Bridging the SNAP Gap: A Nonprofit Playbook for Scaling Food Relief in 2025

Food insecurity in the United States is rising just as the safety net is becoming more unstable. That creates a meaningful opening for nonprofits to mobilize donor support for food relief efforts in a powerful way.

A Shifting Landscape

Here is what the data tells us.

The most recent numbers from the United States Department of Agriculture show that food insecurity in 2023 affected roughly 1 in 7 people and 1 in 5 children. Meanwhile, the expiration of emergency allotments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was followed by an estimated 8.4 percent increase in food insufficiency among SNAP participants, along with higher dependency on food pantries.

SNAP currently serves about 41.7 million people monthly, roughly 12.3 percent of U.S. residents. The average benefit per person is around $187 per month. At the same time, the age threshold for SNAP work requirements is increasing to 54 in phases throughout 2024. All of this is converging to make food relief efforts more urgent.

Why This Is a Moment for Donors

Charitable giving is recovering. U.S. donations in 2024 reached $592.5 billion, showing a 6.3 percent increase overall and a 3.3 percent increase after adjusting for inflation. Human services, which include food-relief initiatives, continue to capture a growing share of that giving. On the digital side, events like GivingTuesday surged to $3.6 billion in 2024, up 16 percent year-over-year.

So here is the core insight: while public benefit programs tighten or become more unpredictable, donor capacity is growing. Non-profits that act quickly can capture the energy of that giving to meet the gap. In other words, donors are ready to step in where policy shifts leave holes.

Here are six actionable steps for non-profits seeking to scale outreach:

1. Make the Need Tangible

Translate the policy changes into real numbers. For example, after SNAP emergency allotments ended, the average participant may have seen a $125 per month decline in benefits. Frame it like this: “Your gift of $25 covers the last ten days of meals for a family of three.”

Build a live “Impact Meter” that shows how many households are entering the gap, how long they are waiting for assistance, and the cost per meal. That level of transparency gives donors clarity and a sense of urgency.

2. Segment Your Donor Appeals

For individual donors, consider a monthly subscription model. Ask: “Would you join us with a gift of $25 a month to cover the gap of month-end meals for one family?”

For foundations and donor-advised funds, pitch “SNAP Stabilization Grants” that bridge three months of supply when budgets are uncertain. For corporate partners, build campaigns around “Stock the Pantry” options or matching gifts during periods of highest need.

3. Anchor Time in Your Campaigns

Make timing part of your strategy. When a policy change hits the headlines, launch a 72-hour “Fill the Gap” drive. When GivingTuesday or year-end approaches, tie the urgency of SNAP-related shortfalls to that window of generosity.

4. Offer Clear Outcome Options

Rather than simply asking donors to “help feed people,” offer defined portfolios like stability (pantry staples like bread, milk, and eggs), Nutrition (fresh produce and sources of protein), and access (last-mile delivery or senior home boxes). Donors respond more positively when they can choose the outcome of their donations.

5. Tell the Supply Chain Story

When harvests are full but policy support lags, show donors how you are taking proactive action. Showcase how your organization enters forward-purchase agreements with local farms or reserves product to fill the void left by delayed public support. It shows your operations are tangible and strategic.

6. Build Proof Into Your Process

Publish a dashboard and report quarterly: how many households did you serve, how many days of food did you deliver, what was the cost per meal, and what is the wait time now versus six months ago? Run A/B tests on your messaging — compare a campaign framed around SNAP gaps to more general hunger appeals and see which drives better engagement.

What Success Could Look Like

Here is a sample target (goal?) list for the next 90 days:

• A 20 to 30 percent increase in monthly recurring donors attracted by an “End-of-Month Hunger Gap” plan.

• Secure two to three corporate match sponsors running five-to-seven-day campaigns at policy inflection points.

• A 25 percent uptick in conversions from donor-advised funds through a new “Stabilize Food Access” fund.

• A cost-to-raise-one-dollar below $0.15 for digital gap campaigns, and at least 60 percent of donors in those campaigns giving a second time within 60 days.

Final Thought

Policies are changing, and public benefits are under pressure. At the same time, donor capacity is re-accelerating. For non-profits in the food-relief space, this is a moment worth seizing. You can craft your offer, tie it to the change in SNAP and other supports, show the math, and ask with conviction. When you do that, you’re not just asking for someone to raise a dollar — you’re asking someone to step into a gap that changing policy left behind.

If you’d like help building an email campaign, landing-page templates, or campaign timelines for this strategy, the team at Streeter Soto Studio is ready to assist. Together, we can guide donors from sentiment to scaled impact.