Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
March Food Share What is the "match"? • Technically it is not a "match". There has been a misconception for many years that the money is dollar-for-dollar and pound-for-pound. We would prefer to call it an "incentive allocation." It is a percentage of the money Minnesota FoodShare collects from the public during March. It is based on how much each food shelf raises during March. It is never a full match. • This idea may have come from the early days of the campaign. Several food companies said they would "match" all food donated, but the donations were more generous than expected. Even 20 years ago, donations at food shelves far exceeded the amount the companies were willing to match. • We would prefer to call it an "incentive allocation." Many food shelves continue to use the term "match" to make it easier for the public to understand, which is fine as long as the term "dollar-for-dollar" is not used. We do not want to misinform the public. Is this a match from the state of Minnesota? In a word: no! • Minnesota FoodShare is not an agency of the State of Minnesota. • The State of Minnesota does not match your funds in any way, shape or form. • The money you receive comes from fundraising by Minnesota FoodShare, not from taxes. |
• We do not use the term "state" but rather Minnesota FoodShare. From where does the money for the incentive allocation come? Every penny donated directly to Minnesota FoodShare during the month of March goes into our "food fund", which is what we use to pay the allocation.
Who donates to the food fund? • Individuals: Minnesota FoodShare does fundraising from donors who want to help food shelves statewide. • Corporations: We work with the larger corporations in the Twin Cities to raise corporate donations. Many have large employee March Campaigns. • Foundations: We solicit from foundations for dollars to administer the campaign and for dollars for food shelves. • Food shelves report all of the donations they receive during the month of March to their local food bank or Minnesota FoodShare. • The amount the food shelf receives is based on the amount each food shelf collects on its own. In other words, the more a food shelf collects each March, the more it receives of the "incentive allocation." |