Innovating Food Security: Inside the Regional Food Bank of NE NY with Tom Nardacci

Innovating Food Security: Inside the Regional Food Bank of NE NY with Tom Nardacci

July 15, 2026 · 42 min · Episode 172

About this episode

Tom Nardacci discusses the operations and challenges of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York in addressing food insecurity.

Food insecurity is rising even as household budgets stretch thinner, and food banks have become core infrastructure for hundreds of thousands of families. On this episode of the Charity Charge Show , Tom Nardacci, CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York , breaks down how his organization feeds roughly 350,000 people each month across 23 counties, and what nonprofit executives can learn from how he runs it. The conversation covers local food sourcing, leadership lessons from the for-profit world, and how to build funding resilience when federal support is unpredictable. Quick Summary The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York distributes about 50 million pounds of food annually through nearly 1,000 partner agencies across 23 counties. Its Agricultural Hub initiative connects local farms directly to food pantries, with a goal of growing farm and produce distribution to 30 million pounds per year. Nardacci applies for-profit team-building and accountability practices to nonprofit operations, treating the food bank like a logistics company. Funding volatility, especially around SNAP, makes diversified revenue and strong funder relationships essential for any…

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