Nourishing Change

As I reflect on the 2024-2025 fiscal year, it was transformational, marked with pivotal moments in our efforts to end — not just manage — hunger. We closed our Pop-Up Pantries — programs born out of necessity during the pandemic — and launched Community Markets, which redefine what dignified food access looks like.

To truly end hunger, we must fundamentally transform our systems and how food banking has traditionally operated. Community Markets do this by offering a grocery-store experience for participants, enabling them to choose the nutritious, quality food they desire. And importantly, they provide connections to vital resources to address the reasons families need food assistance.

Together with community, we’ve moved from pandemic-era emergency response to transformative food access programs that are about more than food. Our work is about creating spaces where people feel respected, where food access feels like a right, not a handout, where their voices are heard, and where food is a pathway to empowerment and advocacy for policies that end — not create — hunger.

Yet challenges lie ahead. We know food insecurity remains at record-high levels. Families are making impossible choices between rent, medicine, and meals. Yet our federal government is not only ignoring the hunger crisis: it exacerbates it through its policy choices and funding cuts. The impacts of the federal budget (H.R. 1) threaten to deepen hunger in our neighborhoods. The need for our work has never been greater, and the stakes are rising.

But here is where hope lives: in our ability to tune out the noise and focus on what we can control — the community we wish to create. We are not powerless. Every day, we see the strength of collective care and the power of partnership. With over 260 community partners and thousands of volunteers and donors, we are building a network of support rooted in dignity, equity, and resilience.

Thank you for standing with us in this work. Your support fuels nutritious food, innovation, advocacy, and the belief that food is a human right. As we look to the future, let’s continue to lead with courage, compassion, and care for each other. Because when we act together, we don’t just fight hunger — we are fighting for a community where everyone has access to good food, the opportunity to thrive, and where everyone belongs.

With gratitude, determination and resilience,

Tanis Crosby

Executive Director

San Francisco-Marin Food Bank

In fiscal year July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025, the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank focused on moving from pandemic emergency response to new ways to provide food access and services. With your support, we’ve built a financially sustainable Food Bank that can serve our community for years to come.
As planned, we closed our pandemic-era Pop-Up Pantry (PUP) program in June 2025 after operating for five years, due to cuts in government funding and our commitment to ensuring a balanced budget in years ahead. The closure of PUPs resulted in cost savings with a reduction in staffing, food, and other program expenses. The closure, unfortunately, also meant reducing the number of households we served compared to those served during the pandemic.
Our financial position is strong, with support from our donors, in-kind food donations, and some government support (both cash and food commodities), making up the bulk of our revenue sources. While our FY25 financials show a deficit of $1.2 million, which is less than 1% of our total expenses, this is not a cash deficit but reflects that we distributed more donated food than we received within the fiscal year, drawing down inventory we had built up the prior year.

Overall, total revenue decreased about 10%, due to the loss of government funding for pandemic programs and a reduction in the per pound valuation of donated food. This decrease in the valuation of donated food was the driving factor in total expenses being down about 3% from the prior year. 

As we prioritize the strong stewardship of the financial and in-kind contributions we receive, there are significant challenges ahead to navigate. Federal cuts to food commodities and food security programs are impacting our community, the households we serve, local farmers, and local economies. And SNAP cuts threaten critical nutrition assistance for thousands of San Francisco and Marin families, driving fear and increased demand for our services. All of this is occurring as rising costs continue to strain household food budgets and our operations alike.
When food prices rise (and they’ve tripled since the pandemic), when federal funding gets cut, or even when we see a chance to buy food at an affordable price, your general support lets us respond. This is why your donations and contributions matter so much. The need for our services keeps growing, but so does our ability to meet it, because of your support. We remain on track for financial sustainability this year and are deeply grateful for your partnership.

Respectfully,