September 10, 2026
The Food That Never Gets Scanned
USDA's new SNAP purchase report covers 51,891 households and $875M in grocery spending, and none of the charitable food system. What it can and can't tell your county.
Field Notes
Observations on food security, philanthropy, and the systems that connect them.
Food Security 15Community Foundations 9SNAP 6Food Access 4Philanthropy 4Research 4Coordination 3Collective Impact 2Policy 2Western North Carolina 2Advocacy 1American Red Cross 1Community Collaboration 1Crowdfunding 1Donor Engagement 1Donor Trust 1Food Access Innovation 1Food Recovery 1Food Systems 1Foundations 1Grantmaking 1Hurricane Helene Recovery 1Immigration Policy 1Impact Measurement 1Nonprofit Technology 1Poultry Industry 1Rural Communities 1School Partnerships 1Surveillance Pricing 1Trust-Based Philanthropy 1
August 11, 2026
What Map the Meal Gap Can and Can't Tell Your County
Map the Meal Gap 2026 is out, and it deserves its citations: roughly 48 million people food insecure in 2024, and nearly 25 million of them earning too much to qualify for federal nutrition assistance. But a county rate cannot say where within the county, or what the response looks like now.
June 25, 2026
Most Food Relief Runs on Assumptions Nobody Wrote Down
Most regions plan food relief on gap estimates that live in people's heads. A quietly impressive statewide map out of Missouri shows what it looks like to write those assumptions down — and why the disciplines behind it, not the map itself, are the part worth copying.
April 30, 2026
The Handoff: Why Charitable Food Recovery Is Getting Harder Just When We Need It Most
Inside the operational reality of retailer-to-pantry food donation, where coordination gaps, capacity limits, and tightening supply collide with rising demand.
March 26, 2026
When the Safety Net Shrinks, Who's Left Holding It?
Most federal policy changes arrive slowly enough that foundations can watch, assess, and respond over time. The SNAP cuts in H.R. 1 are different. The eligibility changes are effective immediately. The cost shifts arrive in 2027. And the demand on your grantee network is already building.
February 20, 2026
Healthcare Costs and the Hidden Driver of Food Insecurity
When families spend significantly more on health insurance, fewer dollars remain for food. The expiration of enhanced ACA subsidies is an upstream driver of food insecurity that community foundations and food relief organizations cannot afford to ignore.
February 6, 2026
When a Food Bank Becomes a Foundation: What Maryland's Neighbor Impact Grant Reveals About the Future of Food Security Funding
The Maryland Food Bank isn't just distributing food. It's funding pathways out of hunger. Their Neighbor Impact Grant offers a glimpse of where food security philanthropy is headed, and the coordination challenges that come with it.
January 30, 2026
A Food Pantry on the Map Doesn't Mean a Family Gets Fed
A peer-reviewed study mapped 34,475 food pantries across the U.S. and found that nearly 1 in 4 neighborhoods have low access to food assistance. The findings reveal why density alone doesn't equal coverage, and what that means for foundations funding food relief.
January 14, 2026
The Poultry Industry's Immigration Contradiction
Poultry industry executives poured millions into supporting anti-immigrant campaigns while their processing plants depended on immigrant labor. Now, as TPS terminations strip work authorization from thousands of workers, those same companies are quietly reaching across the aisle for help.
January 5, 2026
Same Cart, Different Price: What Instacart's Pricing Experiments Mean for Food Security
A landmark investigation revealed Instacart was charging different customers different prices for identical groceries, with variations up to 23%. For families already struggling to put food on the table, the implications go far beyond convenience.
December 29, 2025
When the Safety Net Shrinks, Rural Communities Feel It First
SNAP benefits generate nearly $2 in economic activity for every $1 spent, but coming program cuts will hit rural communities hardest, where a single grocery store can anchor an entire local economy.
December 10, 2025
Food Insecurity Hit 16% in November. Here's What That Means for Community Foundations
New data from Purdue's Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability shows U.S. food insecurity spiked sharply in November 2025, with SNAP participants hit hardest. For community foundations funding food relief, the numbers reveal an urgent coordination problem.
November 21, 2025
How Mountaineer Food Bank Cracked the Code on Serving Food-Insecure Teens
Middle and high schoolers would rather go hungry than face the stigma of school food programs. One West Virginia food bank found a way to reach them through confidential home delivery and creative partnerships.
November 12, 2025
The Philanthropy Paradox: Why Fewer Donors Are Giving More (And What It Means for Community Foundations)
New research reveals affluent giving participation has dropped 10 percentage points since 2015, yet average gifts now exceed $33,000. This creates an urgent coordination crisis for community foundations.
October 30, 2025
Why MANNA Food Bank Excels at Website Advocacy (And Why It Matters for WNC)
Only 25% of food banks nationwide excel at website advocacy. MANNA Food Bank is one of them, and their approach offers a blueprint for how food relief organizations can drive both immediate impact and systemic change in Western North Carolina.
October 23, 2025
Technology AT Nonprofits vs Technology WITH Nonprofits: Lessons from the GoFundMe Controversy
When GoFundMe created 1.4 million unauthorized donation pages, it revealed a critical divide in nonprofit technology: platforms built FOR organizations versus those built WITH them.
July 24, 2025
Why Grassroots Groups Aren't a Risk for Funders (They're the Sure Bet)
A new piece from the Center for Effective Philanthropy makes a compelling case that funders don't need to 'bet' on grassroots organizations; they need to listen to them, resource them, and follow their lead.
June 17, 2025
American Red Cross Extends Relief to Resilience Funding with Additional $500,000 Investment
The American Red Cross has approved an additional $500,000 for Western North Carolina's Relief to Resilience project, enabling grassroots food organizations to deliver over 40,000 additional meals and nearly $200,000 in direct farm purchases through the FastRoots-coordinated initiative.
April 28, 2025
Mountain Xpress: New local tech venture supports sustainability for food-focused nonprofits
FastRoots co-founders Fuller and Corzine spoke with Xpress about how their company bridges a gap to help community-led efforts become more effective and sustainable.
April 15, 2025
Local Food Relief Groups Lead $1M American Red Cross Pilot, Supported by FastRoots Technology
With a $1 million investment from the American Red Cross, five visionary organizations unite to pioneer a data-driven food assistance system, transforming disaster relief into lasting resilience in Western North Carolina.