East Texas Food Bank Receives Two National Awards
Posted/updated on: May 8, 2011 at 6:28 am
TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank is the 2011 recipient of the Technology and Fundraising Model Program Awards from Feeding America for its Comprehensive Technology Infrastructure Enhancement (CTIE) Project and Tyler Independent School District BackPack Program. The awards were recently presented to Dennis Cullinane, executive director of the East Texas Food Bank, at the Feeding America Network Summit in Las Vegas.
“We are deeply honored to be recognized by Feeding America with these prestigious national awards. We could not have won either award without the generous support of our donors who made the success of these programs possible,” said Cullinane. “There are over 200 food banks in the Feeding America network across the country and I am so proud of the East Texas Food Bank and our generous community of which this is a reflection.”
Each year, Feeding America honors a member food bank with the Model Technology Program of the Year award. It’s presented to a food bank for an innovative technology solution that significantly increases the member’s capability to serve its community and enhance its existing hunger-relief services. Additionally, the Fundraising Program of the Year award is handed out for an innovative fundraising activity or strategy that increased the revenue for the network member and demonstrated growth potential in the coming year. The winning program or campaign in each category also contains elements that can be replicated by other member food banks.
East Texas Food Bank officials say the Comprehensive Technology Infrastructure Enhancement (CTIE) Project is a holistic, fully integrated approach to technology, data and online management systems. Serving more than 183,000 people every year – a 90 percent increase over 2006 – the food bank implemented the project to build capacity by more efficiently managing food, funds, partner agencies, volunteers and operations. The results, according to food bank officials: reduced fuel costs, increased food donations from national donors, constituent relationship management systems, faster and more efficient acknowledgment of financial donors. and larger gifts. Officials say the implementation of this comprehensive, cross-departmental plan improved technological capacity and the overall service to the hungry.
According to food bank press materials, the objective of the BackPack Project objective was to raise enough funds to support the BackPack Program at every elementary school in the district, while engaging the public in the goal of eliminating hunger in the district. Food bank officials say the project model is designed to build hunger advocates within each school and the school circle-of-influence, and project donors, in alignment with the food bank’s and Feeding America’s strategic plans.
“The East Texas Food Bank’s technology strategy has positioned itself as a leader among nonprofits to increase service, grow donations and reduce costs,” said Vicki Escarra, President and CEO of Feeding America. “Our network strives for enhanced technology solutions that streamline our work and enable us to help more people in the most efficient way possible. Their successful BackPack Initiative also engaged individuals and companies throughout their service area and stands as model for food banks across the country looking to further develop hunger-relief efforts at a local level.”
