Did You Know? Cash Donations Help Your Local Food Pantry Serve More 

Every year, we’re overjoyed with the amount of support for the Olean Food Pantry. Caring people in our communities generously give in any way they can. Area elementary schools and youth sports organizations host canned food drives. Friends and neighbors donate holiday meals or what’s left in their own pantries after reorganizing. Community members even pick up items for their local food pantry as a regular part of their weekly shopping lists.

Those gifts are truly appreciated. Without fantastic givers LIKE YOU, we wouldn’t be able to provide free food and other valuable services to thousands of families and individuals in need each month. But there’s a way to help the generosity stretch further than ever before.

Cash donations help your local food pantry SERVE 66% MORE than donations of perishable and nonperishable food items alone.

Want To Help Your Local Food Pantry? A Cash Donation Goes 66% Further!

So our shelves are perpetually stocked. Walk through the aisles at the Olean Food Pantry and you’ll see no shortage of canned goods, fresh vegetables, frozen meats and fish, and so much more. We even have the Diaper Depot, Pet Pantry, and other services for people in need.

But supplies go so quickly! Even with an abundance of food donations, a particularly busy month always leaves your local food pantry scrambling for more to serve skyrocketing food insecurity in our communities.

Cash donations, on the other hand, allow us to purchase food FOR CHEAP! Much cheaper than the rates available to shoppers at the grocery store. That’s because, with our status as a nonprofit food bank, we get preferred rates from partner organizations like FeedMore WNY, local farmers, and grocers. 

Putting the Numbers in Perspective

So how much is 66% more? Let’s put that in perspective:

• A $10 donation buys $16.60 worth of food.
• A $50 donation buys $83 worth of food.
• A $500 donation buys $830 worth of food.
• A $1,000 donation buys $1,660 worth of food.

In short, cash donations give the Olean Food Pantry that much more firepower to purchase food and ensure our stockpiles NEVER run out!

How Else Do Cash Donations Help Your Local Food Pantry?

We thought you’d never ask! There are plenty of other ways cash donations go so far for your local food pantry. So let’s look at our mission beyond being a purveyor of canned goods.  

Flexibility

Food donations alone are undoubtedly so valuable, but monetary contributions offer a unique avenue for significant impact. Specifically? Monetary donations offer flexibility. That means we can make food selections and program choices in accordance with OUR LOCAL NEEDS. 

While food insecurity is a reality around the world, the way it is experienced varies community by community. We know from experience that the Olean area’s needs are distinct from the needs in Rochester – and vastly different from rural Alabama to urban San Francisco.

With cash donations on hand, we can determine our own expenses in accordance with local need and without decision-making interference from third parties.

Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness

Allocating resources efficiently is vital to a local food pantry. Pantries with monetary donations enjoy the mission-sustaining benefits of:

• Bulk purchasing
• Special discounts 
• Partnerships with local vendors

Of course, all of this allows us to diversify our product streams and receive a better assortment of nutritious food for families in need.  

Emergency Response

In times of crisis, donations are a priceless resource. Local food pantries are able to adjust and respond to emergencies, ensuring communities have the support when it is needed most.

In emergencies like the Flood of ’72, the Olean Food Pantry would be the first place many of the displaced would use to feed their families. Financial flexibility would also allow us to respond to natural disasters in other areas of the country, if necessary. After all, we all need help from our neighbors from time to time.   

Grant Funding

Did you know the Olean Food Pantry and many other nonprofit food banks also depend upon grant funding. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, it’s our responsibility to fundraise responsibly and ethically. That requires strong financial management and diversifying revenue sources.

Here’s something many people don’t know about nonprofit fundraising: organizations must be financially sustainable and be able to prove ample cashflow to be eligible for most grant funding opportunities.   

Sometimes grant processes require organizations to provide “match funding” as “skin in the game.”  

Organizational Costs

Local food pantries, like any organization, must pay for operational costs. These costs may include rent/mortgage, construction/repairs, transportation and utilities. Financial contributions help to cover these overhead expenses, allowing for pantries to run efficiently and sustainably.

Unlike food donations, cash donations empower the Olean Food Pantry board to address immediate needs and emergencies to continue serving the public uninterrupted.

Ready to Make a Difference for Your Local Food Pantry?

You may be wondering how YOU can make a difference. Consider donating to the Olean Food Pantry, or another local food pantry near you. Whether it’s a one-time gift or recurring contribution, your support can make a lasting impact on the lives of those facing food insecurity in YOUR community.  

If you’d like to know more about the Olean Food Pantry – or to become a valued recurring donor – contact us here.