AGENCY PORTAL

HOW TO BECOME A PARTNER AGENCY

An agency or program must be a member of the Regional Food Bank to access our inventory. Our partner agencies are food pantries, community meal sites, emergency shelters, and other programs serving neighbors throughout our 23-county service area experiencing food insecurity.

Your agency could qualify to become a Partner Agency if it meets the below criteria:

• Program holds a 501(c)(3) public charity, tax-exempt status, or is sponsored by an organization holding this status, or is associated with a church. Official documentation will need to be provided during the onboarding process.
• At least 50% of people served by its mission are economically disadvantaged
• Does not charge money, solicit donations, or promote religious or political beliefs when distributing food
• Has a brick-and-mortar food storage location that is secured, and not used as a private residence (N/A if applying as residential program or shelter)

If your program is associated with a senior living facility for economically disadvantaged, a school, or is a day program without a 501(c)3 public charity, you may still be eligible. Please complete the form below and a member of our team will get back to you.

There are additional considerations for membership including the strength of the application, how the program complements our existing network of members, the program’s community impact, and alignment with the Regional Food Bank’s mission, values, and goals. Please review our membership policies for more detailed membership expectations.

The Regional Food Bank participates in USDA TEFAP and is an equal opportunity provider.

Our members have access to:

• Our large inventory of low-cost or no-cost foods and non-food items. Most items in our inventory still carry a charge, even as our staff work to secure low-cost food to make available to our members.
• Additional food resources through the Retail Store Donation Program for qualifying programs.
• Grant funds to purchase healthy, nutritious food, and capital equipment for qualifying programs through the New York State HPNAP grant.
• No-cost USDA food through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) for qualifying programs.
• The technical support, knowledge, and experience of our food system professionals.
• Workshops, networking, and training opportunities with other charitable food programs.
• …And so much more