FAQs
About Us:
What is the difference between a Food Bank and Food Pantry?
What is Feeding America?
How does NIFB distribute food?
Where does NIFB get food?
What is NIFB's service area?
How many pounds of food does NIFB distribute each year?
How is NIFB funded?
Donate:
Is my gift tax-deductible?
What if I am an ongoing donor and only want to receive one statement per year?
Can I dedicate my donation to someone?
Can I make an anonymous donation?
Online Giving: Is my credit card/checking account information secure?
Online Giving: My donation did not go through. What happened?
Online Giving: What kind of donations can I make online?
Online Giving: I would like to make a donation directly from my checking account (via electronic transfer or ACH transaction) instead of using Paypal. How can I do that?
Get Involved:
Can I take a tour of Northern Illinois Food Bank?
An organization or group I am part of would like a presentation on NIFB. Is this possible?
How can I get involved?
How can I become a partner agency?
Get Help:
Where do I go to get food assistance?
Where can I go to get non-food assistance?
How can I apply for SNAP benefits (formerly Food Stamps)?
About Us:
What is the difference between a Food Bank and Food Pantry?
A food pantry provides food to individuals in need. They acquire their food from food banks, individual food drives, and other food sources.
A food bank acquires, handles, and distributes food to pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other 501(c)(3) hunger reduction sites. Food banks aquire donated food from local retailers, local and national manufacturers, individuals, businesses, and the federal government. In addition, food banks may purchase product that cannot always be aquired through donation. Food banks also ensure that agency partners meet proper food handling practices, and they advocate on behalf of the hungry in local communities and their State. Back to top.
What is Feeding America?
Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Their mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger. Please visit Feeding America's website for more information. Back to top.
How does NIFB distribute food?
NIFB distributes donated and purchased food through its network of over 600 partner agencies throughout the 13 county service area. The agencies then distribute the food to hungry men, women and children in their neighborhoods. In addition, NIFB has programs that distribute directly to those in need. Visit our Programs page for additional information. Back to top.
Where does NIFB get food?
NIFB receives food from the federal government, wholesalers, manufacturers, retailers, food drives and Feeding America. Food is also purchased to ensure there is a consistent supply of much-needed products such as jelly, peanut butter, rice, and juice. Back to top.
What is NIFB's service area?
Northern Illinois Food Bank serves over 600 agencies in 13 northern Illinois counties covering 7,000 square miles. The following is a map of our service area:
Back to top.
How many pounds of food does NIFB distribute each year?
Over the past few years, NIFB has seen a steady rise in the need for food assistance. In 2002, 11.1 million pounds were distributed; in 2004, NIFB distributed 19.5 million pounds of food; in 2009, over 27.2 million pounds were provided to NIFB's partner agencies. Last year, the Food Bank distributed nearly 35 million pounds of food. Back to top.
How is NIFB funded?
NIFB receives it's funding from the following sources:
Back to top.
Donate:
Is my gift tax deductible?
Your gift is fully tax deductible as allowed by the law. Please consult your tax advisor for further information.
What if I am an ongoing donor and only want to receive one statement per year?
If you would prefer to receive one statement detailing your total annual giving, rather than multiple thank you letters throughout the year, please e-mail Corinne Boyd, Donor Services and Database Manager or call at 630.443.6910 ext. 138. Back to top.
Can I dedicate my donation to someone?
Yes. You can make your donation "in honor" or "in memory" of someone or as a birthday or anniversary gift. If donating online, please make a note in the comment box. If mailing your donation, please include a note detailing your dedication. NIFB will send confirmation to you along with a letter announcing your donation to your designated recipient, as long as you provide the address. Back to top.
Can I make an anonymous donation?
Yes. If donating online, please make a note in the comment box. If mailing your donation, please specify your intent to remain anonymous. In the Food Bank's annual report, your name will not be published in the donor roster. Back to top.
Online Giving: Is my credit card/checking account information secure?
NIFB takes your security and trust very seriously. All contributions are securely processed through PayPal in accordance with best practices for online transactions. If you have any questions or concerns about donating online, e-mail Corinne Boyd, Donor Services and Database Manager or call at 630.443.6910 ext. 138. Back to top.
Online Giving: My donation did not go through. What happened?
A variety of situations can result in an incomplete transaction besides insufficient funds or incorrect typing in the credit card or checking account information. Please make sure that the billing address on your statement exactly matches the billing address you enter. If you are still experiencing difficulty, e-mail Corinne Boyd, Donor Services and Database Manager or call 630.443.6910 ext. 138. For security reasons, it is advised that you do not send credit card or checking account information via email. Back to top.
Online Giving: What kind of donations can I make online?
You can make two types of donations: one-time donations and virtual food drive donations. If you would like to set up a monthly donation via credit card, please e-mail Corinne Boyd, Donor Services and Database Manager or call 630.443.6910 ext. 138. Back to top.
Online Giving: I would like to make a donation directly from my checking account (via electronic transfer or ACH transaction) instead of using Paypal. How can I do that?
At this time NIFB does not have the capability to accept ACH, EFT, auto-withdrawal payments directly through our website. We can automatically withdraw donations from credit/debit cards. We are pursuing cost-effective options to provide that service and will post the alternative on this site when it becomes available. Back to top.
Get Involved:
Can I take a tour of a Northern Illinois Food Bank facility?
Yes. Please contact us to schedule your tour. Back to top.
An organization or group I am part of would like a presentation on NIFB. Is this possible?
Yes. Please call our main office at 630.443.6910 or email hunger@northernilfoodbank.org to discuss this opportunity. Back to top.
How can I get involved?
Getting involved with Northern Illinois Food Bank is easy. Simply call 630.443.6910 or email hunger@northernilfoodbank.org. You can volunteer, organize a food drive, host a Virtual Food Drive, raise funds, or become an advocate. Back to top.
How can I become a partner agency?
For details on becoming a partner agency, please visit our Becoming a Member Partner Agency. Back to top.
Get Help:
Where do I go to get food assistance?
You will want to find the food assistance agency nearest you.
Find other programs providing food assistance.
Back to top.
Where can I go to get non-food assistance?
Non-food assistance is available in your area. Learn more. Back to top.
How can I apply for SNAP benefits (formerly Food Stamps)?
NIFB has information available to see if you qualify and to help you apply for SNAP benefits. If you ever have questions about the process, please call a SNAP hotline number at 630-485-4930. Find out more here. Back to top.
If you have a question that is not answered please contact us at 630.443.6910 or hunger@northernilfoodbank.org.