Partners

Releasing your time, energy and resources to provide services to low-income people rather than beating the bushes looking for food donations is one of the most profound gifts we can give to our partner agencies. One of our principal missions is to empower our community by providing access to food.

Currently, agencies may come in up to five times in one week in order to secure enough food for distribution. However, there are limited quantities of some items available during any one visit. Appointment hours vary by location. 

Our experience with a broad array of anti-hunger projects allows us to provide technical assistance to any partner agency regarding everything from program models to safe food handling and storage to public policy and advocacy. There is no partnership fee and no direct fee for any food donated to the Food Bank. We do ask our partners to help with a portion of our storage and transportation costs in the form of a “Shared Maintenance Fee,” which is a small handling fee assessed by pounds of food received. This shared maintenance fee ranges from $0.00 to $0.19 per pound.

• Interested 501c3 nonprofits may apply between January 1 and September 1 of each year. 
• If you are interested in becoming a Food Bank network partner, please review the Prospective Agency Packet along with the required criteria below.

Partnership Criteria

• Your food assistance program must be located in an area of targeted recruitment as established by Harvest Hope Food Bank. This is done to make sure that the Food Bank’s resources are allocated strategically to all neighborhoods with need throughout the service area.
• Your organization is an established food program or distributor that has been in operation once a week for a period of at least three months. (Some exceptions may apply)
• Your food program is a tax-exempt organization as described in the 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service of the US Treasury Department. A copy of your organization’s 501(c)(3) must be provided.
• Your food program is registered with and in good standing with the South Carolina Secretary of State’s Office.  A copy of your organization’s 501(c)(3) must be provided.
• Your food program is located in a “community of need” or serves a special-needs population.
• Your food program agrees to provide the Food Bank with the names of individuals authorized to take full responsibility for the program’s services, including board members, staff, and volunteers.
• Your food program maintains at least one active email address and has regular access to the Internet, either on- or off-site.
• Your food program maintains sufficient storage space to receive product.
• Your food program practices active means of encouraging participation and utilization of your services to all segments of the community. (e.g.: outreach, flyers, etc.)
• Your food program agrees to provide the Food Bank with necessary information regarding any change in program/administrative location, primary staffing, structure etc. in a timely manner.
• Your food program agrees to complete meal-count reports on a monthly basis and submit to the Food Bank for purposes of reporting.
• Your organization is willing to have its site(s) visited as needed by a representative of the Food Bank.
• Your food program maintains high standards of sanitation and food safety with regard to food storage, distribution and meal preparation.
• Your food program keeps records of the number of people served and inventory-control records to monitor the food product. Proof of these records must be shown before membership is granted.
• Your food program does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious beliefs, age, disabilities, sex or sexual preference.
• Your food program provides food free to all clients. Clients are not asked for donations or requested to participate in religious services to receive food.
• Your food program does not and will not sell, transfer or barter items. (Transfer includes the removal of any Food Bank–delivered product from the approved site to any other location.)
• Your food program does not share space with programs from other organizations. Your storage area holds only those items issued for the use of your organization.
• Your food program does not operate out of a personal residence.

• If you're ready to apply to be a Partner, please complete the Partner Agency Application and contact Agency Relations at agency.relations@harvesthope.org.