Northwest Harvest

Volunteers repack bulk beans, potatoes, and other staples into smaller bags. Some of the bags are delivered to food pantries, where they are picked up by grassroots community organizations that distribute them to neighbors in need. Other bags stock the shelves in free community markets, where people at risk of going hungry come to shop at no cost. 

Northwest Harvest, one of the country’s largest independent food banks, collects and distributes food to individuals and more than 400 partner organizations across the state of Washington.  Each year, Microsoft and its employees donate over $1 million to Northwest Harvest, supporting its work to end hunger in Washington. Microsoft employees are active volunteers, supporting food drives, special events, food packing and even providing valuable insights about culturally specific food traditions. And Microsoft technology, provided at a discount through Tech for Social Impact, powers the nonprofit’s operations and distribution.

“At Northwest Harvest, we grow food justice through collective action,” says Thomas Reynolds, CEO of Northwest Harvest. “We directly supply food to people who need it but also work on the root causes of hunger to create a food system that’s more inclusive, equitable, and just.”

Northwest Harvest is rooted in doing things differently. “We’ve always broken the mold,” Reynolds explains. When it was founded in 1967, it opened one of the country’s first food pantries in Seattle. In the early 2000s, the nonprofit became the first to distribute fresh produce to emergency food organizations in all 39 counties in Washington State. During the pandemic, it directly supported local ethnic grocery stores, butchers, and bakeries, buying vouchers for low-income people to shop at these vital community hubs. Now it runs a chain of free grocery stores that share diverse foods, where anyone can shop with dignity. 

“Partnering with a high-profile, high-impact organization like Microsoft enables us to keep operating at scale and investing in innovation,” says Laurie Eckardt, Institutional Giving Manager at Northwest Harvest.  

The nonprofit says that Microsoft’s support of their general operating costs enable them to stick with important causes. For example, Northwest Harvest advocated for expanded free breakfast programs in schools—a vision that took seven years to become state law. Since Breakfast after the Bell passed, eligible children who ate a healthy breakfast at school increased from 15% to 80% in just one district.  

“Microsoft’s trust in us is really powerful. It gives us tremendous flexibility to invest in our advocacy efforts, policy work, and ability to lead in this space,” explains Patricia Vogel, Chief Advancement Officer at Northwest Harvest. “This allows us to grow in a community-centric way so the emergency food system reflects the incredible diversity in our state.” 

Northwest Harvest is working to eliminate hunger altogether.  The state is already making impressive progress toward the nonprofit’s goal of halving hunger by 2028, through the combined efforts of community organizations, state programs, the private sector, and passionate individuals.

“The partnership with Microsoft means that there are literally thousands of people who take action on the food justice issues here in Washington State,” Reynolds continues. “They provide financial support, their time, and their wisdom.”

Northwest Harvest has worked with Microsoft volunteers as thought partners. For example, together they brainstorm big ideas, such as creative ways to create more opportunities for Black, indigenous, and people of color to participate in the food and agricultural system.

Microsoft employees speak to family and friends about the persistent challenge of hunger, encouraging others to contribute and advocate for change. Microsoft’s ongoing investment signals to other companies that Northwest Harvest is a trusted partner. These two forces combine for a virtuous cycle of community support, Reynolds says.  

“We’ve got a family at Microsoft,” Vogel adds. “They’re inspirational and instrumental in buying food for our markets, repacking food, being greeters, and stocking the shelves year after year. We simply couldn’t function without volunteers.”

That fill-the-gap support helps people like one man who recently visited a Northwest Harvest-supplied partner organization after losing his job. He was nervous at visiting a food pantry for the first time but felt reassured by the welcoming folks who helped him fill a bag with nutritious food. A month later, he returned with the happy news that he had found a new job.

“This is proof that small actions can make a big difference in people’s lives,” Vogel says. “That’s Microsoft’s ripple effect: They drive the awareness and action to make a change in one’s own community.”