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research dossier

FOOD FOR SOUL INC

LIVERPOOL, NY · EIN 831434658 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE K30 · Food, Agriculture & Nutrition · Small ($100K-$1M)

revenue

$830K

expenses

$698K

net assets

$336K

employees

volunteers

program ratio

74%

mission · from form 990

FOOD FOR SOUL, INC. HELPS TO CREATE INCLUSIVE AND BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY KITCHENS IN WHICH NOT ONLY OUR GUESTS, PEOPLE IN NEED AND IN VULNERABLE CONDITIONS, CAN FEEL WELCOMED AND INSPIRED - OUR REFETTORIOS ARE SPACES FOR EVERYONE, BECAUSE THE DOORS ARE ALWAYS OPEN. CHEFS ARE INVITED TO TRANSFORM SURPLUS FOOD, OTHERWISE WASTED, INTO NUTRITIOUS AND HEALTHY MEALS. THEIR CREATIVITY AND EXPERTISE ARE ESSENTIAL TO TURN DISCARDED OR ORDINARY INGREDIENTS INTO SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY. VOLUNTEERS ARE INVITED TO SERVE GUESTS AT THE TABLE, TO CALL THEM BY THEIR NAMES, TO CREATE HUMAN CONTACTS. DESIGNERS AND ARTISTS TURN NEGLECTED SPACES INTO INSPIRING HUBS FULL OF ART, DESIGN AND BEAUTY.

profile · synthesized from sources

Food for Soul Inc operates community kitchens called Refettorios that serve people in need while reducing food waste. Chefs transform surplus ingredients into nutritious meals, and volunteers help serve guests in a dignified, inclusive setting. The organization emphasizes beauty and human connection by involving artists and designers to create inspiring spaces.

named programs · 1 · from sources

What they call their work

Refettorio Community Kitchens

Community kitchens that provide nutritious meals made from surplus food to people in need, while fostering dignity through beauty, art, and human connection.

activities · 3 groups

What they do

Volunteer-Driven Residential Care Support 1 activity
- Engage volunteers to serve meals and foster personal connections
  
  Utilizes volunteers to serve meals and build meaningful personal relationships with guests by calling them by name, promoting dignity and human connection within the Refettorio community spaces.
Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
- Operate Refettorio community kitchens providing meals and inclusive spaces
  
  Operates community kitchens named Refettorios that are open to all, offering nutritious meals prepared by chefs using surplus and discarded food, while creating inclusive environments for individuals in need and vulnerable conditions.
Community-Engaged Public Art Projects 1 activity
- Transform neglected spaces into community hubs through design and art collaborations
  
  Collaborates with designers and artists to renovate and repurpose underused or neglected spaces into aesthetically rich, functional community hubs that serve as Refettorios.

financials · form 990 · fy2024

revenue

Total revenue$830K

Contributions & grants$830K100%

Program service revenue$00%

Investment income$00%

Other revenue$0

expenses

Total expenses$698K

Program expenses74%

Admin / overhead21%

Fundraising5%

Salaries & benefits$208K

Grants paid out$198K

Largest expense lineCompensation

balance sheet

Total assets$336K

Cash$306K

Investments$0

Liabilities$0

Net assets$336K

Liquid reserves5.3 mo

3 years on record · 2022–2024 · YoY revenue +36.4%

leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1

Name	Title	Hours/wk	Compensation
JILL CONKLIN	EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR	40	$127K

board members · 2

LARA TROLY GILMORE — PRESIDENT
MASSIMO BOTTURA — SECRETARY

strategies · 3

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.

Culinary Innovation to Reduce Waste and Increase Access 30 orgs

methodology: food-waste-reduction-through-culinary-innovation
By using culinary creativity to transform surplus and low-value ingredients into high-quality meals, we reduce food waste and increase access to nutritious food because innovative preparation makes otherwise discarded food both palatable and dignified.
shared approach: Food Rescue and Redistribution →
Beauty and Design as Social Inclusion

methodology: beauty-and-design-as-social-inclusion
By integrating art and design into service spaces, we affirm human worth and encourage community engagement because beautiful, intentional environments signal respect and belonging, elevating the experience beyond mere service delivery.
Dignity-Centered Service Model

methodology: dignity-centered-service-model
By training volunteers to serve guests personally—using names and direct engagement—we foster belonging and social inclusion because personal recognition affirms dignity and strengthens human connection in service settings.