Founded by Lauren Bush in 2008, the FEED Foundation emerged as an extension of the philanthropic endeavors of her lifestyle brand - FEED Projects. This nonprofit organization, which is a legitimate 501c3 registered with the IRS, adopted an unusual approach to combating childhood hunger, focusing on the sale of consumer goods to fund their efforts.
The FEED Foundation champions the belief that access to nourishing food is a basic human right and everyone should be adequately fed irrespective of their circumstances. Hence, the sale of its consumer goods directly contributes to this noble cause.
Historically, FEED Foundation's initiatives to tackle childhood hunger have shown remarkable effectiveness. Aiding in the development of a sustainable and equitable food system, the foundation has been instrumental in eradicating food insecurity all around the globe.
Lauren, together with the Board members, instrumentalizes strategic planning and guides the foundation in taking a broad perspective towards the future of food. Their mission is dedicated to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, is well-fed.
The FEED Foundation recently found itself within the maelstrom of negative public opinion due to a large number of spammy Robo-calls attributed falsely to the charity. In response, the foundation clarified that it had no connection with these calls, suggesting a likely scenario where fraudsters hijacked their identity for illicit activities.
Inundated with comments about the spammy calls, the charity found it challenging to handle the misdirected criticism. To correct the narrative, representatives from FEED contacted Charity Watch, confirmed their innocence, and encouraged the public to report such calls to the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission.
Despite the misconceptions around the large-scale revenue generation of the FEED Foundation, it is in reality a small charity with less than $100,000 in annual revenue. In 2022, the foundation raised only $83,050 in contributions, out of which a portion was employed as grants for meals for children in US schools.
CharityWatch could not rank the FEED Foundation due to its small size and the lack of independent audited financial statements. The foundation, however, reassures donors about the transparency and effective deployment of funds.
These nuisance calls have forced recipients to seek effective measures to stop them. Despite blocking numerous numbers, individuals are bombarded every day by new ones linked back to “The Feed Foundation.”
It is clear from the circumstances that an urgent, multi-faceted response to combat this growing menace is necessary. It includes not just raising awareness and adopting technical solutions but also utilizing legal and regulatory interventions to safeguard consumers.
Despite the challenges, the efforts of the FEED Foundation remain undeterred. The organization continues to contribute immensely in curbing global hunger, creating a lasting impact on the lives of many. It has supported numerous programs and organizations fighting hunger and malnutrition both in the United States and internationally.
As of January 2015, through their contributions and other hunger relief measures, FEED has been able to provide over 87 million meals around the world.
Your purchase of FEED products, effervescent volunteering spirit, generous donations, or unique creative solutions can help propagate FEED's mission. So let's go, join the FEED force and fight hunger together – because giving back should be a personal, inspirational act!