Means Database Inc
Means Database Inc is a Washington, DC–based public charity that operates as FoodRecovery.org. Founded in 2015, it connects organizations with surplus food to communities in need, aiming to reduce food waste and address food insecurity.
Means Database Inc at a glance
In short: Means Database Inc gave $113.5M across 108 grants in 2024 (avg $1.1M), top state Florida. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $113,534,540
- +79.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 108
- +9.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,051,246
- +64.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $166,998
- Total assets
- $832,491
- +14.3% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Florida (34% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Means Database Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 4410 Massachusetts Ave Nw Ste 397, Washington, DC 20016
Phone: (202) 449-1507
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Means Database Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Farm Share ($26.7M). Together the top 10 received $75.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
208 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 66 grants of 208 (32%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
FoodRecovery.org reports having users in all 50 states and Washington, DC. Its 2024 filing describes small-donation partners nationwide, with its most robust programs in Florida, New Jersey, New England, California, and New York. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Florida (34%), Texas (15%), Illinois (13%), California (10%), and Oklahoma (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 108 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Means Database Inc gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2K (2020) to $113.5M (2024). In 2024 it made 108 grants totaling $113.5M.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Farm Share Homestead, FL | — | $26,670,327 |
| Hands of Hope Joliet, IL | — | $11,771,179 |
| El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Ban El Paso, TX | — | $7,864,514 |
| Freedom Tour Lake Wales, FL | — | $6,873,943 |
| Feed the Children Oklahoma City, OK | — | $5,396,653 |
| World Emergency Relief San Dimas, CA | — | $4,276,058 |
| Northwest Harvest Seattle, WA | — | $3,430,387 |
| Arm Full of Help New York, NY | — | $2,910,957 |
| Inspired Vision Compassion Center Dallas, TX | — | $2,894,259 |
| Goodness Project Fort Worth, TX | — | $2,868,905 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $832,491 | $161,641,196 | $161,561,055 | $113,534,540 | 108 | $10,825 |
| 2023 | $728,200 | $102,268,690 | $102,096,988 | $63,329,204 | 99 | — |
| 2022 | $519,190 | $1,013,026 | $668,990 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | $202,250 | $395,546 | $3,390,118 | $10,194 | 1 | — |
| 2020 | $3,231,898 | $4,746,007 | $1,691,415 | $1,666 | Total only | — |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization states its mission as connecting organizations with surplus food to communities in need while diverting edible food from landfills, at no cost to users. Its core food recovery program lets food businesses post available donations and notifies nearby emergency food providers. In 2024, it also operated a Community Meal Program, purchasing catered meals from small and medium-sized businesses for donation to nearby nonprofits.
The 2024 grantees included food banks, food distribution organizations, and other nonprofits. For example, Farm Share describes its mission as alleviating hunger and fighting poverty by recovering and distributing nutritious food; El Pasoans Fighting Hunger says it combats hunger by procuring and distributing nutritious food through community partners. Palm Beach County Food Bank describes its work as fighting hunger and improving food security through food, nutrition education, and financial assistance. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the funder’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Means Database reported 108 grants totaling $113,534,540. Grant amounts ranged from $7,297 to $26,670,327, with a median of $166,998. The largest grants included $26,670,327 to Farm Share in Homestead, Florida; $11,771,179 to Hands of Hope in Joliet, Illinois; $7,864,514 to El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Ban in El Paso, Texas; and $6,873,943 to Freedom Tour in Lake Wales, Florida.
Other large 2024 grants included $5,396,653 to Feed the Children, $4,276,058 to World Emergency Relief, $3,430,387 to Northwest Harvest, and $2,910,957 to Arm Full of Help. The filing reports 99 grants totaling $63,329,204 in 2023. The available filing data does not report a grant total for 2022. Its 2024 filing, the latest on this page, reports 108 grants totaling $114 million.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Samantha Paul as Executive Director, Maria Rose Belding as Chair, and Grant Nelson and Julia Shullman as Board Members.
Means Database Inc is led by Samantha Paul, Executive Director since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 4 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Samantha Paul
Executive Director
Chief Operating Officer → Executive Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
36 hrs/week
$52K (2020) → $70K (2024)
Maria Rose Belding
Chair
CEO & Executive Director → Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$60K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Grant Nelson
Board Member
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julia Shullman
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Alexander Moore (2020) — Former Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $70K, to Samantha Paul (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Means Database Inc
How much does Means Database Inc give each year?
Means Database Inc gave $113.5M across 108 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $63.3M across 99 grants.
What is Means Database Inc's typical grant size?
Means Database Inc's median grant in 2024 was $166,998, and its average grant was $1,051,246, across 108 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Means Database Inc give grants?
Means Database Inc's top state is Florida, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Texas (15%) and Illinois (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants), Philadelphia, PA (3 grants), Joliet, IL (2 grants) and Seattle, WA (2 grants).
Who are Means Database Inc's largest grantees?
Means Database Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Farm Share ($26,670,327), Hands of Hope ($11,771,179) and El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Ban ($7,864,514), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Means Database Inc?
Means Database Inc reported $832K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $161.6M.
What does Means Database Inc fund?
The organization states its mission as connecting organizations with surplus food to communities in need while diverting edible food from landfills, at no cost to users. Its core food recovery program lets food businesses post available donations and notifies nearby emergency food providers. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Means Database Inc?
Means Database Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Means Database Inc's EIN?
Means Database Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4262060. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Means Database Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/means-database-inc-morg_0e920cee7226458baf468aab683df345
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_474262060_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Means Database Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/means-database-inc-morg_0e920cee7226458baf468aab683df345},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Means Database 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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