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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: June 2025 Expires: June 2026

Food Bank of Central Louisiana

Standards Not Met
Standards Not Met
7 9 16 18
(318) 445-2773
3223 Baldwin Ave.
Alexandria, LA, 71301
https://www.fbcenla.org/
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Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Food Bank of Central Louisiana does not meet the following 4 Standards for Charity Accountability:

Standard 7 (Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness)
Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.

The charity does not meet this Standard because:

While a new program effectiveness policy has been composed and established, to meet this standard, it will be necessary to conduct an internal assessment applying the policy, and issuing a report to the Board of Directors.

Standard 9 (Fund Raising Expense Ratio)
Spending should be no more than 35% of related contributions on fund raising. Related contributions include donations, legacies, and other gifts received as a result of fund raising efforts.

The charity does not meet this Standard because:

The initial finding is that total fundraising expenses exceeded the 35% threshold. However, it is noted that the audit combines both grants and gifts into one number, which could explain why this standard is not met. Further insight is needed, and once provided by the organization may allow satisfaction of this standard.

Standard 16 (Annual Report)
Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.

The charity does not meet this Standard because:

The charity's most recent (2023-24) annual ("impact") report to the public did not include the charity's mission statement, the charity's total income for the past fiscal year, a breakout of the amount the charity spent on program service activities, administrative, and fundraising during the past fiscal year, and the charity's total end-of-year net assets for the most recent fiscal year. This can be corrected for the anticipated 2024-25 version of the report, and if confirmation of these additions can be provided, this standard can be declared "met."

Standard 18 (Privacy for Written Appeals & Internet Privacy)
Address privacy concerns of donors by (a) providing in written appeals, at least annually, a means (e.g., such as a check off box) for both new and continuing donors to inform the charity if they do not want their name and address shared outside the organization, (b) providing a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on any of its websites that tells visitors (i) what information, if any, is being collected about them by the charity and how this information will be used, (ii) how to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections, (iii) how to inform the charity (e.g., a check off box) that the visitor does not wish his/her personal information to be shared outside the organization, and (iv) what security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information.

The charity does not meet this Standard because:

While the organization does provide a privacy policy statement for website visitors, to meet this standard it will be necessary to supplement what is currently there with specific language addressing how any information that is collected from visitors is used, and with some degree of precision, how it is protected from hackers.

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information from the organization and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following Standard(s) for Charity Accountability: 13

Food Bank of Central Louisiana meets the remaining 15 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Assessment performed by Greg Thompson, PhD CAP CFLE / Charity Review Director

Stated Purpose:
To alleviate hunger in Central Louisiana

Year, State Incorporated:
1989, LA

Also Known As:
The Food Bank of Central Louisiana

For more than 35 years, the Food Bank of Central Louisiana has been working towards our mission of alleviating hunger in Central Louisiana.   

According to the recent Map the Meal Gap Study, 17.7% of residents – more than 67,000 individuals – live in food insecurity.  Twenty-six percent of children in our service area are food insecure. 

The Food Bank has grown since its inception, adding member agencies and programs.  The Food Bank of Central Louisiana has seven signature programs to provide food for those in need across our community.  We have an 11-parish service area including the following parishes:  Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, Vernon and Winn. 

The Partner Agency Program is the distribution of food to our network of non-profit partner agencies that operate local pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other hunger relief programs. These agencies are located throughout 11 parishes in Central Louisiana and serve food insecure people in need of food assistance.

The BackPack Program is designed to meet the needs of hungry children at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations. The backpacks are filled with food that children take home from school on Friday afternoons to provide food for the weekend.  The food is child-friendly, nonperishable, and easily consumed. There are currently more than 2,000 children participating in the program. 

The Senior Nutrition Program is for neighbors 60 or older and includes heart healthy and diabetic friendly food box along with healthy fresh produce. Over time, this program will help seniors to be more knowledgeable about healthy food and to be empowered to seek healthier options.

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) works to improve the health of low-income persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA Foods. 

The Good Food Project teaches sustainable gardening practices in the demonstration garden at the Food Bank. All the fresh, organic produce grown here is distributed to Food Bank clients.  Additionally, the Good Food Project supports 75 satellite, youth, and community gardens across central Louisiana.   In early 2024, the Food Bank began using Growtainer modified shipping containers for hydroponic gardening. These are used as a vertical farm - an indoor, temperature-controlled environment where food is grown in stacked towers under LED lights.

The School Food Pantry Program plays a crucial role in providing children and their families with access to food for preparation at home when other resources such as free and reduced-price school meals are not available.

The After-school Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Kids Summer Feeding programs offer schools, community centers, camps and other childcare facilities access to meals and healthy snacks when school meals are not available. 

The Mobile Food Pantry Program meets the unique needs of the Food Bank’s rural and underserved communities by offering services in their area and providing client access to nonperishable food items, fresh fruits and vegetables.   The Food Bank provides the Mobile Food Pantry Program in 27 rural communities each month.

For the year ended June 30, 2024, Food Bank of Central Louisiana's program expenses were:

Program Services $20,620,791
Total Program Expenses $20,620,791

Board Size
15

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Telephone appeals, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Television, Internet, Cause-related marketing (affinity credit cards, consumer product sales, etc.), Other

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Food Bank of Central Louisiana's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2024.

Source of Funds
In-Kind Contributions - Gifts and grants - Unrestricted $10,074,557
In-Kind Contributions - Gifts and grants - Restricted $5,155,842
Contributions - Gifts and grants - Restricted $3,099,444
Contributions - Gifts and grants - Unrestricted $2,244,462
Investment Income $473,399
Fundraising $180,075
Other Income $22,687
Total Income $21,250,466

Programs: 96% Fundraising: 3% Administrative: 2%

Total Income $21,250,466
Total expenses: $21,574,019
  Program expenses $20,620,791
  Fundraising expenses $585,244
  Administrative expenses $367,984
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-323,553
Beginning Net Assets $11,331,211
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $11,007,658
Total Liabilities $972,793
Total Assets $11,007,658
(For the purposes of the current year's assessment, and likely future assessments as well, the variety of activities implemented in the pursuit of the organization's mission is being considered one program. Consult with the Charity Review Director for more information.)

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

RELATED CONTENT

Report completed by:
BBB Serving Northeast and Central Louisiana and the Ark-La-Tex