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 F2015, FoodShare's programs reached 252,533 people across Toronto, which is down 4% from F2014.

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 F2015, 6,370 lbs of produce were harvested from school gardens. Further, FoodShare’s workshops trained 1,460 people and its composting system diverted 76,852 lbs of waste from landfills.  

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 F2015, FoodShare delivered 2,215,879 lbs of fresh food to 140 Toronto neighbourhoods, benefitting 242 schools and non-profit agencies. FoodShare also operated 30 Food Markets and 10 Mobile Food Markets, and delivered 30,826 food boxes in F2015.

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 F2015, 936 people cooked in FoodShare’s community kitchens, 17,600 cups of soup were delivered and 1,036 parents attended nutrition workshops.

Financial Review:

FoodShare Toronto is a medium-sized charity with donations of $2.7m in F2015. Its administrative costs are 3% of revenues and its fundraising costs are 11% of donations. For every $1 donated to the charity, 85 cents is put towards its programs, falling within Ci’s reasonable range. FoodShare Toronto has funding reserves of $1.3m, which includes $100k in donor-endowed funds. This results in a program cost coverage ratio, excluding donor-endowed funds, of 28%. 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 July 6, 2016 by Lynn Tay.