The ROI of MannaPack Meals

In the February 2012 issue of Christianity Today, economist Bruce Wydick (University of San Francisco) writes a piece titled “Cost-Effective Compassion.” He challenges Christians to choose charities not by anecdotes but by quantifiable impact – return on investment (ROI).

I was surprised that food assistance was not addressed in the article. Every day at Feed My Starving Children, we hear from our distribution partners – embedded organizations in 70 countries – that our MannaPack meals are the first step toward progress. At FMSC, we agree that long-term ROI is a key standard for giving. And on that score, here’s why we measure up:

We Fuel Community Development

We give our meals to in-country organizations (complete list here) like FUSAL in El Salvador and Friends of Haiti, who use the food in hospitals, clinics, orphanages, and schools, or job-training programs – mainstays of the community that foster growth.

We also connect partners with sister organizations (like Compatible Technology, Inc.) that can help with clean water and improved agriculture practices. And we support micro-enterprise, buying handmade crafts from local artisans for a fair wage and reselling them in the FMSC MarketPlace. Profits support the food program for a win-win!

We Fuel Healthy Growth

Last fall, Doctors Without Borders launched a campaign calling for better-quality food aid. If a developing brain lacks micronutrients like Vitamin A, iron, zinc, and iodine, crippling lifelong disabilities result. Ahead of their time, MannaPack meals are power-packed with the protein, vitamins, and minerals a child needs to thrive. The World Health Organization and UNICEF have agreed (in the Copenhagen Consensus) that every $1 invested in micronutrients for small children returns $17 worth of economic benefits.

We Fuel Learning

The World Food Programme says hot lunches reduce school dropout rates by 200-300% in developing countries. No wonder, when it’s the only daily meal many children have – and when kids can concentrate on learning. At Mathare Child Development School in Nairobi, FMSC food gives Julia, a 12-year-old rape survivor, a safe place to recover and build a future. Without this food, “Every one of these children would be on the streets doing whatever they could – from stealing to selling their bodies – to get a plate food,” says the boarding school’s director, Jane Muthu.

Any study of ROI in developing world has to include food assistance. Because when it’s done right, people become independent. Feed My Starving Children is strongly committed to a high return on the investment donors and volunteers make in our mission. As our partner Jerry Krosnowski of Risen Savior Missions says, “Food is always the hub of the wheel that turns a community around.”