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FY2019 IMPACT:

A GLOBAL COMMUNITY FOR ZERO HUNGER

The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) is at the helm of a diverse and passionate community that is committed to alleviating hunger through food banking. Hand in hand, we elevated awareness of food banks’ humanitarian and environmental impact across the globe, positioned food bank leaders for success, and provided increased support for programming that promotes food security among the people we serve.
We accomplished this by releasing new original research, connecting and training food bank leaders at global conferences and events, and supporting food banks’ workforce and nutritional programs. Because of our new and existing partnerships, and - most of all - your support, the GFN network is growing and reaching more children, women, and men facing hunger every day.

Letter from the
President & CEO

Greetings from The Global FoodBanking Network!


In FY2019, GFN was fortunate to serve and support organizations in 34 countries. Collectively, the network had its most impactful year by distributing more than 500 million kilograms of food to 9.6 million people facing hunger and by partnering with over 55,000 social service agencies in more than 900 communities worldwide.


In spring 2017, GFN announced the “8 Million by 2018” campaign, a bold goal of expanding service to 8 million people facing hunger by the end of 2018. At the time, food banks in The Global FoodBanking Network were serving 6.8 million people. Thanks to the enterprising leadership, creativity, and tenacity of the food bank leaders that GFN serves—and to partners like you—food banking organizations as part of GFN have expanded service to more than 2.5 million people facing hunger since the campaign launch, far surpassing this campaign’s goal.


This year, alongside our network, partners and supporters like you, we were able to amplify the food bank model as an effective and efficient hunger relief solution. We witnessed first-hand the power of a global network and the importance of cross-country collaboration to help advance and achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger. The two pieces of original research released by GFN this year – The State of Global Food Banking and Waste Not, Want Not – described both the global reach of the food banking model and its collective impact on hunger relief, food loss and waste reduction, and GHG emission prevention and mitigation. These studies found that food banks served by GFN and its partners the European Food Banks Federation (FEBA) and Feeding America, provided meals to 62.5 million people in the last year, demonstrating that this model for hunger relief is providing a critical part of the informal social safety net in many countries around the world.


GFN’s annual meeting – the Food Bank Leadership Institute – convened food bank leaders from more than 50 countries in London, UK. In addition to reviewing trends in the food bank sector, it featured participants from over 30 multinational companies committed to hunger relief and food loss and waste reduction and thought leaders working to strengthen communities and advance food security. FY2019 marked the first year that GFN began to rotate the location of this meeting, and given the success of convening it in London, in FY2020 it plans to hold the session in Mexico City, Mexico.


A core part of GFN’s work continues to be the customized support it provides to food banks at all stages of development. FY2019 marked the first complete year of our Powering Food Banks for Growth program. This initiative, detailed later in this report, combines GFN’s expert technical assistance with innovative financing, aiming to help accelerate emerging food banks’ efforts to provide more meals to people facing hunger in their communities. Food banking organizations in 12 countries participated in the first phase of the program, and 75 percent of them met or exceeded their meal delivery goals. This program complements our Zero Hunger Food Bank Challenge initiative, which awarded $800,000 in grants to support members in expanding their service area and the types of food they distribute.

Organizationally, two key developments occurred in FY2019. GFN established an office in Bogotá, Colombia, its first outside of the United States. This office – led by Ana Catalina Suarez Pena with partnership from Alfredo Kasdorf based in Buenos Aires, Argentina – allows GFN to provide a new level of service to our members in Latin America that are providing critical support to children, families, and seniors facing hunger. Further, with a budget surpassing $6 million, the organization also added a new management team position, welcoming Vicki Clarke as vice president of development. We look forward to partnering closely with her as we look to build the partnerships and recruit the resources necessary to continue to make significant gains in achieving our mission.


GFN’s work is made possible only through the generous support of donors and partners like you. On behalf of our board of directors and staff, thank you for your commitment to advancing hunger relief on a global scale. I hope that this report lays out how your investments are accelerating hunger relief and strengthening communities in their ability to advance food security.


In spite of food banking’s progress, hunger and food insecurity continue to be challenges that affect more than one in nine people in today’s world. I hope you will continue to partner with GFN to replicate and scale the food banking solution to help nourish the world.


With best regards,




Lisa J. Moon


Our Mission

To alleviate global hunger by developing food banks in communities where they are needed and by supporting food banks where they exist.


FY2019 IMPACT:SURPASSED OUR
8 MILLION BY
2018 GOAL BY
1.6 MILLION
PEOPLE

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FY2019 IMPACT:COMMITTED
TO OUR
COMMUNITIES'
FUTURE

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FY2019 Impact:
COMMITTED TO OUR COMMUNITIES' FUTURE

We celebrate and support our food bank partners that create, enhance, and grow programs that advance food security.



Achieving Economic Independence
Food banks are community assets, spurring economic mobility so recipients can achieve financial independence. GFN supports food bank members in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, and Turkey, which offer human resources and job training programs to the people they serve. These programs help people build skill sets that will help them secure employment and support their families in the long term.
Promoting Diverse Diets
More than half of GFN food banks offer programs that boost access to nutrient-rich foods or educate participants on maintaining diverse diets to help treat and hedge against the rise in diet-related chronic diseases and childhood malnutrition. These programs aim to not only increase people’s access to wholesome food, but also provide the tools and information needed to live a healthier life.

Delivering Surplus Produce to Colombia's Undernourished

Twenty-eight percent of Colombia’s population lives in poverty. To help food insecure communities in Colombia access nutrient-rich food, Asociación de Bancos de Alimentos de Colombia (ABACO) implemented the REAGRO program to help collect leftover crops and distribute them to the undernourished. The REAGRO program operates in 16 food banks across Colombia and serves 41,000 people.

NEW TOOLS TO TRACK, MEASURE, AND REPORT OUR WORK

We enhanced the way data on food banks’ work is reported by releasing studies that address the global impact of food banking. By doing so, we can strengthen food banks’ programs and operations, and advocate for policies that support our efforts in reducing hunger in vulnerable communities.


THE STATE OF GLOBAL FOOD BANKING

We were pleased to release the first publication to profile food banks’ operations on a global scale. The publication, The State of Global Food Banking, included profiles of food banks in more than 30 countries. Now an annual report, The State of Global Food Banking provides insights and demonstrates the effectiveness of the food banking model as a grassroots, community-led hunger intervention.


WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

Released during our annual conference, the Food Bank Leadership Institute 2019 in London, Waste Not, Want Not, shows food banks’ impact on Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger) and 12.3 (Reducing Food Loss and Waste). In the year it was conducted, the research revealed that food banks operating in 57 countries mitigate an estimated 10.54 billion kilograms of CO2-eq and reach 62.5 million people facing hunger annually. The study focuses on the contributions of local food bank organizations in helping the environment. The report provides governments, businesses, and international agencies with recommendations on supporting food banks worldwide.


FY2019 Impact:FOOD BANK
LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE
(FBLI)
PLAY 2019 FBLI VIDEO

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FBLI: KEYNOTE ADDRESSES

Dave Lewis, Group Chief Executive of Tesco and Chair of Champions of SDG 12.3 and Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition and the 2018 World Food Prize Laureate, gave the keynote addresses. Lewis discussed the global food waste challenge and provided his perspective on the importance of food surplus redistribution.


FOOD BANK INNOVATION AWARD

Congratulations to Bancos de Alimentos de México (BAMX), recipient of the 2019 Global Food Bank Innovation Award.


BAMX’s peers recognized its unique program, Rescate de Alimentos Preparado, for its commitment to reducing food waste through the recovery of surplus food from the hospitality and gastronomy sector. Since Al Rescate began in 2014, BAMX has rescued more than 50,000 kilograms of prepared food, through partnerships with nine hotels and 50 restaurants.


This year, eight finalists presented programs for the award. Food bank finalists included: Food Bank Albania, Banco de Alimentos Rosario, Argentina, The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, Canada, Asociación de Bancos de Alimentos de Colombia, Fédération Française des Banques Alimentaires, No Food Waste, India, Foodbank of Indonesia, and Bancos de Alimentos de México.


FBLI: THOUGHT-PROVOKING DIALOGUES

FBLI was comprised of three full days of panels, breakout discussions, presentations, and announcements centered around how food banks can support global progress on fighting hunger and reducing food loss and waste. In addition to hearing from senior officials at GFN, FEBA, and Feeding America, delegates heard from a wide array of executives at global food banks, foundations, corporations, and universities.


Panels discussed important topics, such as child feeding programs, serving hard to reach populations, emerging trends in the food industry, and the state of global food banking.


New platforms for global knowledge sharing

For the first time, GFN began to convene peer groups of leaders outside of its annual meeting. Executive Directors from the food bank national networks of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Israel, Mexico, South Africa, and the United Kingdom met for four days in Chicago with Feeding America colleagues to discuss strengthening food banking organizations in their countries and advancing network success.

Similarly, executive directors from seven Latin American food banks met in Colombia to shadow a GFN field visit for educational purposes and to share best practices. Throughout the week, GFN member Asociación de Bancos de Alimentos de Colombia (ABACO) hosted participants at food banks in Cali, Medellín, and Bogotá. During the visit, food banks discussed topics relating to quality management, strategic planning, and agricultural recovery. They also stressed the importance of an international standard for food banking.

FY2019 Impact:REACHING MORE PEOPLE TOGETHER

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FY2019 Impact:
REACHING MORE PEOPLE TOGETHER

Thanks to partners like you, our capacity building programs enabled food banks to serve 95.03 million meals to vulnerable communities.

In FY2019, we awarded a total of $2,203,198 in new grants to food banks in 19 countries.

Powering Food Banks for Growth and Impact

Launched in January 2018, our Powering Food Banks for Growth program provided our network with the intensive resources and the know-how to meaningfully expand food banks’ services. Together, we were able to redistribute more food to more people facing hunger.

With your support, GFN expanded and accelerated food bank services in twelve countries: Argentina, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and South Africa.

The food banks participating in the Powering Food Banks for Growth program:

Increasing meals served to Ecuadorians by 192%

Food banks in Ecuador were created to help the 21.5 percent of the country’s population living in poverty. With grants provided by the Powering Food Banks for Growth and Impact program, Banco de Alimentos Diakonía increased its donor base and grew its fruit and vegetable recovery program, thus increasing meal delivery to malnourished children in Guayaquil. In Quito, Banco de Alimentos Quito expanded its service to more communities facing hunger. Thanks to the grant and GFN staff support, food banks in Ecuador expanded its meal distribution by 192 percent and served more than twice as many people than they did a year ago.

ZERO HUNGER FOOD BANK CHALLENGE

In August 2018, we announced that GFN would be providing $800,000 to programs that will strengthen food banks’ contribution to achieving the UN’s goal to reach zero hunger by 2030. This competitive grants program, known as the Zero Hunger Food Bank Challenge, was made possible by a generous contribution from the General Mills Foundation, with additional funding provided by the PIMCO Foundation.


Nine food banks were selected to receive the grants:

• Red Argentina de Bancos de Alimentos (Argentina)
• Foodbank Australia – Northern Territory (Australia)
• Banco de Alimentos Quito (Ecuador)
• Banco de Alimentos Diakonía (Ecuador)
• Banco de Alimentos de Honduras (Honduras)
• Bancos de Alimentos de México (Mexico)
• Banco de Alimentos Panamá (Panama)
• Banco de Alimentos Peru (Peru)
• FoodForwardSA (South Africa)

FY2019 Impact:OUR TRUSTED
NETWORK

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FY2019 IMPACT:
OUR TRUSTED NETWORK

The GFN food bank community operates safe, trustworthy, and efficient organizations. Members of our network undergo rigorous evaluations to receive a GFN Certification. A GFN Certification assures that a food banking organization follows established legal, financial, and operational protocols to operate at optimal efficiency and effectiveness for a maximum level of impact.


These food banks were certified in FY 2019:


New Certified Members
  • Tkiyet Um Ali (Jordan)
  • Bancos de Alimentos Mexico (México)
Recertification
  • FoodForward SA (South Africa)
  • Korea National Food Bank (South Korea)
  • Foodbank Australia (Australia)
  • Taiwan People’s Food Bank Association (Taiwan)
  • Feeding: Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
  • Red de Bancos de Alimentos (Argentina)
  • Fundación Banco de Alimentos Paraguay (Paraguay)

Financials

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FINANCIAL & ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

We close FY2019 in good financial health. Our organization received an unmodified opinion on our annual audit. Please find the proceeding information on how we are stewarding donor investments to advance global hunger relief through food banking. Information is drawn from our Audited Financials for the years FY2016, FY2017, FY2018, and FY2019 which are available in full at gfnarchive.wpengine.com.

Financials

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Thank You

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Thank You

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Board of
Directors
& Officers

Board of Directors

Alan Gilbertson (Chair)
Member
FoodForward SA
SOUTH AFRICA

Jason D. Ramey (Vice Chair)
Global Leader – Service Lines & Industries
Grant Thornton International Limited
USA

Katharine Bambrick
Chief Executive Officer
Ontario Trillium Foundation
CANADA

Catherine Bertini
Distinguished Fellow
Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Fellow
Rockefeller Foundation
USA

Martin Burt, PhD
Executive Director
Fundación Paraguaya
PARAGUAY
Executive Director &
Co-Founder
Teach A Man To Fish
UK

Cristián Cardoner
Director
Paraguay Retail Ventures
PARAGUAY

Carol Criner
Vice President – Strategic Accounts
HCL Technologies
USA

Joseph Gitler
Founder & Chairman
Leket Israel
ISRAEL

Ellen Goldberg Luger
Senior Vice President for Philanthropic Services
The Minneapolis Foundation
USA

Brian Greene
President & CEO
Houston Food Bank
USA

Sachin Gupta
Head of Global Portfolio Management Desk
PIMCO
USA

Paul Henrys
Chief Financial Officer
Feeding America
USA

William Rudnick
General Counsel
Cresset Capital
USA

Jacques Vandenschrik
President
European Food Banks Federation
BELGIUM

General Counsel
Allen J. Ginsburg
Partner
DLA Piper, LLP (USA)
USA

Corporate Officers

Lisa J. Moon
President & CEO

Douglas L. O’Brien
Secretary
Vice President, Programs

Christopher Rebstock
Assistant Secretary
Director, Field Services

Beth E. Saks
Treasurer
Chief Financial Officer