Feeding Kentucky Inc
Feeding Kentucky Inc is a public charity based in Frankfort, Kentucky. It describes itself as Kentucky’s largest charitable response to hunger, working with a network of seven Feeding America food banks and more than 900 partner food pantries and meal programs to reach an estimated one in seven Kentuckians each year.
Feeding Kentucky Inc at a glance
In short: Feeding Kentucky Inc gave $4.8M across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $285K), mostly in Kentucky. 94% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,837,252
- +139.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +142.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $284,544
- -1.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $1,064,187
- +13.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 94% first-time grantees (15 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (88% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Feeding Kentucky Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 5522, Frankfort, KY 40602
Phone: (502) 699-2656
Website: https://feedingky.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Feeding Kentucky Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Commonwealth of KY KKY Depa ($3.8M). Together the top 10 received $4.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
57 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 22 grants of 57 (39%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization’s stated work is centered on Kentucky: its food-bank network serves all 120 counties, and its initiatives include sourcing food from Kentucky farmers and advocating for food-security policies in the Commonwealth. Listed 2021 grant recipients also include organizations based in Ohio and Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Feeding Kentucky Inc open to new grantees?
94%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 16 grantees (94%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $320K; repeat grants $28K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $28K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2020) to $4.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $4.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth of KY KKY Depa Frankfort, KY | Assistance to Increase Access to He | $3,782,590 |
| Share Our Strength Washington, DC | Assistance to Increase Access to He | $261,200 |
| Feeding America Chicago, IL | Assistance to Increase Access to He | $197,692 |
| Kentucky Farm Bureau Insuranc Louisville, KY | Assistance to Increase Access to He | $181,269 |
| Kentucky Cabinet for Health a Frankfort, KY | Assistance to Increase Access to He | $109,231 |
| Food Research & Action Center Washington, DC | Assistance to Increase Access to He | $95,220 |
| Farm Credit Mid America Louisville, KY | Assistance to Increase Access to He | $87,583 |
| Community Farm Alliance Berea, KY | Assistance to Increase Access to He | $27,700 |
| Enbridge Nashville, TN | Assistance to Increase Access to He | $15,000 |
| KY Center for Agriculture & R Elizabethtown, KY | Assistance to Increase Access to He | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,064,187 | $3,336,397 | $3,186,684 | $4,837,252 | 17 | $14,755 |
| 2024 | $934,091 | $2,364,522 | $2,649,873 | $2,016,282 | 7 | $20,769 |
| 2023 | $1,142,554 | $2,316,463 | $2,459,576 | $1,793,186 | 9 | $895 |
| 2022 | $1,263,143 | $2,522,035 | $2,187,385 | $1,780,049 | 8 | $625 |
| 2021 | $927,919 | $1,900,768 | $1,971,518 | $1,623,344 | 16 | $607 |
| 2020 | $998,902 | $1,568,482 | $1,410,680 | $1,105,541 | 20 | $2,751 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s 2023 filing says it works to increase Kentucky food banks’ capacity to end hunger, expand access to healthy food for struggling Kentuckians, create a market for surplus and No. 2-grade Kentucky fruits and vegetables, and connect children with healthy meals through the Kentucky Kids Eat initiative.
Its website identifies several areas of work: Farmers Feeding Kentucky, including the Farms to Food Banks program, and Kentucky Kids Eat. It also describes advocacy for federal and state nutrition and food-assistance programs, including the Farm Bill, SNAP, TEFAP, and CSFP.
The 2023 filing names member food banks receiving assistance, including Dare to Care Food Bank, Facing Hunger Food Bank, Feeding America KY Heartland, and Freestore Foodbank. In 2021, listed recipients included God’s Pantry Food Bank, whose stated mission is reducing hunger by working together to feed Kentucky communities, and Freestore Foodbank, whose stated mission is to improve lives by eliminating hunger in partnership with its community. Other listed recipients included the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, which says it works to improve quality of life through research, education, and advocacy, and Tri-State Food Bank, which says it solicits, warehouses, and distributes food to nonprofits in Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky.
Grantmaking
The IRS filing data reports zero grants for 2023, 2024, and 2025. Separately, the 2023 filing narrative identifies assistance to member food banks, and the available 2021 recipient information lists grants to organizations including:
These are listed 2021 awards; the available information does not establish a total amount or grant count for that year.
A school nutrition grant opportunity document described average awards of $10,000–$15,000 for eligible school districts. Applications were to be reviewed on a rolling basis until funds were expended. This opportunity is from 2022 and is a past cycle, not a current application opportunity. The Kentucky-Grown Fruit and Vegetable Incentive Program (K-VIP) reimburses eligible meal-program sponsors for half the cost of produce bought directly from Kentucky farms; it is administered by Feeding Kentucky with state partners and is a program for participating sponsors.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists the following officers, directors, and staff:
- Michael Halligan — Chairman
- Vincent James — Vice Chair
- Kurt Reiber — Secretary
- Charles Dennis — Treasurer
- Zac Heronemus — Director
- Cynthia Kirkhart — Director
- Angela Jewell — Director
- Kristin Ingwell-Goode — Development Director
- Sarah Vaughn — Program Director
- John H. Cain — Program Director
Feeding Kentucky Inc is led by Melissa McDonald, Executive Director on every filing since 2024; none of the 15 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Melissa McDonald
Executive Director
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Halligan
Chairman
Director → Treasurer, 2022
Treasurer → Chairman, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia Kirkhart
Director
Secretary → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Angela Jewell
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marian Guinn
Executive Interim Director
Former Interim Executive Director → Interim Executive Director & Executive Interim Director, 2024
Interim Executive Director & Executive Interim Director → Executive Interim Director, 2025
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Adrianne Gleeson
Finance Director
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John H. Cain
Program Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kristin Ingwell -Goode
Development Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Vaughn
Program Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Zac Heronemus
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Glen Roberts
Executive - Officio
Executive Officio → Treasurer, 2024
Treasurer → Executive - Officio, 2025
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jamie Sizemore
Executive - Officio
President → Director & Executive - Officio, 2024
Director & Executive - Officio → Executive - Officio, 2025
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Kurt Reiber
Secretary
Executive Officio → Director, 2024
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vincent James
Vice Chair
Vice Chair → Vice President, 2023
Vice President → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles Dennis
Treasurer
Secretary → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Stacey Courtney (2020–2023) — Executive Officio
- Former: Katrina Thompson (2021–2023) — Former Executive Director
- Former: Mellisa McDonald (2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Brian Riendeau (2020–2021) — Vice Chair
- Former: Tamara Sandberg (2020–2021) — Former Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Feeding Kentucky Inc
How much does Feeding Kentucky Inc give each year?
Feeding Kentucky Inc gave $4.8M across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 7 grants.
What is Feeding Kentucky Inc's typical grant size?
Feeding Kentucky Inc's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $284,544, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Feeding Kentucky Inc that year got $320K on average.
Where does Feeding Kentucky Inc give grants?
Feeding Kentucky Inc gives mostly in Kentucky: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (4 grants), Frankfort, KY (3 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Feeding Kentucky Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Feeding Kentucky Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Assistance to Increase Access to He" (17 grants).
Who are Feeding Kentucky Inc's largest grantees?
Feeding Kentucky Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Commonwealth of KY KKY Depa ($3,782,590), Share Our Strength ($261,200) and Feeding America ($197,692), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Feeding Kentucky Inc?
Feeding Kentucky Inc reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.3M.
What does Feeding Kentucky Inc fund?
The organization’s 2023 filing says it works to increase Kentucky food banks’ capacity to end hunger, expand access to healthy food for struggling Kentuckians, create a market for surplus and No. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Feeding Kentucky Inc?
Feeding Kentucky Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check feedingky.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Feeding Kentucky Inc's EIN?
Feeding Kentucky Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1398656. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 17, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 3, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 25, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Feeding Kentucky Inc funds
Food, Agriculture & Nutrition Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Feeding Kentucky Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Kentucky
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Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Inc
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The Community Foundation of Louisville Inc
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Total Given
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Feeding Kentucky Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/feeding-kentucky-inc-morg_9d8b994cf52e4b57b848e4c3babb23fa
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_611398656_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Feeding Kentucky Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/feeding-kentucky-inc-morg_9d8b994cf52e4b57b848e4c3babb23fa},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Feeding Kentucky Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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