Foundation For Essential Needs

Reshape the Minnesota Hunger Relief System.

Foundation for Essential Needs (FFEN) is a statewide nonprofit that operates as a free consultant

for Minnesota food shelves. We believe that thriving communities require strong and stable food

shelves—and that food shelf staff and volunteers are often busy meeting daily needs without

capacity for long-term strategy. FFEN comes alongside food shelf leaders to help them work

smarter, not harder, so they can most effectively serve their communities. We provide:

• Data Insights on food sourcing and shopper (our term for “client”) preferences to help food shelves balance priorities and budgets.
• Training sessions to support effective leadership and smooth transitions.
• Project-based consultation on operations improvements like distribution models or incorporating shopper voice into decision-making.