Manna Food Bank Inc

“The return was prepared by an independent accountant with assistance and oversight by management. The final draft was provided electronically to the finance committee and each voting board member prior to filing.”

“New members receive and sign a copy of the policy during a new member orientation. Members also receive and sign a copy of the policy annually at an annual board meeting.”

“Compensation for the incoming executive director was determiend by a transition committee using several inputs, including prior executive compensation, local nonprofit market data, and the needs to attract strong talent. A range of salaries was accepted by the committee during search and final offer was determined by approval of the board. As of the filing of this return, compensation was last reviewed december 2024.”

“The organization's annual report with summarized financial information is posted on its website. Annual form 990 returns are posted on guidestar.org. Copies of the audited financial statements, governing documents, and conflict of interest policy are available upon request at the organization's administrative office.”

“Mission: to involve, educate, and unite people in the work of ending hunger in western north carolina. Vision: a hunger-free western north carolina where everyone has access to nutritious food and the opportunity to thrive. Manna exists to ensure that no one in our mountain communities faces hunger alone. Every day, our staff, partners, and volunteers work to provide access to healthy food and to create pathways toward lasting stability.”

“Reserve strategy and anticipated funding changes (schedule o narrative) manna maintains designated reserve funds to ensure operational stability, responsiveness to community needs, and long-term organizational resilience. As of june 30, 2025, manna's total working capital was approximately 59.6 million every dollar of that reserve serves an important purpose in manna's immediate response and our long-term sustainability. Our reserves are strategically allocated to advance critical priorities and ensure long-term sustainability, including the construction of our new facility to be food-bank ready (facility fund), the purchase of essential foods including local produce, meat, eggs, cheese for our neighbors (essential food fund), emergency response readiness in the aftermath of hurricane helene (surge capacity fund), long-term community capacity building (community capacity fund), protection against market or funding volatility (volatility reserve), funding our capital projects such as our fleet, technology infrastructure and equipment (capital reserve), and manna's policy to maintain at least six months of liquidity to support continuity of services (operating reserve) together, these reserve funds will be strategically utilized to respond to the devastation and economic impact created by helene, while also offsetting reductions in public assistance resources, stabilizing food acquisition and distribution, and maintaining program continuity for the communities manna serves. This reserve approach reflects our desire to maintain a prudent fiscal management and a commitment to meeting the immediate need while also sustaining manna's mission to end hunger in western north carolina, ensuring the organization remains financially prepared to meet rising community needs and evolving economic conditions. Conclusion fy 2024-2025 was a defining year in manna's history. Despite losing our warehouse to hurricane helene, we continued to serve families every day with the help of donors, volunteers, and partners. The generosity of this community rebuilt our operations and renewed our mission. Manna moves forward stronger, deeply accountable, and dedicated to the people of western north carolina.”

“Manna foodbank is honored to share that we have achieved a 4-star rating from charity navigator for 13 consecutive years, the highest rating possible from the independentnonprofit rating organization. Nationally, manna foodbank ranks in the top 2% of nonprofits for fiscal responsibility and effectiveness. This high rating is a result of an unwavering dedication to stewardship, and to a robust volunteer program. In fy 24/25 manna experienced tremendous growth in our volunteer program with 4,474 caring volunteers providing 64,370 hours of service in a variety of much needed volunteer roles. Their incredible hours of service are the equivalent of 34 full-time staff members. The variety of volunteer roles also increased: manna now utilizes volunteers in nearly every aspect of our work. The volunteer roles range from sorting produce and packing bulk foods, packing and delivering manna packs for kids, picking orders in the warehouse for partner agencies, sorting large donations from food industry donors, educating the public on manna's work via ambassadors, taking calls through the food helpline, partner agency outreach and support and with a variety of administrative tasks. Our volunteers help manna keep overhead costs low and ensure that for every dollar donated; manna can provide food for the equivalent of four meals.”

“Organizational overview manna foodbank carries the honor and weight of responsibility of being the sole food bank serving western north carolina and the qualla boundary. We procure and distribute food to more than 220 nonprofit partner agencies, 100 schools, and direct to neighbors through community markets. Our service area encompasses 6,434 square miles, including many rural areas and underfunded communities with high rates of food-insecurity. Therefore, to ensure that those in need receive food, we deliver to the most remote locations on a regular basis. The counties manna serves include many communities in rural, underfunded areas, buncombe, cherokee, clay, graham, haywood, henderson, jackson, macon, madison, mcdowell, mitchell, polk, swain, transylvania, yancey counties and the qualla boundary. At manna, we focus on food for today, food for tomorrow, and food for a lifetime. We respond to immediate hunger needs, strengthen access to nutritious food in local communities, and work toward lasting change so that everyone can count on a steady source of nourishment. Every part of our work, sourcing food, supporting partners, and listening to our neighbors, is centered on helping people thrive. Nutritious food distribution during fy 2024-2025, manna distributed more than 21 million pounds of food across western north carolina. More than 70% of the food that manna distributed was classified as 'healthy staples' which consists of items like whole grains, proteins, dairy, fresh/frozen vegetables and fruits. Throughout fiscal year 2025, manna's overall distribution network, including pantries, meal sites, and school-based programs, received an average of 190,000 visits each month from neighbors seeking emergency food assistance. Each visit represents a household coming to one of these sites for groceries or a meal. This reflects the highest level of need manna has experienced in its 40+ year history. Supporting local farmers a significant portion of manna's inventory is sourced directly from regional farms. Purchasing locally grown produce and proteins strengthens food access while supporting rural economies. Through the local food purchase assistance plus (lfpa+) program, manna purchased more than 650,000 pounds of locally grown food from farmers and food hubs across western north carolina at fair market rates. This investment expanded access to fresh, nutritious products and deepened relationships that now continue through the essential foods initiative. The 2024 buncombe county strategic partnerships grant further demonstrated this commitment by funding produce purchases from historically marginalized farmers for free distribution across buncombe county through partner agencies and community markets. Together, these efforts improved access to nutrient-dense foods for families while keeping food dollars in local communities and helping small farms remain viable. Snap enrollment assistance the supplemental nutrition assistance program (snap) remains one of the most effective tools for reducing hunger. Snap helps individuals and families with low incomes afford nutritious food, reducing hunger and improving health and stability while also boosting local economies by increasing dollars spent at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other food retailers and supporting jobs and small businesses. Manna's benefits outreach team helps eligible households apply for assistance and navigate the certification process. In fy 2024-2025, manna staff helped 1,888 households complete snap applications, generating more than 5 million in economic impact for local grocery stores and markets. These benefits translated into more than 900,000 snap-supported meals for families across the region.”

“Healthy opportunities pilot (hop) through north carolina's healthy opportunities pilot, manna serves as the regional lead for food insecurity services. The healthy opportunities pilot in north carolina invests up front in access to nutritious food and other essential supports to improve health outcomes and prevent the need for costly medical care later on. During the fiscal year, manna provided consistent access to healthy food while improving health outcomes for residents with chronic conditions by distributing 128,828 in benefits to over 735 participants,. This work strengthens the link between nutrition and health and helps reduce barriers for people living on a limited income who are managing illness. Public education manna foodbank is a non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public on the issues that affect the people that we serve. We are developing solutions to hunger that are community-driven, equitable, accessible, and value everyone. We are working to end hunger for all western north carolinians through our commitment to providing food for today, food for tomorrow, and food for a lifetime. A year of unprecedented challenge and recovery on september 27, 2024, hurricane helene completely destroyed manna foodbank's facilities and operations. In a matter of hours,. Manna became the first food bank in the feeding america network's history to experience a total loss. The losses were immense. In addition to both warehouses and our entire food inventory, manna also lost: "all warehouse equipment, including pallet jacks, forklifts, reach trucks, and everyday supplies such as boxes, pallets, and gloves; "all it infrastructure, including servers, laptops, printers, barcode scanners, and a/v equipment; "the reclamation center, which rescued more than 2 million pounds of food each year; "office furniture, supplies, and all facility contents necessary for daily operations. The only major assets we were able to save were our trucks. Because the team had moved them to higher ground, those trucks were back on the road within days, reaching the hardest-hit mountain communities with emergency food and water. Within forty-eight hours, manna launched a temporary distribution at the wnc farmers market. By the end of the first week, we had secured and moved into an 84,000-square-foot warehouse to keep food flowing to our sixteen- county service area. Construction is now underway to build out 14,000 square feet of cold storage, office space, a volunteer center and add backup power to safeguard perishable food in future disasters. The new mills river facility represents not only recovery but renewal-stronger, safer, and built for the long road ahead. Across western north carolina, the storm left deep scars. Many partner pantries lost their buildings, food, and vehicles. Manna continues to work alongside them to restore local capacity and plan for the future. Community needs remain higher than ever. Yet through every challenge, the outpouring of generosity from donors, volunteers, and neighbors has kept food on tables and hope alive. What began as a devastating loss has become a testament to this region's resilience and to manna's enduring commitment to serve, no matter the circumstances.”

“Community impact after helene since hurricane helene, manna has distributed more than 15 million meals and delivered generators, propane, coolers, cleaning supplies, and hygiene products to families across western north carolina. Food distribution remains far above pre-storm levels as communities continue to rebuild and recover. This response was only possible because of the extraordinary generosity of our community. Donors, volunteers, farmers, faith groups, corporate partners, and neighbors came together in remarkable ways to donate funds, food, and time when they were needed most. Volunteers helped load trucks and staff emergency distributions. Local businesses opened their doors and shared supplies. Farmers donated produce even while facing their own losses. Every act of kindness helped manna stay on the road and on mission. Together, this region ensured that food reached people who needed it most, proving once again that western north carolina's strength lies in its compassion and unity. Financial stewardship and stability insurance provided essential stability during rebuilding. By june 30, 2025, manna had received 2.08 million in insurance proceeds. These recovery funds were managed under strict internal controls and tracked separately in accordance with gaap standards. The board created a strategic fund for community resilience to sustain disaster preparedness, facility improvements, and future emergency response. Operational and financial systems transformation during the past year, manna experienced significant organizational changes, particularly within the finance function. The loss of our facility during hurricane helene required immediate adjustments to keep financial operations running smoothly while the organization relocated and rebuilt. This experience also underscored the need to modernize systems and strengthen internal processes for long-term stability. To support this transition, manna engaged bdo, a national accounting firm, to provide expert guidance and interim capacity. Their work includes strengthening daily financial operations, reviewing accounting platforms, refining staffing structure, and updating internal controls to improve accuracy and transparency. This partnership is helping manna build a financial infrastructure that can adapt to both growth and disruption. Current priorities include simplifying daily workflows, implementing a new accounting system with stronger reporting capabilities, and recruiting skilled finance staff. Long-term, manna is focused on maintaining sustainable financial health and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement within the department. Staff training and cross-functional coordination are being expanded so that financial management remains consistent and resilient under any circumstance. Through these efforts, manna continues to uphold its commitment to transparency, accountability, and excellent stewardship of the resources entrusted to its care. Financial position costs to resume operations totaled 53.4 million, an increase of 14.1 million from the prior year, driven by the purchase of our new facility, equipment, supplies, and expanded food purchasing and transportation costs. Manna ended the year with 59.6 million in cash and equivalents, ensuring liquidity for ongoing recovery and program stability. Looking ahead, manna will complete the build-out of the mills river facility, advance local purchasing partnerships, and continue with the implementation of a regional food security resilience framework developed with community input. These investments will position manna to serve more neighbors, respond faster to disasters, and sustain access to nutritious food across western north carolina.”

“Board designated funds included in net assets: board designated operating reserve 20,336,018.00 board designated capital reserve 869,996.00 board designated essential food reserve 12,600,000.00 board designated surge capacity fund 3,000,000.00 board designated community capacity fund 3,000,000.00 board designated volatility fund 3,200,000.00 board designated sustainability reserve 6,064,328.00 board designated future facilities reserve 4,008,971.00 total board designations 53,079,313.00”