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Greater Chicago Food Depository
The Greater Chicago Food Depository was founded in 1978 as the food bank for Chicago and Cook County. Kate Maehr has served as Executive Director and CEO since...
Greater Chicago Food Depository
The Greater Chicago Food Depository was founded in 1978 as the food bank for Chicago and Cook County. Kate Maehr has served as Executive Director and CEO since 2006, steering the organization through the expansion of its physical and digital infrastructure to fight hunger. GCFD connects a supply chain of donated, purchased, and government-sourced food to a network of over 800 partner agencies, including pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. The model mirrors an operating company more than a grantmaking foundation. It runs its own real assets: a headquarters and warehouse at 4100 West Ann Lurie Place, where a Phase II expansion (the Nourish Project) boosts storage and cold-chain capacity. Since at least 2021, the organization has accepted donations in cryptocurrency, instantly converting them to fiat to fund operations — a stance that treats digital assets as a treasury inflow rather than a balance-sheet holding. The board draws senior leaders from Chicago's corporate and civic infrastructure. Chair Jay Shannon is affiliated with Health Management Associates, and directors include Gil Quiniones of ComEd, Mark Parrell of Equity Residential, and Brian Byrd of KPMG. The organization belongs to the Feeding America national network as a charter member, giving it procurement scale it could not achieve as an independent local pantry. Maehr is a member of The Chicago Network, linking the depository to a formal peer group of senior women executives in the city. GCFD is structurally distinct from a corporate foundation or a donor-advised fund pool. It functions as a logistics-first operating charity: it owns industrial real estate, manages a fleet that moves millions of pounds of food, and has built a crypto acceptance pipeline that converts donations instantly. That operating posture — asset-heavy, inventory-managing, and network-connected — separates it from standard pass-through philanthropy.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1978
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Chicago
Corporate office
Chicago, IL, United States
Principals
Kate Maehr
Executive Director & CEO
Michael A. Geller
General Counsel
Jay Shannon
Chair of the Board
Brian Byrd
Board Member
Gil C. Quiniones
Board Member
Mark J. Parrell
Board Member
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How does the Greater Chicago Food Depository source the food it distributes?
GCFD operates as a supply-chain organization. It acquires food through donations from retailers, manufacturers, and farms; purchases from wholesalers; and receives USDA, state, and local government commodities. As a member of Feeding America, it also participates in national procurement, pooling demand with other food banks. The food flows into its 268,000-square-foot warehouse and cold-storage facility, then out through a network of partner pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.
Does the Greater Chicago Food Depository invest a financial portfolio in addition to distributing food?
The organization maintains an investment portfolio according to Altss records. However, the composition, size, and asset allocation are not publicly disclosed. Donated cryptocurrency is converted to fiat upon receipt rather than held on the balance sheet, per the organization's stated crypto acceptance policy.
How is the Greater Chicago Food Depository governed?
A board of directors drawn from Chicago's corporate and civic leadership governs the organization. Jay Shannon serves as Chair, and directors include Gil C. Quiniones (President and CEO of ComEd), Mark J. Parrell (President and CEO of Equity Residential), and Brian Byrd (a partner at KPMG). Kate Maehr, the Executive Director and CEO since 2006, runs operations and reports to the board.
Is the Greater Chicago Food Depository a grantmaker or an operating nonprofit?
GCFD is overwhelmingly an operating nonprofit — a logistics and distribution entity that owns industrial real estate, manages a warehouse and fleet, and moves food directly to partner agencies. While it may make some grants, its core function is physical distribution of food across Chicago and Cook County, not check-writing to other organizations.
What is the Nourish Project at the Greater Chicago Food Depository?
The Nourish Project is a Phase II expansion of GCFD's headquarters and warehouse at 4100 West Ann Lurie Place. It increases storage, refrigeration, and cold-chain capacity to handle growing demand. Altss records categorize the Nourish Project as an industrial property asset alongside the existing headquarters facility.
How does the Greater Chicago Food Depository relate to Feeding America?
GCFD is a charter member of Feeding America, the national network of food banks. This affiliation gives it access to national procurement contracts, standardized distribution practices, and shared food-sourcing pipelines. It also obligates GCFD to meet Feeding America's operational standards and allows it to serve as the designated food bank for Chicago and Cook County.
Does the Greater Chicago Food Depository accept cryptocurrency donations?
Yes, GCFD runs a cryptocurrency donation program. The organization converts donated crypto assets to fiat currency upon receipt, treating them as an operational funding source. The program expansion aligns with the Depository's model of capturing inflows from digital-native donors without retaining exposure to the assets.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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