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Food Lifeline
Food Lifeline reported $156.5 million in revenue and $162.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $95.76 went to program services, $2.20 to management and general costs and $2.04 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.2% of the total. Government grants made up 13.0%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $262,037 (CDO). 19 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 6% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $162MFor 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
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $157MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 95.8% | 94.2% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 2.2% | 3.1% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 2.0% | 2.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.02 | $0.02 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 99.2% | 96.4% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 13.0% | 10.5% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $262,037 | $213,323 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.16% | 0.61% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 19 | 3 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 1.4 | 6.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 17 of 17 | 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
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseFeeding people today: Food Lifeline procures, processes, and distributes food to agency and network partners. As the tefap lead agency for king county, Food Lifeline works with wsda to feed western washington. Resources are donated by local governments, corporations, organizations, and community. In FY 25, volunteers contributed over 50,000 hours to support Food Lifeline
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $235,912 | $0 | $26,125 | $262,037 |
| PRESIDENT & CEO END 3/3/25 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $247,168 | $0 | $0 | $247,168 |
| CAO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $214,734 | $0 | $25,980 | $240,714 |
| COO END 1/24/25 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $205,572 | $0 | $19,413 | $224,985 |
| COO END 1/24/25 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $222,914 | $0 | $0 | $222,914 |
| CFO END 1/6/25 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $211,006 | $0 | $3,760 | $214,766 |
| DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $140,837 | $0 | $17,146 | $157,983 |
| DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $130,956 | $0 | $16,096 | $147,052 |
19 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Food Lifeline (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.3M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · 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–1b17 · 17 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- 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 15aYes
- 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 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5138
- Volunteers Part I, line 617,000
Private foundation grants it received
57 private foundations reported grants to Food Lifeline totaling $2.0M 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 Food Lifeline's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Food Lifeline, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Food Lifeline spent in FY2025, $95.76 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Tarrant Area Food BankFort Worth, TX · revenue $156M · programs 95.3% · FY2025
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TnNashville, TN · revenue $157M · programs 95.8% · FY2025
- Gleaners Food Bank of IndianaIndianapolis, IN · revenue $156M · programs 96.1% · FY2025
- Food Bank of Contra Costa and SolanoConcord, CA · revenue $157M · programs 97.0% · FY2025
- Second Harvest Inland NorthwestSpokane, WA · revenue $152M · programs 98.4% · FY2025
All food, agriculture & nutrition charities · Largest charities in Washington
Questions people ask
How much of Food Lifeline's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Food Lifeline reported that 95.8% of its $162.3 million in expenses went to program services, 2.2% to management and general and 2.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Food Lifeline pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Food Lifeline reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $262,037, for the role of CDO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Food Lifeline get its money?
Of $156.5 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 99.2% came from contributions and grants (including 13.0% from government grants) and 0.7% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Food Lifeline a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 91-1090450 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
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202601359349312005 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202521299349303882 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202411159349301971 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202311359349318986 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202221369349316947 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202131279349303058 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 91-1090450: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.