Means Database

Also known as FoodRecoveryorg

Washington, DC · EIN 47-4262060 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for calendar year 2024 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Means Database reported $161.6 million in revenue and $161.6 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $99.88 went to program services, $0.07 to management and general costs and $0.05 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 100.0% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $71,389 (Executive Director). Revenue rose 59277% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.

Where $100 of spending went

Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $162M

Program services$99.88 $161M
Management & general$0.07 $109K
Fundraising$0.05 $76,163

For context, the median across 349 covered food, agriculture & nutrition charities: $94.56 programs, $3.12 management, $2.32 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).

Where $100 of revenue came from

Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $162M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$99.99 $162M
Investment income$0.01 $10,825
Other revenue$0.00 $1,042

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

2024 filing. Median across 349 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure	2024	Median
Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)	99.9%	94.2%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	0.1%	3.1%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	0.0%	2.3%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.00	$0.02
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	100.0%	96.4%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	0.0%	10.5%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	0.0%	1.3%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$71,389	$213,323
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	0.04%	0.61%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	0	3
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	0.1	6.6
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	3 of 3	100.0%

A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.

What the money paid for, in its own words

2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expense

$161M expenses · 100.0% of program spending · grants $160M · revenue $65,422

Core Food Recovery Program - Our core program at FoodRecovery.org is our food recovery program, where food businesses with extra food can post a donation, and our system automatically emails and texts nearby emergency food providers. Our goal is to connect surplus and need in communities across the country. Our outreach team works to grow our network of donors and recipients, and our tech team works to maintain our website, expand its functionality, and improve accessibility features to best serve our users. This program is completely free for both food donors and recipient organizations to…

Highest reported compensation

2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here

Role	From this org	From related orgs	Other	Total
Executive Director Officer, 36.00 hrs/week	$69,932	$0	$1,457	$71,389

0 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Means Database (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $69,932 (Part IX, line 5).

6 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked

RevenueExpenses

Filing	Revenue	Expenses	Programs	Net assets	Top pay
2024 ⓘ	$162M	$162M	99.9%	$720K	$71,389
2023 ⓘ	$102M	$102M	100.0%	$648K	$74,194
2022 ⓘ	$1.0M	$669K	89.6%	$496K	$69,000
2021 ⓘ	$396K	$3.4M	97.9%	$152K	$72,662
2020 ⓘ	$4.7M	$1.7M	95.3%	$3.1M	$59,712
2019 ⓘ	$272K	$201K	72.6%	$91,957	$26,850

Governance answers, as filed

2024 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means

Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b3 · 3 independent
Audited financial statements Part XII 2bNo
Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aNo
Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
Employees Part I, line 514
Volunteers Part I, line 612

Private foundation grants it received

2 private foundations reported grants to Means Database totaling $20,055 on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.

Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.

Correct a figure or respond

Every number above is copied from Means Database's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Means Database, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Report a correction Respond as Means Database How this works

Similar-sized charities in this cause

Feeding South Florida
Pembroke Park, FL · revenue $161M · programs 98.0% · FY2025
Utah Food Bank
Salt Lake City, UT · revenue $163M · programs 95.9% · FY2025
Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
Concord, CA · revenue $157M · programs 97.0% · FY2025
San Francisco Food Bank
San Francisco, CA · revenue $167M · programs 93.2% · FY2025
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tn
Nashville, TN · revenue $157M · programs 95.8% · FY2025

All food, agriculture & nutrition charities · Largest charities in District of Columbia

Questions people ask

How much of Means Database's spending goes to programs?

In calendar year 2024, Means Database reported that 99.9% of its $161.6 million in expenses went to program services, 0.1% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Means Database pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Means Database reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $71,389, for the role of Executive Director (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Means Database get its money?

Of $161.6 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 100.0% came from contributions and grants and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Means Database a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 47-4262060 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.

Sources

2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202513219349321226 · read the filing · XML
2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202412849349300231 · read the filing
2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202321749349301002 · read the filing
2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202240839349301514 · read the filing
2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202121379349306127 · read the filing
2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202011989349300841 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 47-4262060: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.