The Food Basket Inc.

The Food Basket Inc., doing business as Hawaii Island's Foodbank, is a Hawaii-based nonprofit organization that receives federal grant funding for food security and nutrition access initiatives, operating as a prime grant recipient (64% of recent awards) and as a sub-recipient on related food and nutrition programs. The organization is tax-exempt and registered in SAM.gov since 2014, with headquarters in Hilo, Hawaii.

The Food Basket's federal grant footprint centers on the Department of Agriculture, which funds the majority of its work through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Agricultural Marketing Service. Recent prime grant awards include a $312,500 cooperative agreement from USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (CFDA 10.175, Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program) awarded March 1, 2026, running through February 28, 2029 with a one-year extension option, which expands the "Da Bux" nutrition incentive program — a 50 percent discount initiative on Hawaii-grown fruits and vegetables for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants statewide. A second major prime award, a project grant from USDA's Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition dated September 1, 2024, with ultimate completion August 31, 2027, funds expansion of Da Bux retailer participation, online SNAP payment capability development, and nutrition education delivery through farm-to-table cooking classes and culturally relevant child nutrition materials. The organization also holds a project grant from HUD's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development (awarded February 17, 2023, completing August 31, 2031) and previously received a project grant from USDA's Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition for the Kokua Harvest Project (November 1, 2022 through October 31, 2025), a gleaning and food-waste-reduction initiative addressing food insecurity on Hawaii Island through produce recovery, value-added product development, and workforce development for low-income residents.

The Food Basket serves as a sub-recipient on nutrition and food security grants, including a sub-award from the University of Hawaii (April 30, 2025) for school-based early childhood nutrition initiatives and multiple sub-awards from Hawaii County (November and June 2024 and 2022) supporting summer food delivery, commercial food storage infrastructure (walk-in freezer and refrigerator acquisition), and farmer-support programs. The organization's customer concentration is heavily weighted to the Department of Agriculture, which accounts for the vast majority of its federal funding stream. All work is performed in Hawaii, with administrative and operational focus on Hawaii County and statewide SNAP nutrition programs. Activity has averaged roughly two awards annually over the past five years, with one award (combined potential value undisclosed but likely representing the March 2026 cooperative agreement) completing within the next twenty-four months.