Donation FAQ
When unexpected situations occur like job loss, illness, or family tragedies, the I.V. Food Bank is there for people across Imperial County. Even with a stable income, many families are struggling to purchase nutritious food because of the rising costs due to inflation and supply chain issues. One in three children in Imperial County are food insecure, meaning they don’t have access to nutritious food on a regular basis. As a community we have the power to make sure no child goes hungry in our county.
For over 30 years, the I.V. Food Bank has been fighting hunger by bringing health and hope to the Imperial Valley. In 2019, with the support of our community, we opened a new facility so we can distribute food to over 25,000 people each month across the county. We provide important services through our community food distributions, CalFresh outreach, Weekend Backpack Program for students, and Senior Food Program. Candid and Charity Navigator, two leading charity watchdog organizations, have awarded us with their highest ratings for accountability and transparency. We list our Board of Directors and staff members on our website, as well as our financial documents. We offer tours of our facility every week, so you can see what your donation is supporting. When you donate to the I.V. Food Bank, you can be sure your gift is making an impact in the local community.
We have two donation options on our website. You can make a general gift to support our mission or donate directly to our Weekend Backpack Program. You can give a one-time or monthly donation.
Yes. The Imperial Valley Food Bank is a tax-exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our federal tax identification number is 33-0633364.
Tax-exempt organizations are required to share recently filed IRS Form 990s upon request. Many nonprofits post them on their website. Since we receive government support, we also complete an extensive audit each year. Click this link to see our 990 and audit on our website.
These costs are generally calculated using information found on a nonprofit’s Form 990 in the “Statement of Functional Expenses” section. Our Form 990 factors in the value of the food we distribute, which increases our overall functional expenses to $11,205,727 in 2020. Therefore, only 1% of our total expenses are allocated to administrative and fundraising expenses. Our annual operating budget each year (without factoring in the value of food) is about $2 million, which we raise through donations.
Many years ago, it was common to measure a charity’s performance based on the percentage of charity expenses that go to overhead costs. More recently, donors are focusing on a complete picture of nonprofit performance, such as leadership, impact, transparency, etc. There is no set percentage that means one nonprofit is running more effectively than another. Overhead costs are essential to nonprofits. These costs help us invest in our staff, strategic planning, and internal systems – all which help us be more sustainable for the future.
If you donate online, you will receive an email that has your gift information for tax purposes. If you donate by mail, you will receive an acknowledgement letter in the mail. If you donate monthly, you will not receive an acknowledgement letter every month. We send formal, written gift acknowledgements for contributions over $250 every January.
Yes. The security and confidentiality of your information is our highest priority. We use DonorPerfect as our donation database, which securely processes your payment. Learn more about our privacy policy here: Privacy Policy | Imperial Valley Food Bank (ivfoodbank.com)
Please contact Shannon Rowe, Director of Philanthropy at shannon@ivfoodbank.org.