Meals on Wheels of Tampa Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Meals On Wheels serves approximately 1,000 individuals daily with a hot, nutritious meal delivered to their door by a caring volunteer. An additional 755 meals per day are prepared and delivered to community partners and mission based nonprofits. The encouraging words from volunteers, provides enrichment for the soul. For many of the homebound, a visit from a volunteer is the only human contact they will receive that day. Together we strengthen the community by caring for a segment of our population who are often forgotten and can not get out of the house.
- Income
- $6.3 million
- Spending
- $6.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 10.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 52%
- Employees
- 56
- Volunteers
- 640
- Highest pay
- $207,425, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 78% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 10.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 20 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2521 of 21 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 June 30, 2025, 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 (3)
- $5.0 million spent. Homebound Meal Delivery: Meals On Wheels of Tampa's (MOWT) mission is "to nourish, enrich and strengthen the lives of seniors (62 and older) and individuals who have difficulty leaving their homes and are challenged to prepare meals". The delivery of daily hot meals by caring and trusted volunteers gives seniors and homebound citizens the opportunity to age in place with consistent balanced nutrition, dignity, safety, and independence. During fiscal year 2025, approximately 262,000 meals were delivered through our Homebound Meal Delivery program to more than 1,186 recipients. All meals are produced daily by professional staff in the MOWT commercial kitchen. We offer 3 menus to select from: Heart Healthy, Diabetic Friendly, and Renal Friendly. MOWT is meeting the specific dietary needs of the fastest growing segment of the community, our seniors, many of whom require healthy food delivered to their doorstep, at an affordable price, to age in place. At no extra charge, recipients also receive once a month delivery of fresh produce, an Annual Hurricane Pack, a Holiday Gift Bag, and birthday cake to ensure they are not forgotten and are well supported. MOWT requests a contribution from recipients for the service. 89% of the neighbors we serve are on a private pay plan, the other 11% have insurance coverage which provides the meals. Of those on private pay, only 18% can afford the full cost of their meals, 63% receive meals at a discounted rate and 19% receive our meals at no cost to them. No one is ever turned away from service due to an inability to pay for their meals. As a privately funded organization, community contributions and earned income from MOWT's social enterprise address this funding gap. In FY 2025, Meals On Wheels of Tampa's commercial kitchen produced over 621,000 meals that were distributed in the Tampa Bay Area in support of our mission.
- Social Connection: Research affirms what we have known anecdotally for years. Social connection is effective in making a profound difference in the lives of older adults and homebound citizens. A daily knock on the door from a MOWT volunteer bringing a hot meal, offering encouraging words and a vital safety check on isolated neighbors, is a crucial ingredient in the powerful impact of this mission. Volunteers are the heart and soul of MOWT. The volunteer is often the only person the recipient will talk to during the day. In FY 2025, 1,879 volunteers generously donated their time, vehicles, fuel, and compassion to improve the lives, outlook, and well-being of our recipients. Their gift of service allows us to deliver at an affordable price and provides the crucial social connection that means the world to adults isolated by age and/or health restrictions. The on-going recruitment of volunteers is essential to meet the growing demand of the mission.
- Strengthening the Community: By joining together with the board of directors, corporate supporters, foundations, individuals, and civic and faith groups, together we strengthen the community through service and care of those citizens who are often forgotten simply because we do not see them in need as they live behind closed doors where they wait for help. Yet, their health and well-being are essential issues to address, not only because they deserve support but also because of the mounting expense of seniors' health care. This exploding segment of our society and the increasing cost of their medical needs demands we take every possible action to proactively ensure better health outcomes as seniors age. Good nutrition and daily social contact promote better aging results. The cost of a full year of meals ($2,008) is less than the cost of one night in a hospital, one visit to an ER, or 10 days in an assisted living facility. With aging Baby Boomers as the fastest growing segment of our population, the work of MOWT has never been more essential and impactful.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 October 13, 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 June 2025.
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 June 1978.
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 October 21, 2026.
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