2025 Annual Impact Report

ENDING CHILDHOOD FOOD INSECURITY

2025

ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT www.fullplates.org

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© Full Plates Full Potential

Access to food is a basic human right.

Our children, our future, deserve nothing less.

- Caroline Trinder Director of RSU23 Food Services

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TABLE of CONTENTS Advocacy in Action

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Full Plates Full Potential Board Members

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Strengthening Our Communities

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USDA School Food System Innovation Grant

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Lunchroom Revolution

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Ten Years of Full Plates

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Maine Youth Food Council

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Where Does Your Donation Go?

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Financial Overview

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Meet our Team

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ADVOCACY IN ACTION Reflections on FPFP’s 10 Year Anniversary - a new tipping point When we started Full Plates in 2015, our goal wasn’t to build another nonprofit—it was to solve a problem. The food insecurity crisis was at a tipping point for Maine kids, and something needed to be done.

Ten years later, we’ve made progress. Thanks to School Meals for All, which was spearheaded by Full Plates, more kids are eating breakfast and lunch at school than ever before. For many, these are the healthiest meals they get all day.

But hunger doesn’t stop when

school does. That’s why we’ve always funded and prioritized out-of-school-time programs, like summer meals, especially in rural areas, by making summer meal sites more welcoming with added services for families and activities for kids.

Now we’re at another turning point—this time driven by federal policy changes. Cuts to SNAP (food stamps) and new rules for federal nutrition programs will have a chain reaction.

Families who lose SNAP, whether because of stricter

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work requirements or because the state can’t cover the cost, will also lose automatic eligibility for free school meals. This will mean more paperwork for schools, lower federal reimbursements, and fewer kids fed.

The impact will go beyond hunger. SNAP dollars keep grocery stores open, especially in rural towns.

Without them, we’ll see both food access and local economies decline. This moment calls for more than food donations and communication with our elected leaders—it calls for a coordinated, statewide response that connects nonprofits and government.

Full Plates is built for this.

We are nimble, trusted, and connected—from state agencies to community programs. Our team is recognized nationally for its expertise in federal nutrition programs, and we’re ready to act when these cuts take effect.

The issue may be complex, but our belief is simple: every child deserves to eat. Every meal. Every day.

As Full Plates marks this milestone, we remain committed to the work—and to honoring John’s legacy. In Maine, we take care of each other. That’s what Full Plates is all about.

Yours, Justin Alfond Co-founder, Treasurer

Diane Woods for John Woods {deceased}, Cofounder Board Member

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FULL PLATES FULL POTENTIAL BOARD MEMBERS Laura Pineo

Jeanne LaPointe

Chair of the Board Former School Nutrition Director

School Nutrition Director, RSU 10

Julie Butcher Pezzino

Kevin Concannon

Vice Chair Executive Director, Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine

Former USDA Under Secretary FNCS

Justin Alfond

Khadija Ahmed

Treasurer & Co-founder Entrepreneur, Activist & Philanthropist

Entrepreneur, Chef, & Nonprofit founder

Chelsey Carrier

Molly Clark

Secretary Attorney & Mediator

Co-owner, Cold Spring Ranch

David Pease

Ryan Parker

Director of Talent, Diversity & Inclusion, Bangor Savings Bank

Impact & Partnerships Lead Maine, FoodCorps

Diane Woods

Stephanie Cesario-DeBiasi

Business Management Consultant

Program Officer, Maine Community Foundation

Ericka Dodge Katz

In Memoriam: John Woods

Dir. of External Communications & Community Relations, Hannaford Supermarkets

Co-founder 1963-2021

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STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITIES Grantmaking in Fiscal Year 2025 Full Plates directly supports child nutrition providers through our grantmaking. Over the past ten years, we have granted over $4.7 million dollars throughout Maine. Our financial resources are paired with support from staff to make sure child nutrition providers receive the holistic assistance they need. As state and federal funding shifts, we anticipate an even greater need for our grants to support programs with their basic needs. Our grantmaking funds equipment, training, resource development, pilot projects of best practices, and much more!

Grant Categories FY 2025 CACFP Mini-Grant $4,400.00

Total Orgs. Funded by County

Afterschool $37,260.00

Schools

Community Orgs.

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8 School Meals $100,000.00

78 Grants $426,465

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0 An dr os c Ar ogg o i Cu os n m too be k rl H and an Ke coc nn k eb ec Kn Li ox nc o O ln Pe xfo no rd Pi bs sc co a t Sa taq ga uis da So h m oc er se W W t as al hi do ng to n Yo rk

Summer Meals $284,805.00

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USDA SCHOOL FOOD SYSTEM INNOVATION GRANT In March 2023, Full Plates was awarded a cooperative agreement with the USDA to administer the School Food System Innovation Grants. We’ve awarded $7.4 million to seven projects throughout that state that are focused on helping schools overcome barriers to purchasing Maine-based foods, as well as an additional $1.1 million to improve farm-to-school and culinary skills training opportunities across the state.

This year work began in earnest for our USDA grant recipients. Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association’s project held a taste test for students at Kate Furbish Elementary School in Brunswick. Many students tried fish for the first time and found the fish cakes and fish tots delicious!

Elementary school students in Somerset County will soon be tasting the fruits of their labor in school meals. Students planted over 400 seedlings, which were then transplanted, tended, and harvested by inmates at the Somerset County Jail.

This fall, the produce will come full circle, appearing on school menus.

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In Skowhegan, The Good Crust has been hard at work developing “grow your own pizza kits” which were distributed during Maine School Garden Day. The Good Crust’s pizza dough has been making regular appearances on school menus and will be in even more cafeterias this fall.

To learn more, visit fullplates.org/schoolfood-systemtransformationchallenge.

In anticipation of potential action by the federal government, Full Plates Full Potential drew down the entirety of the USDA cooperative agreement funding in January 2025.

These funds are in our accounts, and our work on the USDA cooperative agreement will continue uninterrupted.

THE GRANTEES: Auburn Public Schools School-Based Food Hub Five Pillars Butchery Halal Meal Production Lab Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association Fishermen Feeding K-12 Mainers Maine Food Convergence Local Food Switchboard Peak Season Streamlining Access to Maine Grown K-12 Products RSU 54/MSAD 54 Somerset County Farm to School Initiative The Good Crust Good Grains on the Go 5210 Let’s Go / Maine Health Culinary Skills for School Meals Healthy Communities of the Capital Area Maine Farm and Sea to School Institute

COMING SOON

LUNCHROOM LUNCHROOM REVOLUTION REVOLUTION

A FILM ABOUT HOW MAINE IS PUTTING FARMS, FAMILIES, AND FLAVOR BACK IN SCHOOL MEALS PREMIERE GALA ON MAY 9, 2026 PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART

As part of our cooperative agreement, Full Plates is responsible for sharing the stories of our grantees. We’re excited to announce that we have begun production on a documentary that will eventually be aired on Maine Public Television, and possibly nationwide through the PBS network. Our documentary will share the story of local food in Maine schools and serve as an inspiration for other states looking to make their school meals and local economies better.

Lunchroom Revolution follows the journeys of four recipients of USDA-funded grants from the Maine nonprofit, Full Plates Full Potential. Full Plates Full Potential is the state’s leading anti-hunger organization working to improve the lives of Maine’s kids, and was awarded a $10 million cooperative agreement through the USDA. These sub-recipients were chosen for their projects designed to get more local foods into school meals.

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TEN YEARS OF FULL PLATES Founded in 2015, Full Plates has been making a difference for Maine kids for over 10 years.

In just ten years, Full Plates60000 has invested over $4.7 50000 million dollars in grant funding across the state and 40000 helped to pass landmark legislation including Maine 30000 School Meals for All. It’s no 20000 coincidence that, in that 10000 time, childhood food insecurity has fallen from 0 23% to 16%—a milestone worth celebrating, and a reminder that there’s more work ahead.

Childhood Food Insecurity

Full Plates Grant Amount

59,000 KIDS $3.8 MILLION 38,000 KIDS

$0

2015

2017

2019

2021

$379K

$71K $238K

$341K

$155K $194K $822K $4 45 K

$253K K $226K

K $240 $577

$165K $149K $415K

$107K

Full Plates’ grants awarded by county since FY 2016 Total Awarded: $4,779,502

2023

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MAINE YOUTH FOOD COUNCIL Elevating youth voice and choice in Maine’s food system

EST.

2023

MAINE YOUTH FOOD COUNCIL

Now in its second year, the Maine Youth Food Council (MYFC) is lifting up the voices of young people to address food insecurity. Led by Kirsten Tenney, Full Plates’ Community Engagement Manager, the 2024-2025 council convened 12 high school students from across the state. Together, they shared the impacts of food insecurity in their school communities and learned about advocacy efforts to combat the state’s hunger MYFC visits the Maine Statehouse

crisis.

Council members conducted projects in their schools to reduce food waste, increase student participation in school meals, and grow more local produce for the school kitchen. MYFC also became part of the broader Maine Network of Community Food Councils, adding their perspectives to the larger conversation about food security in our state.

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MYFC STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS Ketia, a member of MYFC and the Youth Summit Group, launched a "snack cart initiative" at Biddeford High School to ensure all students can enjoy a healthy snack as they leave in the afternoon. This project thrived through creative collaboration, making it both successful and sustainable.

This group didn’t stop there. From October to the end of the school year, they also: Extended breakfast hours & access locations at BHS (grab-and-go in lobby) Started free snack cart distribution in the afternoon Organized a school-wide Mental Health Awareness Week in January Attended the USM Safer Schools Summit Planned a Mind and Body Wellness Fair for their peers

I’m part of a generation that inherited a world with exceptional wealth as well as unprecedented hunger. We don’t need to accept this and let generations above us shape our future.

- Nina Mitchell, Maine Youth Food Council Read Nina’s full story in the Portland Press Herald

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WHERE DO YOUR DONATIONS GO? How your giving helps to end child hunger in Maine Kids, families, communities, local economies, and our state benefit in the long run when everyone has the food they need to thrive.

There is a hunger crisis in our state, and the day-to-day need for food assistance will not go away on its own. There needs to be a leader driving permanent solutions.

That leader is us.

While Full Plates does not purchase, cook, or distribute food—what we do has an impact far beyond a daily meal.

Our work impacts a lifetime. We work to maximize the effectiveness of existing federal child nutrition programs—school meals, SNAP, and other programs—because they are the most effective tool for eliminating childhood food insecurity.

We make this happen through advocacy for pragmatic policies, financial support for program operation, and expert technical assistance for navigating program complexities.

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Your donation goes to building a better future for Maine’s kids.

Full Plates relies on the generosity of individuals, through annual donations and planned giving, and on the support of Maine’s community-focused businesses.

To become a part of our success, please visit fullplates.org/donateonline, or contact Erica Forsyth, Development Director, at eforsyth@fullplates.org.

Thank you!

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FINANCIAL OVERVIEW Income Individual Giving: $459,707.06 Institutional Giving: $485,096.19 Government Funding: $1,492,843.19 Interest Income: $121,879.89 Cause Marketing: $41,928.65 Fiscal Sponsorship: $32,868.18 In-Kind Donations: $34,907.50 Reserves: $237,763.15 Other: $2,741.06

Fiscal Sponsorship 1.2% Reserves 8.2%

Individual 15.8%

Interest 4.2%

In-Kind 1.2%

INCOME

Institutional 16.7%

$2,909,734

Cause Marketing 1.4% Government 51.3%

Expenses Non-USDA Direct Grantmaking: $436,558.12 USDA Subrecipient Grants: $1,371,332.17 Programs: $613,570.48 Administration: $191,449.28 Fundraising: $263,956.64 Fiscal Sponsorship: $32,868.18

Fundraising 9.2% Administration 6.7%

Non-USDA Grants 14.1%

EXPENSES Programs 21.3%

Fiscal Sponsorship 1.1%

$2,909,734

USDA Grants 47.6%

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Year in Review Curious how Full Plates kept busy during FY 2425? Scan the QR code and watch our year-inreview video.

SNAP Matters to ME SNAP is one of the most effective anti-hunger programs in the nation. Scan the QR code to learn more about why SNAP matters to the people of Maine.

Protecting Maine School Meals for All Dozens of School Nutrition Professionals from across the state traveled to Augusta this year to support Maine School Meals for All. Scan the QR code to hear directly from our School Lunch Heroes.

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MEET OUR TEAM Our small but mighty team working to end childhood hunger in Maine.

Anna Korsen

Anna directs and oversees Full Plates advocacy and programs. She lives in Portland with her husband and son, and can often be found exploring Portland’s many trails with her furry companion, Flora.

Deputy Director

Chelsea manages Full Plates’ summer and out of school meal time initiatives and supports the team with data collection and evaluation. Chelsea lives in Camden with her partner and their three guinea pigs.

Chelsea Marshall

Program Manager Colleen Frawley

Colleen supports Full Plates system change and advocacy agenda. She lives in Boothbay with her two teenage children and when not on the bleachers or sidelines, enjoys reading on the beach.

Advocacy Manager Daniel Schechtman

Daniel guides Full Plates’ storytelling efforts across its website, design, newsletters, media, and videos. He lives in Topsham with his wife and son, who are nervously watching him try to learn basic carpentry.

They won’t set foot inside anything he’s built just yet, which even he agrees is probably for the best.

Communications Manager

Erica Forsyth

Development Director

Erica secures funding for Full Plates through individual giving, corporate philanthropy, and foundations. She lives in Portland with her partner and kids, and can often be found running and getting muddy on the trails.

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Finn Madden

Finn manages the Full Plates grant programs and a cooperative agreement with USDA focused on getting more local foods into school meals. Finn is slowly but surely becoming a birder, and is okay with it.

Grants Manager

Janet Fournier

Janet supports Full Plates Team's finances, reporting, and audits. Based in Brunswick, she’s a Mom and Grammie who enjoys all things outdoors. Her greatest joy is spending peaceful days at her Western Maine camp, journaling, reading, swimming and paddling on the pond.

Finance Manager

Justin serves as the leader of Full Plates, driving strategy and carrying out our mission alongside partners, donors, and communities. He lives in Brunswick with his wife and two rambunctious boys who love school meals and, sometimes, his cooking.

Keirstin Read

Justin Strasburger

Executive Director

Keirstin secures funding for Full Plates through business giving, corporate philanthropy, and events.

Keirstin lives in Portland with her husband and loves exploring Maine’s ever expanding food scene.

Development Relationship Manager

Kirsten Tenney

Kirsten engages the community, facilitates the Maine Youth Food Council, and manages our SNAP Outreach Contract. She lives in coastal Washington County with her family and can be found on a lobster boat in her “free” time.

Robin Kerber

Community Engagement Manager

Robin leads our implementation efforts through technical assistance, supporting Child Nutrition Consultants and the School Nutrition Advisory Group.

She is passionate about connecting schools to local food and increasing scratch cooking.

Associate Program Director

ENDING CHILDHOOD FOOD INSECURITY

www.fullplates.org

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© Full Plates Full Potential