Manna-The Durango Soup Kitchen
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF MANNA SOUP KITCHEN IS TO PROVIDE, IN THE SPIRIT OF FAITH AND LOVE, NOURISHING MEALS AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF ACCEPTANCE AND CARING FOR THOSE IN NEED.
- Income
- $5.7 million
- Spending
- $4.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 92%
- Reserves
- 6.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 66%
- Employees
- 33
- Volunteers
- 530
- Highest pay
- $100,123, co-exec. direct
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100.
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 24% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 41% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1592% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 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, 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 (4)
- $2.4 million spent. Resource Center: Manna's Resource Center has operated since March 2022, and launched this holistic model following over 35 years of operating as a traditional soup kitchen. Manna's Resource Center operates as a navigation hub, reducing barriers to assistance and addressing the root causes of food insecurity by offering comprehensive supportive services and food access in one place. Resource Center Navigators provide case management, service navigation, housing assistance, job development, transportation assistance, ID assistance, peer support, and positive encouragement to help program participants overcome social determinants of health barriers and help them become self-sufficient. Manna hosts partner organizations to offer additional onsite services, expanding the range of needs that can be addressed within its facility. While services are available to anyone in the community, Manna primarily supports low-income households, individuals experiencing housing, food, or employment insecurity, including individuals experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, Latin-x families, Indigenous community members, justice-involved people, students, and seniors. Case Management is available in English and Spanish, overcoming language barriers and supporting an inclusive environment. In 2025, this program connected 1,905 participants with supportive services.
- $1.3 million spent. Community Kitchen & Food Market: Manna's food access programs respond to the diverse ways in which food insecurity manifests, offering both daily meals and groceries. The Take-out Window provides low-barrier food access by serving hot, daily meals five days a week, four hours a day. All are welcome to receive meals with no questions asked and no forms to be filled out. People can select a variety of food and dietary options, centering participant choice. These meals are not only served at Manna, but delivered to partner agencies across the county,addressing rural food insecurity. In 2025, Manna served 43,139 low-barrier, hot daily meals. Located within the Resource Center, Mannas No-Cost Food Market is like a grocery store with refrigerators, produce, shelf stable food items and shopping carts. Participants freely select from an array of nutritious foods based on dietary needs, culturally appropriate and desired food choices. The Food Market is open four days a week and include evening operating hours accommodate those on varied schedules. In 2025, the Food Market had 12,515 visits and distributed 308,396 pounds of food, serving 2,731 unique individuals. Manna prioritizes utilizing high quality, nutrient dense, locally grown produce as often as possible. Our onsite garden grows over 2,000 lbs of produce each year, all of which is distributed at no cost through our market and take-out window.
- $181,292 spent. Culinary Program: Since 2014, Mannas Culinary Program has focused on teaching job/life skills and food service industry knowledge to La Plata County's most at-risk populations to help people overcome barriers and achieve gainful employment. Graduates complete the program with a Certificate of Completion and a two-year state recognized Food Handlers Certificate. Beyond kitchen skills, the program also focuses on soft skills for employment, such as communication, financial literacy, and resume building. The Culinary Program not only works with adults who are building employable skills, but also partners with local alternative high schools, teaching the curriculum to at-risk students. In 2025, 37 students graduated from the program, 23 of whom obtained employment.
- $37,242 spent. Low Income Housing: The Manna Resilience House was donated to us in August 2025. The new program offers low-income housing to 4 individuals who are seniors and/or people with disabilities. All tenants pay rent that is 30% of their income. Manna staff provides supportive services to the tenants.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1986.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.