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Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee Inc

EIN 62-1049447 · Nashville, TN

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceReports resultsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE, INC. (THE "FOOD BANK OR "SECOND HARVEST") WAS FOUNDED IN 1978. ITS MISSION IS TO NOURISH AND EMPOWER PEOPLE SO THEY CAN THRIVE. THE FOOD BANK IS ONE OF MORE THAN 200 CERTIFIED MEMBERS OF FEEDING AMERICA, THE NATION'S FOOD BANK NETWORK (THE "NETWORK").

Income
$156.6 million
Spending
$149.6 million
Spent on programs
96%
Reserves
3.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 50%
Employees
164
Volunteers
30,058
Highest pay
$439,541, president/ceo

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

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, over $100m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.9 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 12% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 4% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    96% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 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 8% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, over $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    29 of 29 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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

Reports results. Its tax return states measurable results. These are its own figures and nobody has checked them.

Results it reports

  • Nearly 51 million pounds of food (more than 42 million meals) were provided to approximately 410 not-for-profit agencies.Work delivered
  • Over 14.7 million pounds of food (more than 12.2 million meals) were picked up through grocery rescue.Work delivered
  • Outreach staff assisted in completing approximately 1,544 SNAP applications.Work delivered
  • The cook/chill program utilized more than 162,000 pounds of donated ingredients that would otherwise have been wasted.Work delivered
  • Nearly 127,000 assembled food boxes (roughly 2.5 million meals) and 24,000 cases of mixed products were provided for hurricane disaster relief.Work delivered
  • 65 product orders were fulfilled through the Grocery Purchasing Portal.Work delivered
  • More than 4.6 million pounds of food were distributed through 206 mobile pantry events.Work delivered
  • More than 21,000 boxes were distributed to qualified seniors.Work delivered
  • The mobile market served more than 67,000 people.Work delivered
  • The mobile market distributed over 786,000 pounds of food.Work delivered
  • Children's feeding programs provided nearly 86,000 meals and snacks to children.Work delivered

Read from the return by an AI model and shown only where the wording was found in the return. These are the charity's own figures.

Programs described in its return (4)
  1. $74.2 million spent. COMMUNITY FOOD PARTNERS - OUR WORK INCLUDES ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED TO FULFILL SECOND HARVEST'S MISSION TO NOURISH AND EMPOWER PEOPLE IN 46 COUNTIES ACROSS MIDDLE AND WEST TENNESSEE SO THEY CAN THRIVE. SPECIFIC PROGRAMS WITHIN THIS CATEGORY INCLUDE:PARTNER AGENCIES - SECOND HARVEST PROVIDED NEARLY 51 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025 (OR MORE THAN 42 MILLION MEALS) TO APPROXIMATELY 410 NOT-FOR-PROFIT AGENCIES, INCLUDING FOOD PANTRIES, CONGREGATE MEAL SITES, AND EMERGENCY FOOD PROGRAMS. THESE PARTNERS WORK THROUGHOUT THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES TO ASSIST FOOD INSECURE FAMILIES. GROCERY RESCUE - THIS PROGRAM COLLECTS PERISHABLE AND NON-PERISHABLE FOOD FROM OVER 515 RETAIL PARTNERS FOR DISTRIBUTION TO PARTNER AGENCIES AND PROGRAM SITES. PRODUCTS RESCUED AND DISTRIBUTED INCLUDE MEAT, PRODUCE, DAIRY, BREAD, BAKERY ITEMS, AND DRY PRODUCTS. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025, SECOND HARVEST PICKED UP DIRECTLY OR FACILITATED PICKUP BY PARTNER AGENCIES OVER 14.7 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD (EQUIVALENT TO MORE THAN 12.2 MILLION MEALS).SNAP OUTREACH - SECOND HARVEST OFFERS SNAP OUTREACH THROUGH OUR NEIGHBOR CARE PANTRIES, MOBILE PANTRY DISTRIBUTIONS, AND PARTNER AGENCIES. SNAP, PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS FOOD STAMPS, ASSISTS LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES BY PROVIDING MONTHLY ASSISTANCE TO PURCHASE FOOD. SECOND HARVEST'S CLIENT OUTREACH STAFF SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THE NUTRITION BENEFITS OF SNAP, PRE-SCREEN PARTICIPANTS, AND HELP INDIVIDUALS COMPLETE THE SNAP APPLICATION. OUTREACH STAFF ASSISTED IN COMPLETING APPROXIMATELY 1,544 APPLICATIONS DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025.MANUFACTURING - SECOND HARVEST OPERATES A COOK/CHILL OPERATION, WHICH IS A METHOD OF FOOD MANUFACTURING AND SHELF-LIFE EXTENSION THAT INVOLVES HEATING FOOD, PUMPING THE PRODUCT INTO FORM-FILL PLASTIC BAGS THAT ARE HEAT SEALED, THEN SUPER COOLED FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO FREEZING THE PRODUCT. FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025 THIS PROGRAM UTILIZED MORE THAN 162,000 POUNDS OF DONATED INGREDIENTS THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN WASTED. ADDITIONALLY, THIS OPERATION PRODUCES TRAY PACK MEALS FOR CHILDREN'S FEEDING, SENIOR NUTRITION AND PARTNER AGENCIES THAT DO DIRECT HOME DISTRIBUTION TO CLIENTS IN NEED.
  2. $49.1 million spent. PROJECT PRESERVE SALES ARE REPORTED NET OF ALLOWANCES FOR DISCOUNTS AND RETURNS. PROJECT PRESERVE SELLS PRODUCTS PRIMARILY TO OUT-OF-AREA AGENCIES IN THE FEEDING AMERICA NETWORK THROUGH A PROPRIETARY E-COMMERCE WEBSITE BUT ALSO SELLS TO PARTNER AGENCIES WITHIN THE FOOD BANK'S LOCAL AREA. IN FY2024, PROJECT PRESERVE BEGAN LISTING PRODUCTS FOR SALE ON THE FEEDING AMERICA GROCERY PURCHASING PORTAL (GPP). THOSE SALES CONTINUED IN FY2025 WITH 65 PRODUCT ORDERS GENERATING $2.4 MILLION IN SALES. ANOTHER COMPONENT OF PROJECT PRESERVE IS TO PROVIDE DISASTER RELIEF. FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2025, PROJECT PRESERVE WAS ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF FEEDING AMERICA NETWORK FOOD BANKS FOR DISASTER RELIEF IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING HURRICANES HELENE AND MILTON BY PROVIDING NEARLY 127,000 ASSEMBLED FOOD BOXES (ROUGHLY 2.5 MILLION MEALS) AND 24,000 CASES OF MIXED PRODUCTS ACROSS SEVERAL STATES FOR A TOTAL OF $3.4 MILLION IN SALES. IN ADDITION, PROJECT PRESERVE FULFILLED ORDERS FOR PRE-STAGED EMERGENCY FOOD BOXES ($1 MILLION IN SALES) PRIOR TO HURRICANE SEASON, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $0.6 MILLION IN SALES TO REPLENISH INVENTORY OF EMERGENCY FOOD BOXES AT NETWORK FOOD BANKS, RESULTING IN TOTAL COMBINED SALES OF NEARLY $5 MILLION IN FY2025.
  3. $13.5 million spent. MOBILE FOOD PROGRAMS - THE MOBILE PANTRY PROGRAM REACHES NEARLY ALL OF SECOND HARVEST'S 46 COUNTIES AND IS A LARGE-SCALE, ONE-DAY DISTRIBUTION OF PERISHABLE AND NON-PERISHABLE FOOD TO FAMILIES IN NEED. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025, MORE THAN 4.6 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD WAS DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM'S 206 EVENTS. SECOND HARVEST OPERATES THE COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM (CSFP) WHICH WORKS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AT LEAST 60 YEARS OF AGE BY SUPPLEMENTING THEIR DIETS WITH NUTRITIOUS USDA FOODS. IN THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025, MORE THAN 21,000 BOXES WERE DISTRIBUTED TO QUALIFIED SENIORS IN DAVIDSON COUNTY.THE MOBILE MARKET BRINGS ESSENTIAL GROCERY ITEMS, LIKE PRODUCE, DAIRY, PANTRY STAPLES, MEAT, AND EGGS, DIRECTLY TO COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY FOOD INSECURITY. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025, THE MOBILE MARKET SERVED MORE THAN 67,000 PEOPLE AND DISTRIBUTED OVER 786,000 POUNDS OF FOOD.
  4. $6.6 million spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDE:NEIGHBOR CARE PANTRIES (PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS EMERGENCY FOOD BOX) - THE LONGEST-OPERATING PROGRAM OF SECOND HARVEST PROVIDED NEARLY TWO MILLION MEALS DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025. EMERGENCY STAPLES, AS WELL AS PRODUCE, MEAT, AND DAIRY, ARE PROVIDED TO FAMILIES IN NEED THROUGH ITS SATELLITE CENTERS IN DAVIDSON COUNTY.CHILDREN'S FEEDING PROGRAMS - SECOND HARVEST'S CHILDREN'S FEEDING PROGRAMS INCLUDE KIDS CAFE, AT RISK AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM, SCHOOL PANTRY PROGRAM, AND BACKPACK PROGRAM. KIDS CAFE, AT RISK AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, AND SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM OPERATE A WEEKLY FEEDING PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN AT RISK OF HUNGER IN SEVERAL AREA COMMUNITY CENTERS AND PROVIDED NEARLY 86,000 NUTRITIOUS MEALS AND SNACKS TO CHILDREN DURING 2025. THE BACKPACK PROGRAM MEETS THE NEEDS OF HUNGRY CHILDREN BY PROVIDING THEM WITH NUTRITIOUS AND EASY-TO-PREPARE FOOD TO TAKE HOME ON WEEKENDS WHEN OTHER RESOURCES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025, SECOND HARVEST DISTRIBUTED OVER 224,000 BACKPACKS TO HUNGRY CHILDREN. THE SCHOOL PANTRY PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO INCREASE FOOD ACCESS FOR FAMILIES IN NEED. FIFTY-SIX SITES WERE OPERATED DURING THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR, PROVIDING MORE THAN 309,000 MEALS.

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

  1. 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 September 7, 2026.

  2. 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 September 30, 2026.

  3. 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. 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 September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since May 1979.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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 7, 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.