irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $7.43MTHE FOODLINK COMMUNITY KITCHEN PRODUCES NEARLY 11,000 HEALTHY SNACKS AND SCRATCH-MADE MEALS PER DAY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AND NEARLY 200,000 MEALS DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS AS THE LEAD PROVIDER OF SUMMER MEALS. FOODLINK CURRENTLY SERVES OVER 113 MEAL SITES, INCLUDING SCHOOLS, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, CHILDCARE CENTERS, SENIOR CENTERS/SITES, AND SUMMER PROGRAMS, PROVIDING NUTRITIOUS MEALS TO THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN AND SENIORS IN MONROE COUNTY. THE MEALS PRODUCED ARE SCRATCH-MADE, NUTRITIOUS MEALS THAT GO WELL BEYOND THE FEDERAL NUTRITION GUIDELINES AND RAISE THE BAR ON THE QUALITY OF INSTITUTIONAL MEAL SERVICE. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, FOODLINK PRODUCED 522,649 BREAKFASTS, 1,001,275 LUNCHES, AND 610,738 SNACKS AND SECURED $776,546 TO SUPPORT THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THESE MEALS FOR AT-RISK MEAL PROGRAMS.
- #2 $2.79MFOODLINK'S COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAMS SUPPORT FOOD ACCESS AND EDUCATION THROUGH A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS. THE CURBSIDE MARKET PROGRAM BRINGS FRESH, AFFORDABLE FOOD TO LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS ROCHESTER THROUGH MOBILE MARKETS THAT MAKE WEEKLY STOPS AT AFFORDABLE HOUSING SITES, SENIOR CENTERS, HEALTH CLINICS, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS. THIS PROGRAM PROMOTES FOOD ACCESS BY SERVING AREAS THAT LACK TRADITIONAL GROCERY STORES AND BY ACCEPTING BENEFITS SUCH AS SNAP, WIC, DOUBLE UP FOOD BUCKS, AND MORE. THE FOODLINK COMMUNITY FARM IS THE LARGEST URBAN FARM IN ROCHESTER AT 2.3 ACRES AND CONSISTS OF COMMUNITY GARDEN PLOTS THAT SERVE OVER 100 LOCAL FAMILIES, A COMMERCIAL GROWING OPERATION, AN EDIBLE EDUCATION CENTER FOR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING, A GREENHOUSE FOR YEAR-ROUND GROWING, AND A PUBLIC POCKET PARK. FOODLINK'S COMMUNITY-FOCUSED INITIATIVES ALSO INCLUDE NUTRITION EDUCATION, FOOD SAFETY CLASSES, AND BENEFITS NAVIGATION SUPPORT, ALL PROVIDED ACROSS A VARIETY OF SETTINGS IN THE COMMUNITY. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, FOODLINK PERFORMED 31,932 TRANSACTIONS AT THE CURBSIDE MARKET, PRODUCED 3,544 POUNDS OF PRODUCE AT THE COMMUNITY FARM, AND REACHED 3,349 PEOPLE THROUGH NUTRITION EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND DEMOS AND 773 THROUGH BENEFITS NAVIGATION SUPPORT.
named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Curbside Market
Mobile market program that brings fresh, affordable food to low-income neighborhoods in Rochester, accepting SNAP, WIC, and Double Up Food Bucks at weekly stops.
Foodlink Career Fellowship
Yearlong culinary training program and NYS Registered Apprenticeship that prepares individuals with employment barriers for living-wage jobs in the food industry, including 1,000+ hours of on-the-job training and externships.
Foodlink Community Farm
2.3-acre urban farm in Rochester that includes community garden plots, commercial growing operations, nutrition education, and an edible education center for school and community groups.
Foodlink Community Kitchen
Produces nearly 11,000 scratch-made, nutritious meals and snacks daily during the school year for children and seniors at over 113 meal sites in Monroe County.
Nutrition Education and Benefits Navigation
Offers workshops, cooking demos, food safety classes, and support applying for SNAP, WIC, and other benefits to improve food security and health outcomes.
Summer Meals Program
Provides summer meals to children through mobile "Meal Mobiles" and fixed sites, serving nearly 200,000 meals annually during summer months.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 3 activities
- Distribute food through a regional food bank networkDistributes millions of pounds of purchased and donated food annually to over 500 nonprofit partner agencies—including food pantries, community meal programs, shelters, and school-based pantries—across a 10-county region in New York, with a focus on urban, suburban, and rural communities.
- Operate pop-up and emergency food pantriesProvides emergency food relief through pop-up pantries that deliver healthy, perishable food to areas with limited access to traditional food services, including rural and underserved communities, often in partnership with local organizations.
- Run mobile meal and market programsOperates mobile programs including Meal Mobiles and the Curbside Market to increase access to healthy food; delivers summer meals to children via an “ice cream truck model” and runs 41 mobile market stops weekly at affordable housing sites, senior centers, health clinics, and community centers across Rochester, accepting SNAP, WIC, FMNP, and other payment forms year-round.
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Youth and Family Cooking Education 1 activity
- Deliver nutrition education and cooking programsOffers hands-on cooking classes, interactive nutrition sessions, and recipe demonstrations to individuals, families, and youth groups; provides free public workshops at the Rochester Public Market and Edible Education Center, and distributes Edible Education Kits with lesson plans to schools and youth programs to teach nutrition and food literacy.
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Food Policy Advocacy & Nutrition Education 1 activity
- Engage in food policy advocacy and public benefit outreachAdvocates for food security by testifying on SNAP benefits, meeting with elected officials, supporting the planning of a local food policy council, and conducting advocacy work on Capitol Hill; also provides benefits navigation support to connect individuals with public assistance programs.
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Church and Congregation-Based Financial Aid 1 activity
- Fund food safety training for shelter and meal site workersFunds the cost of ServSafe and other certified food safety training for one food service worker per HPNAP-funded Emergency Shelter or Community Meal Site, supporting workforce capacity in partner organizations.
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Culinary Workforce Training Programs 1 activity
- Offer culinary job training and workforce developmentRuns the Foodlink Career Fellowship, a yearlong culinary training program and New York State Registered Apprenticeship for cooks, providing hands-on experience preparing meals for community programs; graduates transition into culinary careers with increased wages and high workforce retention rates.
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Community-Based Urban Agriculture 1 activity
- Operate urban agriculture and community farming programsManages the 2.3-acre Foodlink Community Farm—the largest urban farm in Rochester—featuring 1.6 acres of commercial growing, over 100 community garden plots, a greenhouse, edible education center, and public park; supports food production, volunteer engagement, and educational field trips for students and resettled refugees.
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Child & Youth Meal Programs 1 activity
- Produce and distribute meals for children and community programsPrepares and distributes over 2 million meals annually to students and community programs through the Foodlink Community Kitchen, producing nearly 11,000 meals per day during the school year and serving over 113 sites in Monroe County, including schools, daycares, R-Centers, and afterschool programs, with menus exceeding federal nutrition standards.
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Diaper and Baby Supply Distribution 1 activity
- Provide personal care and baby product distributionSupplies personal hygiene, baby care, and cleaning products at no cost to member agencies for distribution to food-insecure individuals and families, and partners with the National Diaper Bank Network and Junior League of Rochester to coordinate local diaper distribution.
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Food System Convening & Public Engagement 1 activity
- Support grassroots marketing and community outreachEmploys and compensates over 50 Curbside Market Ambassadors across more than 24 communities to promote the mobile market through flyers, workshops, and customer recruitment, enhancing access to healthy food in low-income neighborhoods.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$72.32M
Contributions & grants$56.12M78%
Program service revenue$14.73M20%
Investment income$80K0%
Other revenue$1.39M
expenses
Total expenses$67.55M
Program expenses95%
Admin / overhead3%
Fundraising2%
Salaries & benefits$10.31M
Grants paid out$6.87M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$24.87M
Cash$1.26M
Investments$0
Liabilities$11.04M
Net assets$13.83M
Liquid reserves0.2 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +14.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 8
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JULIA TEDESCO | PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUT | 32 | $284K |
| TERRA KELLER | COO & CFO | 38 | $232K |
| MITCHELL GRUBER | CHIEF PROGRAMS OFFICER | 35 | $175K |
| ELIZABETH HERSHEL | VP, DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | 35 | $142K |
| JESSICA SCANNELL | VP, CAREER EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVES | 35 | $129K |
| CARL SIMON | VP, INFRASTRUCTURE & SUSTAINABILITY | 35 | $127K |
| MICHAEL PITTS | VP, FOOD BANK | 35 | $123K |
| TASHANDA THOMAS STARTING 824 | CHIEF PEOPLE AND CULTURE OFFICER | 35 | $58K |
board members · 17
- AARON BERTRAM — DIRECTOR
- BOBBY COLON — DIRECTOR
- BONNIE DEVINNEY — CHAIR
- CAREY COREA — DIRECTOR
- COURTNEY COTRUPE — DIRECTOR
- EDITH WILLIAMS — DIRECTOR
- GARTH HANKINSON — DIRECTOR
- KIMBERLY BRAITHWAITE — DIRECTOR
- KRISTIAN WALKER — DIRECTOR
- LISA BOBO — DIRECTOR
- LOREN FLAUM — TREASURER
- LUIS BURGOS — DIRECTOR
- MATTHEW SQUIRES — DIRECTOR
- MEGHAN DIPASQUALE — SECRETARY
- MEGHAN SCHUBLMEHL — DIRECTOR
- MOLLY CUMMINGS — DIRECTOR
- NADA DEBBAGHI — DIRECTOR
relationships · 43
Who they work with
- Capitol Hill Government — Engaged in advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill.
- Catalyst Kitchens Partner — National partner providing expertise in foodservice job-training models.
- City of Rochester Government — Government funder providing ARPA grant funding for the Fellowship program.
- City of Rochester Partner — Collaborates with Foodlink in the Summer Meals Partnership of Rochester to provide summer meals for children.
- Del Monte Hotel Group Partner — Regional employer that helped shape the culinary training curriculum.
- Double Up Food Bucks Partner — Accepts Double Up Food Bucks benefits through the Curbside Market Program
- ESL Charitable Foundation Funder — Major funder that supported the pilot year of the program.
- FMNP Government — Accepts Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) benefits for WIC and Senior participants at all stops.
- Feeding America Network — Member of the Feeding America national food bank network, citing its annual 'Map the Meal Gap' report.
- Feeding America Network — Member of the Feeding America national food bank network.
- Foodlink Community Farm Partner — Co-hosts free nutrition lessons and recipe demonstrations with Foodlink’s educators.
- Fresh Connect Government — Accepts Fresh Connect checks as a form of payment at Curbside Market stops.
- Junior League of Rochester Partner — Worked in partnership with the Junior League of Rochester to take over local responsibilities for the Diaper Bank program.
- Kelaron Group Partner — Regional employer that helped shape the culinary training curriculum.
- KeyBank Foundation Funder — Supporter that made significant investments in the Fellowship as the program expanded.
- Le Petite Poutine Partner — Regional employer that helped shape the culinary training curriculum.
- Monroe County Government — Funds Foodlink’s summer meals program through an ARPA grant.
- Monroe County Department of Health Government — Approves Foodlink's Level 2 Food Handler Certification program.
- Mothers in Need of Others (MINO) Partner — Partnered with MINO, integrating its operations into Foodlink in 2025 to launch the Health & Wellness Program.
- National Diaper Bank Network Network — Became a member of the National Diaper Bank Network in 2025 to support regional diaper distribution.
- Native Restaurant & Eatery Partner — Regional employer that helped shape the culinary training curriculum.
- ROC Ecology Partners Partner — Collaborated with Foodlink to host the inaugural summer camp at the Foodlink Community Farm in 2025.
- Rochester City School District Partner — Collaborates with Foodlink in the Summer Meals Partnership of Rochester to ensure children have access to healthy meals during summer months.
- Rochester City School District Partner — Hosts field trips for third-grade students at the Foodlink Community Farm.
- Rochester Public Market Partner — Collaborates on hosting free public nutrition lessons and recipe demonstrations every Thursday.
- SNAP Government — Accepts SNAP benefits and partners with the Double Up Food Bucks program to increase purchasing power for SNAP users.
- SNAP Government — Accepts SNAP benefits through the Curbside Market Program
- SNAP Government — Connects residents to SNAP benefits as part of the Curbside Market Ambassador program.
- St. John Fisher University Partner — Regional employer that helped shape the culinary training curriculum.
- The Jacques Pépin Foundation Funder — Supporter that made significant investments in the Fellowship as the program expanded.
+ 13 more
strategies · 4
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.
- Client Choice and Dignity Modelmethodology: client_choiceBy offering client-directed food access through school-based pantries and culturally relevant ordering systems, we increase engagement and reduce waste because autonomy in selection improves utilization and respects personal and cultural dietary needs.
- Community-Led and Peer-Powered Engagementmethodology: peer-led educationBy training and empowering local residents as Ambassadors to co-lead outreach, education, and program design, we improve access and trust because peer relationships and community ownership increase relevance, participation, and sustainability of programs.
- Food as Public Health Interventionmethodology: food-as-public-health-interventionBy distributing fresh, nutritious food through evidence-based nutrition standards like The Healthy Choice ranking system, we reduce diet-related diseases and improve community health because food quality directly impacts long-term health outcomes.
- Upstream Systems Change Through Integrated Approachesmethodology: upstream interventionBy combining emergency food relief with workforce development, advocacy, and root-cause interventions, we reduce long-term dependency on aid because addressing structural barriers like employment and inequitable systems produces sustainable reductions in food insecurity.