(Editor’s note: The following is the second in a four-part series of op-eds by Olean Food Pantry board members in preparation for the Season of Giving.)

By Nick Hamed

Olean Food Pantry board member

Charity isn’t free. Every act of kindness carries a price tag – even volunteering, which costs time.

People often mistakenly believe that a not-for-profit organization shouldn’t make any money. Quite the contrary. Large sums of money cycle through nonprofits like Olean Food Pantry every day. The only difference is we’re not allowed to bank a profit. Anything left over must be reinvested back into our nonprofit mission.

So let’s discuss cash donations and what they actually mean to Olean Food Pantry, the largest food pantry serving Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties.

I’m a local accounting professional by trade, a skillset that helps as the treasurer of the Olean Food Pantry Board of Directors. I enjoy the unique responsibility of overseeing our organization’s finances. To be sure, balancing the budget for a small nonprofit like ours — one that is largely dependent on donations and grants — is no small feat.

We’re approaching the Season of Giving. This series of op-eds by fellow OFP board members, of course, is an appeal for donations. But in that appeal, we must explain how far a cash donation goes.

You’ve likely seen in previous articles and on social media that cash donations allow us to purchase 66% more food than nonperishable donations alone. When most people envision donating to a local food pantry, they think of gathering cans of soups and vegetables. Those would never be turned away, but the reality is Olean Food Pantry is able to purchase so much more food thanks to preferred nonprofit rates.

For perspective:

• A $10 donation equals $16.60 in impact.
• A $100 donation equals $166.
• A $1,000 donation equals $1,660. 

We’re in the business of amplifying community impact. Cash gives Olean Food Pantry the firepower to serve exponentially more people.

As a nonprofit food pantry, we partner with larger regional food banks like FeedMore WNY. We also benefit from nonprofit rates with local farmers and grocers. What might cost you $10 at the grocery store could cost us as little as $3 through our community partnerships.

That means your financial contribution has a massive impact, providing more food to more people, especially in times of heightened need.

We are in those times now.

Olean Food Pantry entered 2024 with a key figure in mind: a 95.4 percent increase in clients served since 2020. To be honest, the reasons for this increase have very little to do with national politics and more to do with lacking resources and systemic gaps that have plagued our region for decades. Without action, those service gaps for people in poverty grow only wider.

Today, that increase is well over 100 percent, meaning the community need has officially more than doubled.

Managing a nonprofit with such a critical mission is like walking a financial tightrope. Each day, we see the need growing, but we’re sometimes left wondering how to keep our shelves stocked to meet the demand.

As treasurer, I’m constantly working to make sure every dollar is spent wisely. Just as importantly, we strive for transparency. Our financial reports and third-party audits are available for inspection upon request. You can always look up our IRS 990 form, filed annually, as well.

You’ll find we rely on a delicate balance of individual donations, grants and corporate gifts to serve roughly 2,000 individuals and families each month. But the truth is donations fluctuate, and grants come and go. While we receive generous food donations from local businesses and community members, we often must purchase specific items for the greatest variety of healthy foods.

Running a food pantry isn’t just about distributing food. It’s about ensuring that we’re sustainable for the long term, which means we have to carefully budget for overhead costs like utilities, transportation and physical infrastructure.

Cash donations give us the flexibility to fill food supply gaps and keep operations running smoothly.

As we enter the holiday season – a time of giving and community reflection – we urge you to consider the power of a cash donation. Empower us to do more, to help more families, and to create a more sustainable future. To make a donation, visit www.oleanfoodpantry.org/donate.

(Nick Hamed is treasurer of the Olean Food Pantry Board of Directors. He can be reached at oleanfoodpantry@yahoo.com.)