White Center Emergency Food Association
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO MINIMIZE HUNGER, WHILE NOURISHING COMMUNITY, NURTURING SELF-RELIANCE AND EMBRACING OUR RICH CULTURAL DIVERSITY.
- Income
- $7.2 million
- Spending
- $5.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 5.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 80%
- Employees
- 15
- Volunteers
- 534
- Highest pay
- $141,293, executive director
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
Good: 75 out of 100.
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 25% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 20% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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 257 of 7 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 (1)
- $4.7 million spent. THE WHITE CENTER FOOD BANK WORKS TO: SERVE OVER 5,200 FAMILY VISITS PER MONTH. THIS TRANSLATES INTO OVER 12,600 INDIVIDUAL VISITS - THE MOST VULNERABLE WOMEN, MEN, AND CHILDREN OF OUR COMMUNITY. WHILE THE RECESSION HAS ENDED, MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY STILL STRUGGLE TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE, ESPECIALLY WITH IMPLICATIONS FROM THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS. THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR CUSTOMERS WORK BUT ARE STILL UNABLE TO MEET BASIC NEEDS. LOW WAGES AND THE RISING COST OF HOUSING AND OTHER DURABLE GOODS ARE OFTEN CITED AS REASONS FOR NEEDING ASSISTANCE. SERVE THOSE WHO ARE OVERLOOKED. WHITE CENTER IS AN AMAZING PLACE. A COMMUNITY FINDING ITS WAY. A COMMUNITY THAT HAS BECOME THE ADOPTED HOME FOR REFUGEES AROUND THE WORLD WHO HAVE FLED WAR, CRUELTY, AND UNIMAGINABLE POVERTY. HOW DOES ONE BEGIN A NEW LIFE WITH NOTHING? OUR HUMBLE FOOD BANK IS A BRIDGE FROM CRISIS AND TRANSITION TO STABILITY. WE DISTRIBUTE OVER 1.7 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD EACH YEAR. IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE HAVE GROWN TO A $6 MILLION ORGANIZATION THANKS MOSTLY TO FOOD DONATIONS. IN ADDITION TO WORKING WITH FOOD LIFELINE AND NORTHWEST HARVEST, WHO HELP REGIONAL FOOD BANKS FILL THEIR SHELVES, WE GRATEFULLY ACCEPT DONATIONS FROM LOCAL GROCERY STORES, BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ORGANIZE FOOD DRIVES TO COLLECT ITEMS FROM NEIGHBORS AND CO-WORKERS. WE RELY ON THE DEDICATION OF 10 FULL-TIME AND 5 PART-TIME PAID STAFF MEMBERS AND 534 INCREDIBLE VOLUNTEERS WHO DISTRIBUTE FOOD, KEEP THE FOOD BANK CLEAN, PICK UP DONATIONS AT GROCERY STORES AND BUSINESSES, TRANSLATE IN EIGHT LANGUAGES, DO CUSTOMER INTAKE & DATA ENTRY, AND WORK IN THE WAREHOUSE (SORTING, BAGGING, STOCKING). WE ADDRESS FOOD JUSTICE WHILE BUILDING A STRONGER COMMUNITY THROUGH FOOD DISTRIBUTION. OUR MOST FUNDAMENTAL SERVICE IS TO PLACE NOURISHING FOOD ON EMPTY TABLES, AND TO DO SO WHEN CUSTOMERS CAN EASILY REACH US. IN ADDITION TO OUR DAYTIME HOURS MONDAY 12PM TO 4PM, WEDNESDAY 10AM TO 4PM, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY FROM 10 AM TO 2 PM (NO EVENINGS OR WEEKENDS). FOR THOSE WHO ARE HOME BOUND, WE PROVIDE DELIVERY SERVICE. IT'S HARD ENOUGH WHEN FAMILIES DON'T KNOW WHERE THEIR NEXT MEAL WILL COME FROM. IT'S EVEN WORSE WHEN NEW PARENTS CAN'T AFFORD BASIC SUPPLIES LIKE FORMULA, DIAPERS, AND BABY FOOD. WITH HELP FROM WESTSIDE BABY AND OTHER PRIVATE DONORS, WE ARE TAKING CARE OF THEM THROUGH OUR BABY PANTRY PROGRAM. THROUGH OUR SENIORS PROGRAM, SPECIAL DISTRIBUTION HOURS ARE SET ASIDE FOR THOSE 60 AND OVER: THURSDAYS FROM 10 AM TO 12 PM. WE PROVIDE FOODS FOR THEIR HEALTH NEEDS, LIKE LOW-SODIUM CANNED GOODS AND EXTRA VEGETABLES AND PROTEINS. THE FOOD STRENGTHENS THE BODY; THE SOCIAL TIME NOURISHES THE SOUL. IT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO EASE THE ISOLATION AND LONELINESS THAT TOO MANY SENIORS FACE. THROUGH OUR MOBILE FOOD BANK PROGRAM, THE MOBILE FOOD BANK PROGRAM GOES OUT TO THREE SENIOR AND DISABLED LOW-INCOME HOUSING COMPLEXES BRINGING A FULL RANGE OF HEALTHY FOODS TO RESIDENTS. THROUGH THE HEALTHY FOOD GIFT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM, EACH CUSTOMER WHO COMES TO THE FOOD BANK RECEIVES AT $5.00 VOUCHER ONCE A MONTH TO ONE OF THREE FRUIT STANDS IN WHITE CENTER TO BE USED FOR FRESH FRUITS OR VEGETABLES. IN ADDITION, THE FRUIT STAND WILL GIVE EACH CUSTOMER A GIFT OF ADDITIONAL PRODUCE. THIS HELPS THE CUSTOMER HAVE ACCESS TO CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE PRODUCE THAT NOURISHES THEM. WE ALSO SUPPORT THREE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS TO FURNISH FOOD FOR THEIR RESOURCE CENTERS AVAILABLE TO FAMILIES. WE ALSO PROVIDE FOOD FOR THREE DIFFERENT SEAMAR LOCATIONS TO PROVIDE FOOD TO PATIENTS THAT SCREEN POSITIVE FOR FOOD INSECURITY. OUR HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM SERVES 300 FAMILIES A MONTH THAT CANNOT MAKE IT TO THE FOOD BANK DURING REGULAR HOURS. THROUGH EMERGENCY BAGS, THOSE WHO NEED HELP OUTSIDE OF DISTRIBUTION HOURS RECEIVE PRE-MADE BAGS OF FOOD PROVIDED BY THE EMERGENCY FEEDING PROGRAM THAT LAST AT LEAST 2 DAYS. WHETHER THEY GO TO SOMEONE WHO IS HOMELESS AND OUT OF OPTIONS FOR THE DAY OR A WOMAN WHO IS RUNNING FROM ABUSE, THESE BAGS ARE LIFELINES TO GET THROUGH A CRISIS. WE DISTRIBUTE EMERGENCY FOOD BAGS MONDAY-FRIDAY, 8:30 AM TO 5PM.
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 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 December 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 July 1982.
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.
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.