Lowcountry Food Bank Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To unite our community in pursuit of equitable, dignified and consistent access to food.
- Income
- $90.1 million
- Spending
- $88.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 96%
- Reserves
- 3.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 93%
- Employees
- 105
- Volunteers
- 8,000
- Highest pay
- $285,217, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 85 out of 100.
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 3% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1596% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2517 of 17 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (2)
- $83.4 million spent. Food Distribution: The Lowcountry Food Bank's (LCFB) mission is unite our community in pursuit of equitable, dignified and consistent access to food. Since 1983, we have been the premier hunger-relief organization in the 10 coastal counties of South Carolina (Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper and Williamsburg). In 2024, the LCFB distributed, in partnership with approximately 230 partners, over 45.8 million pounds, including over 17.5 million pounds of fresh produce to over 200,000 food-insecure children, seniors and families across coastal South Carolina. The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) served approximately 3,123 seniors monthly.
- $1.2 million spent. Child and Senior Hunger-Relief Programs: Lowcountry Food Bank reaches children and seniorsthrough multiple programs. Through our BackPack Buddies program, we reached over 3,000children a week during the school year, distributing more than 80,286 BackPack Buddies bags. We partnered with 24 schools to reach students and their families through either pre-packed boxes or an onsite market, distributing over 156,928 pounds of food. Through our Kids Cafe program, we work with afterschool program partners to provide children 133,484 supper meals and/or snacks daily at 27 sites. During the summer months, we worked with summer camps to distribute over 18,089 meals to 16 sites. Our Fresh for Kids program distributed more than 31,924 pounds of fresh produce to students and their families. The seniors and veterans in our community continued to be fed through our partnerships with Meals on Wheels and other organizations reaching seniors and other homebound adults; more than 151,776 prepared meals delivered to seniors and 2,310 meals to our veterans.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1984.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.