irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2020
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $441KCOVID-19 RELIEF FEEDING PROGRAM: SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOL CLOSURES DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS LEFT MILLIONS OF FOOD-INSECURE CHILDREN RELIANT ON DAILY SCHOOL MEALS WITHOUT THIS CRITICAL NUTRITION. FORMAL AND INFORMAL ECONOMIES COLLAPSED LEAVING THEIR CAREGIVERS WITH NO INCOME, AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT SYSTEMS STRUGGLED TO KEEP UP. SOUTH AFRICA WAS PITCHED INTO A HUNGER CRISIS VIRTUALLY OVERNIGHT. IN RESPONSE, THE LUNCHBOX FUND PIVOTED OUR SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAM INTO EMERGENCY FOOD RELIEF, AND DURING 2020 WE DELIVERED 180,227 BOXES OF FOOD TO FAMILIES IN ALL PROVINCES AND SETTINGS IN SOUTH AFRICA, REACHING 721,000 FOOD-INSECURE PEOPLE WITH OVER 22 MILLION MEALS.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Breakfast Programme
Provides a protein-rich, micronutrient-fortified porridge to pre-school and school-age children, prepared with freshly boiled water; available in vanilla, wholewheat, and chocolate flavors
COVID-19 Relief Feeding Program
Emergency food relief initiative during school closures, delivering 180,227 food boxes to families across South Africa, reaching 721,000 people with over 22 million meals in 2020
Lunch Programme
Delivers plant-based, fortified meals including soya mince, maize meal, lentils, and vegetables, accompanied by vitamin-enriched VitaDrink; schools add fresh, locally sourced vegetables at least three times per week
Mozambique School Nutrition Program
Provides daily meals to 8,000 children across 32 pre-, primary, and secondary schools in Gaza Province, Mozambique; includes employment of local women as food handlers and training of pre-school teachers
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Child & Youth Meal Programs 2 activities
- School meal programs in Gaza Province, MozambiqueProvides daily school meals to 8,000 children across 32 schools in Gaza Province, Mozambique, following a pilot phase that reached 5,258 children. The program includes protein-rich, fortified meals and requires partner schools to incorporate fresh, locally sourced vegetables at least three times per week.
- School nutrition programs in South Africa, Mozambique, and LesothoProvides a nutritious daily school meal—either breakfast or lunch depending on local context and infrastructure—to food-insecure children in South Africa, Mozambique, and Lesotho. Meals are plant-based, fortified with micronutrients, and designed to meet 20% of the WFP-recommended daily dietary allowance of macro- and micronutrients for school-aged children.
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Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
- Emergency food relief during 2020 in South AfricaPivoted from regular school nutrition programming to emergency food relief during 2020, delivering 180,227 boxes of food and over 22 million meals to 721,000 food-insecure people across all provinces in South Africa.
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School Infrastructure Development 1 activity
- Establishment of early childhood development centers in MozambiqueEstablished nine new pre-schools adjacent to primary schools in Gaza Province, Mozambique, creating the first early childhood development centers in those communities.
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Individual Child Education Sponsorship 1 activity
- Funding in-school nutrition programs in South Africa and MozambiqueFunds in-school nutrition programs for vulnerable, food-insecure, and at-risk school children in South Africa and Mozambique, supporting the delivery of fortified meals through school-based systems.
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Integrated Community-Led Development Programs 1 activity
- Local employment and workforce development in Gaza Province, MozambiqueSupports local economic development by hiring and training community members, including 29 women employed as meal preparers and 27 pre-school teachers trained and employed in Gaza Province, Mozambique.
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Youth and Family Cooking Education 1 activity
- Nutritional research and menu auditingCommissions the Nutrition Information Centre of the University of Stellenbosch (NICUS) to conduct biennial audits of its menu and nutritional impact, including a 2022 menu analysis and desktop review of national and international nutrition standards to inform program design.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Nutritional standards and food safety monitoringEnsures food safety and nutritional quality through annual international standard audits of supplier Sizani Foods—which achieved a 99% rating in 2025—quarterly independent audits of production and storage facilities, and termly school monitoring for compliance with food storage, preparation, and plant-based meal standards.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.25M
Contributions & grants$1.20M96%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$53K4%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$900K
Program expenses83%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$77K
Grants paid out$732K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$2.03M
Cash$1.84M
Investments$0
Liabilities$567
Net assets$2.03M
Liquid reserves24.6 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +35.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOPAZ PAGE-GREEN | PRESIDENT & CEO | 40 | $19K |
board members · 5
- ANTAR THIAM — TREASURER/DIRECTOR (FROM 8/22/24)
- CANICE PRENDERGAST — DIRECTOR (FROM 8/22/24)
- EMMANUEL ROMAN — DIRECTOR
- JOAQUIN PHOENIX — DIRECTOR (UNTIL 8/19/24)
- RAIN PHOENIX — TREASURER/DIRECTOR (UNTIL 8/19/24)
relationships · 17
Who they work with
- Associação Iniciative Mocambicana De Lanche Escolar Partner — In-country partner in Mozambique responsible for training and employing pre-school teachers and supporting meal program implementation.
- Connect for Change Partner — Partner organization supporting The Lunchbox Fund
- Fedex Partner — Partner organization supporting The Lunchbox Fund
- Fedex Logistics Partner — Partner organization supporting The Lunchbox Fund
- Full Tummy Fund Partner — Partner organization supporting The Lunchbox Fund
- Guidestar Government — Achieved Platinum Status from Guidestar, a public charity that collects and organizes nonprofit information.
- Hamilton Russell Vineyards Partner — Partner organization supporting The Lunchbox Fund
- Kraft Heinz Foundation Partner — Partner organization supporting The Lunchbox Fund
- LEAP Science and Maths Schools Partner — Partner organization supporting The Lunchbox Fund
- Nutrition Information Centre at the University of Stellenbosch Partner — External reviewer that evaluated the nutritional adequacy and quality of Lunchbox Fund’s meal program.
- Nutrition Information Centre of the University of Stellenbosch Partner — Conducts biennial audits of the Lunchbox Fund's menu and nutritional impact.
- Shoprite Checkers Partner — Partner organization supporting The Lunchbox Fund
- Sizani Foods Partner — Food supplier that produces and stores Lunchbox Fund’s nutritionally fortified food products under strict food safety standards.
- South African government support systems Government — Operated emergency food relief in parallel with or in response to limitations in government support systems during the 2020 hunger crisis.
- Spur Foundation Partner — Partner organization supporting The Lunchbox Fund
- Vodacom Foundation Partner — Partner organization supporting The Lunchbox Fund
- Woolworths My School Card Partner — Partner organization supporting The Lunchbox Fund
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community Co-Investment and Local Ownershipmethodology: community co-investmentBy requiring schools to contribute locally sourced vegetables, we promote community ownership, dietary diversity, and program sustainability, because shared investment strengthens local engagement and ensures cultural relevance and resilience of the feeding program.
- Cost-Constrained Scalable Deliverymethodology: cost-constrained scalabilityBy designing meals and logistics to operate at approximately $0.25 per serving, we enable large-scale reach within limited budgets, because cost efficiency is a prerequisite for expanding nutrition programs to the most underserved schools without compromising nutritional quality.
- Integrated Early Childhood Development Supportmethodology: integrated-ecd-supportBy combining nutrition programs with early learning activities in pre-schools and playgroups, we enhance holistic child development, because integrating nutritional support with cognitive stimulation during critical developmental windows produces compounding benefits for long-term outcomes.
- Nutrition as a Clinical and Developmental Interventionmethodology: nutritional-interventionBy delivering nutritionally balanced, fortified, and plant-based meals, we correct micronutrient deficiencies, reduce stunting, and improve child health and development, because targeted dietary inputs address multiple forms of malnutrition and support cognitive and physical growth in vulnerable children.
- School Meal Incentive Modelmethodology: school-meal-incentiveBy providing daily school meals, we increase school attendance and improve children's ability to concentrate and learn, because food-insecure children are more likely to attend school regularly when a nutritious meal is guaranteed, thereby improving educational outcomes and breaking the cycle of poverty.