Thank you for your interest in becoming a partner organization of the Redwood Empire Food Bank, providing hunger relief to Northern California. Food partners benefit from free produce and bread, as well as grant opportunities to build capacity and increase food supply.

The Redwood Empire Food Bank and our fellow partner organizations follow the established guidelines set by Feeding America. All food assistance programs are subject to ongoing compliance monitoring to ensure safe, secure food storage and handling as well as Civil Rights protections for volunteers and recipients alike.

Partners can attend our annual conference to learn about our processes and systems and how they benefit our partners as well as share their own best practices around food distribution, volunteers, and community engagement.

If you are not currently operating a food assistance program, please consider first volunteering at a local food pantry or with the Redwood Empire Food Bank to determine the best way to help end hunger in your community.

Food Partnership Eligibility

An organization must meet the following criteria to be eligible to partner with the Redwood Empire Food Bank:

1. Have 501(c)(3) exemption status. Click here to enter your EIN to determine your eligibility status. Note: must be PC or Group Type
2. Distribute all Redwood Empire Food Bank donated products free of charge for use by the ill, needy, or minor children.
3. Have a Board of Directors, or advisory group that establishes policies for the operation of the food program, including budgeting.
4. Provide food without requiring the recipients to pay, work, or pray to receive food or a meal in a distribution setting. In addition, selling, exchanging, or using food or products for money, other goods, or services is prohibited as well as redistributing food to other charitable groups or organizations.
5. All partner organizations must undergo biennial monitoring (every two years) to ensure a clean and secure food storage site with monitored pest control and are subject to unscheduled inspections at all times.
6. At least one lead person must maintain a current CA Food Handler Certificate.
7. Adhere to the Redwood Empire Food Bank’s Accounts Payable policies, including the annual agency fee of $50 from your Partner Organization. We only accept payment in the form of company checks. No personal checks, cash, credit cards, or electronic fund transfers are accepted.

Daily Essentials Program

The Oxford Dictionary defines essential as, “absolutely necessary; extremely important.” This is the basis for our Daily Essentials program, recognizing that diapers and other health and hygiene items are imperative to maintain our health and well-being.

We are proud to offer the Daily Essentials program to any organization serving low-income families. Partnerships can include churches, non-profit organizations, schools, preschools, family child care providers, hospitals, clinics, foster care, youth, parent education, teen parent programs, family resource centers, low-income housing developments, WIC offices, drug and rehabilitation centers, CalFresh service providers, county services, and anyone else serving low-income families in need of diapers. You can apply for the Daily Essentials program along with a food partnership or by itself.

To become a partner (food and/or diapers), please click the Partnership Application button below.