m in 2016. Administrative and fundraising costs are reported on the charity’s T3010A filings, for which its 2016 filing is currently unavailable. Therefore, 2016 fundraising and administrative costs are likely understated. In 2015, for every dollar donated to the charity, 72 cents is put towards its programs, falling within Ci’s reasonable range. FoodShare Toronto has funding reserves of $1.2m, which includes $100k in donor-endowed funds. This results in a program cost coverage ratio, excluding donor-endowed funds, of 25%. This means that it can cover 3 months of its annual programs using its existing reserves.

This charity report is an update that is being reviewed by FoodShare Toronto. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 29, 2017 by Josh Lam.