Food banks can’t fill the SNAP gap 

As the government shutdown continues, nearly 42 million Americans who rely on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are facing the loss of—and delays in—access to monthly food assistance. The program, which helps low-income families afford groceries and pumps billions of dollars into local economies each year, has long been one of the most effective tools for reducing hunger and poverty. Its suspension could have far-reaching consequences, from empty kitchen cupboards, to overwhelmed food banks, to tanked grocery store revenue, since every $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.54 in economic activity. 

Who relies on SNAP? 

Despite the recent cancelation of USDA’s Annual Household Food Security Report, signaling a troubling loss of public data on food insecurity in the future, we know SNAP is built to reach Americans who need it most. Most SNAP households (73%) live below the federal poverty level, and in fiscal year 2023, 79% included at least one child, older adult, and/or person with disabilities. 

Beyond addressing hunger, SNAP benefits impact health outcomes like improved overall health, reduced risk of chronic diseases, and better medication adherence, as well as economic indicators such as economic stimulus, job growth, and increased educational attainment. By reducing food insecurity, SNAP allows households to afford other necessities like medical care, dental services, and eyeglasses. For children, SNAP can lead to higher high school completion rates and increased adult earnings. SNAP benefits also support jobs in various sectors, including agriculture, transportation, and retail.

Given what we know about the importance of SNAP and how many Americans rely on it to feed themselves and their families, it seems likely that many SNAP households will turn to food aid nonprofits—which include food banks, soup kitchens, and organizations that provide food to those nonprofits—for assistance as the government shutdown continues. In fact, according to Feeding America, for every meal their network of 200 food banks across the country provide, SNAP provides nine. These organizations are already strained and will be even more stretched in the coming weeks. Here’s what we know about these nonprofits, and how they and the communities they serve will likely be affected. 

Over 15,000 nonprofits currently provide food aid 

Food aid nonprofits include large food banks that may distribute food to entire regions, small soup kitchens serving local communities, and community organizations that include food pantries. There are approximately 15,236 food aid nonprofits in the United States. A 2021 study found that 53 million Americans rely on the food and resources provided by these nonprofits and that this number was already on the rise before this year. 

Food aid nonprofits can be found in every state across the U.S. According to their latest tax filings, they have a combined total of $37.4 billion in annual expenses and $38.4 billion in annual revenue. (In comparison, federal SNAP spending totaled around $100 billion for the same time period.) The majority of food aid nonprofits are small, run by volunteers, and get by on budgets below $50,000. 

Where do food aid organizations get their funding? 

Most food aid nonprofits rely heavily on individual donations. Candid’s data suggests that only about 8,700 food aid nonprofits (or 57%) have received any money from foundations since 2020, and 4,774 received less than $50,000.  

The data is clear: Food aid nonprofits will be overwhelmed and unable to support the millions of Americans who will likely face hunger in the coming days and weeks. Although food aid nonprofits are embedded in communities, they work with small budgets and thin margins. They are not built to support the additional 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP.  

Last week, the National Council on Nonprofits (NCN) and a cross-sector coalition of organizations sued the administration to protect SNAP benefits during a government shutdown. On Friday, two federal judges gave the government until Monday, November 3, to indicate whether it would use reserve funds for food aid. The administration said Monday that it would not tap additional funds and would pay out only half a month’s worth of benefits in November. Temporary funding estimated at $5 billion falls short of the $8 billion needed to fund SNAP for the full month. And in some states, the process of loading the SNAP cards can take up to two weeks.

“Today’s announcement is an important first step, but it’s not enough,” said NCN president and CEO Diane Yentel. “Food banks, shelters, and community organizations are stretched thin. Every delay or reduction in SNAP benefits pushes more people toward emergency assistance and places additional strain on the nonprofit sector.” 

You can search for food aid nonprofits near you on Candid (check out our tutorial). Learn more about the government shutdown’s potential impact on nonprofits in this fact sheet published by NCN.