Second Harvest Heartland Foundation

Our Mission

The mission of the Second Harvest Heartland Foundation is to support Minnesota's largest food bank in reducing hunger across our service area.  

The Foundation was established in 2024 following consecutive years of growing demand for hunger relief services in our region. As our food bank expanded, we recognized the need to create a separate entity to accept and manage contributions to the Second Harvest Heartland endowment.

The Second Harvest Heartland endowment ensures that resources are available to meet the biggest and most urgent needs within our communities in perpetuity. An endowment also provides Second Harvest Heartland the flexibility to direct funds to our strategic priorities. We stand ready to feed the growing line of people experiencing hunger and help create the long-term change needed to end hunger.  

The Second Harvest Heartland Foundation operates with a Board of Directors that comprises members of the food bank’s board and senior executive leadership.

Those wishing to support the mission of Second Harvest Heartland over the long-term are invited to consider making an endowment gift.  

If you or your organization are interested in making a gift directly to the fund, please contact our development team for tax ID information and other details. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Foundation?

A foundation is a separate legal entity (501C3) that manages an endowment for the purposes of supporting the mission of Second Harvest Heartland.

What is an endowment?

An endowment is a special-purpose investment fund, utilized by nonprofit organizations, including many food banks. It allows Second Harvest Heartland to save and direct funds to strategic priorities. One important goal of an endowment is to ensure funds are available in perpetuity, which means annual spending from our endowment will typically be limited to investment earnings. 

Why does Second Harvest Heartland have a Foundation?

This is an entity that focuses on the management of the endowment and financial distributions of support to Second Harvest Heartland. Donations to the foundation go toward the Second Harvest Heartland endowment, which ensures long-term sustainability of Second Harvest Heartland and its mission.

What is the difference between donating to Second Harvest Heartland and the Second Harvest Heartland Foundation?

General donations go directly to Second Harvest Heartland and our various operations. Donations to the Foundation go into our endowment, which are then allocated to projects that support Second Harvest Heartland’s mission.

Are the Foundation's financial records open to the public?

The Foundation’s most recent 990 and full financials are accessible here.