Field Notes
Observations on food security, philanthropy, and the systems that connect them.
June 25, 2026
Most regions plan food relief on gap estimates that live in people's heads. A quietly impressive statewide map out of Missouri shows what it looks like to write those assumptions down — and why the disciplines behind it, not the map itself, are the part worth copying.
April 30, 2026
Inside the operational reality of retailer-to-pantry food donation, where coordination gaps, capacity limits, and tightening supply collide with rising demand.
March 26, 2026
Most federal policy changes arrive slowly enough that foundations can watch, assess, and respond over time. The SNAP cuts in H.R. 1 are different. The eligibility changes are effective immediately. The cost shifts arrive in 2027. And the demand on your grantee network is already building.
February 20, 2026
When families spend significantly more on health insurance, fewer dollars remain for food. The expiration of enhanced ACA subsidies is an upstream driver of food insecurity that community foundations and food relief organizations cannot afford to ignore.
February 6, 2026
The Maryland Food Bank isn't just distributing food. It's funding pathways out of hunger. Their Neighbor Impact Grant offers a glimpse of where food security philanthropy is headed, and the coordination challenges that come with it.
January 30, 2026
A peer-reviewed study mapped 34,475 food pantries across the U.S. and found that nearly 1 in 4 neighborhoods have low access to food assistance. The findings reveal why density alone doesn't equal coverage, and what that means for foundations funding food relief.
January 14, 2026
Poultry industry executives poured millions into supporting anti-immigrant campaigns while their processing plants depended on immigrant labor. Now, as TPS terminations strip work authorization from thousands of workers, those same companies are quietly reaching across the aisle for help.
January 5, 2026
A landmark investigation revealed Instacart was charging different customers different prices for identical groceries, with variations up to 23%. For families already struggling to put food on the table, the implications go far beyond convenience.
December 29, 2025
SNAP benefits generate nearly $2 in economic activity for every $1 spent, but coming program cuts will hit rural communities hardest, where a single grocery store can anchor an entire local economy.
December 10, 2025
New data from Purdue's Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability shows U.S. food insecurity spiked sharply in November 2025, with SNAP participants hit hardest. For community foundations funding food relief, the numbers reveal an urgent coordination problem.
November 21, 2025
Middle and high schoolers would rather go hungry than face the stigma of school food programs. One West Virginia food bank found a way to reach them through confidential home delivery and creative partnerships.
November 12, 2025
New research reveals affluent giving participation has dropped 10 percentage points since 2015, yet average gifts now exceed $33,000. This creates an urgent coordination crisis for community foundations.
October 30, 2025
Only 25% of food banks nationwide excel at website advocacy. MANNA Food Bank is one of them, and their approach offers a blueprint for how food relief organizations can drive both immediate impact and systemic change in Western North Carolina.
October 23, 2025
When GoFundMe created 1.4 million unauthorized donation pages, it revealed a critical divide in nonprofit technology: platforms built FOR organizations versus those built WITH them.
July 24, 2025
A new piece from the Center for Effective Philanthropy makes a compelling case that funders don't need to 'bet' on grassroots organizations; they need to listen to them, resource them, and follow their lead.
June 17, 2025
The American Red Cross has approved an additional $500,000 for Western North Carolina's Relief to Resilience project, enabling grassroots food organizations to deliver over 40,000 additional meals and nearly $200,000 in direct farm purchases through the FastRoots-coordinated initiative.
April 28, 2025
FastRoots co-founders Fuller and Corzine spoke with Xpress about how their company bridges a gap to help community-led efforts become more effective and sustainable.
April 15, 2025
With a $1 million investment from the American Red Cross, five visionary organizations unite to pioneer a data-driven food assistance system, transforming disaster relief into lasting resilience in Western North Carolina.
