An outcome evaluation of a food bank program

Nonprofit organizations such as the Food Bank of Delaware rely heavily on contributions as they strive to create a hunger-free society. To demonstrate to donors and the public at large the positive difference made by the Food Bank of Delaware, we developed an outcome evaluation method that would measure success in terms other than the amount of food distributed. A detailed list of foods available for 1 month was evaluated item by item in terms of the US Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid. From this list, we calculated the number of people who could potentially be provided with the minimum recommended number of servings per day for each food group. The highest amount of food distributed was from the Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group; food items from this group could potentially meet recommended servings for more than 6,000 persons a day. The food bank distributed the least amount of food from the Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group. Food bank programs can use outcome evaluations to demonstrate to contributors and product providers the potential impact of the program and the qualitative and quantitative use of their donations. Results also identify areas for nutrition education and improved menu planning for the provider organizations who distribute these foods.