AGENCY PORTAL

HOW TO BECOME A PARTNER AGENCY OR PROGRAM

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 under-resourced individuals experiencing food insecurity.

Interested in Becoming a Member Agency or Program?

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

• Program holds a 501(c)(3) non-profit, public charity, tax-exempt status, or is sponsored by an organization holding this status, and can provide the 9-digit EIN for verification
• 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 an 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.

Please note: We reserve the right to decline or terminate membership for any reason. 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.

Membership Benefits

Our members have access to:

• Our large inventory of low-cost or no-cost foods and non-food items.
• 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

Please note, we work tirelessly to source low-cost food for agencies to distribute to neighbors in need, but there is still a charge for most of the items distributed by the Regional Food Bank. The Regional Food Bank participates in USDA TEFAP and is an equal opportunity provider.

We will respond to your request in about two weeks with a quick phone screening. Once that phone screening is completed, qualifying programs may be asked to complete an application. Once the application is reviewed and accepted, a site inspection by Regional Food Bank personnel will be scheduled. Upon passing the site inspection and meeting all other requirements, your agency or program may be onboarded as a member agency, or added to our program list.