Partner Agencies:

Become a Partner Agency

Become A Partner Agency

Organizations challenging hunger in our community that have been in operation for more than three months can apply to become a Capital Area Food Bank of Texas Partner Agency.

The agency must follow safe food handling procedures and maintain required records. The facility housing the feeding program must meet Health Department standards. If an agency applies for membership and is deficient in any of these areas, a CAFB staff member helps bring them up to standards.

To be eligible to receive food from CAFB, the organization or agency must be classified by the IRS as tax-exempt or must be affiliated with a church of an IRS-recognized denomination.

How does the Food Bank work with Partner Agencies?

Each Partner Agency places its order from a shopping list of available products and then picks up the food at the Food Bank Distribution Center or at a Regional Food Delivery location.

The agency stocks its shelves with the food and then provides it directly to individuals and families, either in the form of bags of groceries or prepared meals served on-site.

Downloads
Letter to interested Agencies Partner Agency application Letter of agreement Form for non-denominational organizations

In addition to food and grocery products, the Food Bank provides training in safe food handling and sanitation for Partner Agency staff and volunteers, nutrition information through a newsletter and classes in menu planning.

Through the Regional Food Delivery Program, the Food Bank delivers food orders to agencies in outlying communities to assure the freshness of perishable products. Food Bank staff continuously monitor and inform the agencies about legislation that may affect their programs.

What does all this cost?

Partner Agencies pay a handling fee, called shared maintenance, of no more than 15¢ per pound of non-perishable food. All perishable foods, like fresh produce, bread and dairy goods are free.

Shared maintenance covers 24% of the Food Bank's budget and helps defray the costs of transporting food and running freezers and coolers. All other services (training, delivery, nutrition information) are free to Partner Agencies.

"Doug and I had a great experience at the Capital Area Food Bank today. The shop-for will insure that our people will have produce in their diet this week. If we can get potatoes, beans and onions to the people, they will not starve. Through the efforts of CAFB we are able to do better than that." - Len, Llano Food Pantry

Each year, CAFB Partner Agencies save millions of dollars by getting their food at the Food Bank. That's money that these agencies can use to shelter, treat, train, counsel, intervene, protect, educate, rehabilitate, house and comfort more individuals and families than they would have been able to if they had to use their limited resources to buy food.
 

Eligibility Requirements

1. Each Agency, with the exception of those listed under #2 below, must be designated a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization by the IRS or be affiliated with a 501(c)3 umbrella organization.
2. An Agency that is a church or a program directly sponsored by a church may use the non-profit designation of the parent affiliation of that church (e.g. Southern Baptist Convention, Diocese of Austin, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, etc.). In such cases, the Agency must submit a letter on the church's letterhead affirming that the program is directly associated with that church and that the church is affiliated with the parent organization.
   An independent church or a program directly sponsored by an independent church which has not received a non-profit designation may submit a letter on the church's letterhead and signed by its Chief Executive Officer affirming that the organization is, in fact, a church, and has not applied to the IRS for 501(c)3 status and been denied, nor has had its 501(c)3 status revoked by the IRS. Furthermore, such a church must affirm that it essentially meets the fourteen point criteria employed by the IRS in defining a church. This form is available from the Food Bank upon request.
3. A copy of the 501(c)3 determination letter or a letter of affiliation must be submitted to the Food Bank before membership can be activated.
4. By federal law, a 501(c)3 or other tax-exempt organization must be fiscally, programmatically and legally responsible for the handling and distribution of donated food received from CAFB. Partner agencies also must comply with all CAFB food safety storage and distribution requirements. 

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For more information on how to become a CAFB Partner Agency, contact us.