Sponsorship Opportunities
Your impact and opportunity: healthy food for DMARC’s Food Pantry Network
On behalf of individuals living with food insecurity throughout Greater Des Moines, DMARC invites you to make a difference through our efforts to build a more healthy and prosperous Greater Des Moines by providing food for our food insecure neighbors.
Sponsoring one fresh fruit or vegetable item for a day, week or month will distinguish your leadership within the corporate community. Moreover, you will assist individuals, many of whom are children, to receive the healthy food, vitally important to education, recreation, and employment.
About Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC)
For more than six decades DMARC has been at the forefront of community action and advocacy. We are a leader in the fight against food insecurity, and are committed to meeting the needs of local resides, emphasizing response for and understanding of clients. What started in a church basement is now the largest food pantry network in the State of Iowa—with fourteen partner pantries and one mobile food pantry, impacting over 180,000 neighbors annually.
A decade ago, we began transitioning our model to what we call Food Pantry 2.0. Recognizing there is inherent dignity which comes from choice and participation, and grappling with the fact that Iowa has the 12th highest rate of adult diabetes in the nation, we realized it is not enough to simply fill stomachs. We must build the foundation for a more healthy and prosperous community.
You can help. Your financial support can make a real difference.
Sponsor a DMARC food pantry product for a day, week, month, or even a year!
Why is healthy important?
Early Childhood Brain Development
- 90% of a child’s brain develops in the first five years of life
- Hungry students show poorer focus, more behavioral issues, and lower academic performances than their peers who get enough to eat
- Over one-third of the people assisted by DMARC are age 17 and younger
Reducing Illness Through Access
- The people we assist at our food pantries have three times the incidence of diabetes than the general population of Polk County
- Food insecurity, obesity, and malnutrition often go hand-in-hand in our community, because the healthiest foods are also the most expensive
In 2007, Iowa State University Extension & Outreach conducted a research study at DMARC food pantries and found that the people we assisted were three times as likely to have diabetes as the general population of Polk County, and twice as likely to have heart disease. The research study truly was a game changer in both our food supply and how we talk about food insecurity and access to healthy food.
Since then, we have implemented healthy food guidelines and changed our food supply accordingly. We provide healthy food—fresh fruits and vegetables, and non-perishable items low in sugar, fat, and salt. It’s not enough for us to just fill stomachs, we want to nourish the people we assist.
But how do we know that the healthy food we are providing is what people want? We tested this question through a pilot program which we like to think of as the “food pantry of the future,” or Food Pantry 2.0.
Since piloting this program, we have learned that when people have the opportunity to select them more often, more than half of their food choices are fresh produce! Which is just the right recipe to help our clients get off the road toward diabetes. It also helps them work, live and play more happily (something pretty important when 36% of those we serve are under 18 years old!).
We know that fresh and healthy food is expensive. Which is why DMARC recently launched the “Fresh Fund,” a special fund to help DMARC purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
You, your organization, club or faith community can sponsor items on our fresh list—bananas, apples, or oranges for a day, month or year, with sponsorships as low as $157 up to an annual sponsorship of $57,000.
Bananas
$57,200 (year)
- Exclusive sponsorship
- Organization name and logo listed on DMARC’s homepage
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of one issue of “The Voice” newsletter (printed quarterly and sent to nearly 3,000 supporters)
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for a period of one year (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Announcement of sponsorship within DMARC social media posts
- Special press release announcement
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$4,400 (month)
- 12 sponsorships available
- Organization name and logo listed within the Sponsor Appreciation section of the DMARC website for a period of one month
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of one issue of “The Voice” newsletter (printed quarterly and sent to nearly 3,000 supporters)
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for a period of one month (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$1,100 (week)
- 52 sponsorships available
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for one issue (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$157 (day)
- 352 sponsorships available
- Listing within DMARC annual report
Apples
$76,440 (year)
- Exclusive sponsorship
- Organization name and logo listed on DMARC’s homepage
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of one issue of “The Voice” newsletter (printed quarterly and sent to nearly 3,000 supporters)
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for a period of one year (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Announcement of sponsorship within DMARC social media posts
- Special press release announcement
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$5,880 (month)
- 12 sponsorships available
- Organization name and logo listed within the Sponsor Appreciation section of the DMARC website for a period of one month
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of one issue of “The Voice” newsletter (printed quarterly and sent to nearly 3,000 supporters)
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for a period of one month (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$1,470 (week)
- 52 sponsorships available
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for one issue (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$210 (day)
- 352 sponsorships available
- Listing within DMARC annual report
Oranges
$65,000 (year)
- Exclusive sponsorship
- Organization name and logo listed on DMARC’s homepage
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of one issue of “The Voice” newsletter (printed quarterly and sent to nearly 3,000 supporters)
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for a period of one year (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Announcement of sponsorship within DMARC social media posts
- Special press release announcement
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$5,000 (month)
- 12 sponsorships available
- Organization name and logo listed within the Sponsor Appreciation section of the DMARC website for a period of one month
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of one issue of “The Voice” newsletter (printed quarterly and sent to nearly 3,000 supporters)
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for a period of one month (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$1,250 (week)
- 52 sponsorships available
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for one issue (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$178 (day)
- 352 sponsorships available
- Listing within DMARC annual report
Fresh Vegetables
$65,000 (year)$124,800 (year)
- Exclusive sponsorship
- Organization name and logo listed on DMARC’s homepage
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of one issue of “The Voice” newsletter (printed quarterly and sent to nearly 3,000 supporters)
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for a period of one year (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Announcement of sponsorship within DMARC social media posts
- Special press release announcement
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$9,600 (month)
- 12 sponsorships available
- Organization name and logo listed within the Sponsor Appreciation section of the DMARC website for a period of one month
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of one issue of “The Voice” newsletter (printed quarterly and sent to nearly 3,000 supporters)
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for a period of one month (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$2,400 (week)
- 52 sponsorships available
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for one issue (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$342 (day)
- 352 sponsorships available
- Listing within DMARC annual report
Ground Turkey
$85,440 (year)
- Exclusive sponsorship
- Organization name and logo listed on DMARC’s homepage
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of one issue of “The Voice” newsletter (printed quarterly and sent to nearly 3,000 supporters)
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for a period of one year (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Announcement of sponsorship within DMARC social media posts
- Special press release announcement
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$7,120 (month)
- 12 sponsorships available
- Organization name and logo listed within the Sponsor Appreciation section of the DMARC website for a period of one month
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of one issue of “The Voice” newsletter (printed quarterly and sent to nearly 3,000 supporters)
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for a period of one month (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$1,780 (week)
- 52 sponsorships available
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for one issue (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$237 (day)
- 352 sponsorships available
- Listing within DMARC annual report
Peanut Butter
$70,950 (year)
- Exclusive sponsorship
- Organization name and logo listed on DMARC’s homepage
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of one issue of “The Voice” newsletter (printed quarterly and sent to nearly 3,000 supporters)
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for a period of one year (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Announcement of sponsorship within DMARC social media posts
- Special press release announcement
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$5,913 (month)
- 12 sponsorships available
- Organization name and logo listed within the Sponsor Appreciation section of the DMARC website for a period of one month
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of one issue of “The Voice” newsletter (printed quarterly and sent to nearly 3,000 supporters)
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for a period of one month (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$1,478 (week)
- 52 sponsorships available
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of DMARC’s eVoice email newsletter for one issue (sent out weekly every Tuesday to 1,750 supporters)
- Listing within DMARC annual report
$203 (day)
- 352 sponsorships available
- Listing within DMARC annual report
Cheese Sponsor
$5,000
- Exclusive sponsorship
- Listing within the Sponsor Appreciation section of one issue of “The Voice” newsletter (printed quarterly and sent to nearly 3,000 supporters)
- Announcement of sponsorship within DMARC social media posts
- Special press release announcement
- Listing within DMARC annual report
Special Needs for DMARC
DMARC Food Pantry Network Delivery Truck
Your logo could be featured on the back of DMARC’s truck!
Six-month Partnership (two per year): $10,000
In May of 2017, one of DMARC’s delivery trucks had to be replaced. This was a specialty vehicle that could accommodate the nearly two truck’s worth of food pallets that are moved each week.
You or your business or organization can help DMARC by sponsoring our replacement truck for a period of several months or by being our exclusive truck sponsor.
The DMARC delivery truck drives throughout Greater Des Moines and is seen by thousands. It picks up both donated and purchased food from area grocery stores, wholesalers, the Downtown Farmers’ Market, and many other sites.
Partnership Benefits
- Exclusive signage on truck with partner sponsor logo
- Sponsor name and logo included as part of media release
- Sponsor name and logo included within DMARC social media posts featuring truck
- Sponsor name and logo included within DMARC print and electronic communications
- Opportunity to have sponsor staff volunteers at select events where DMARC is represented, such as Iowa Cubs Sunday home games, Downtown Des Moines Farmers’ Market, and occasional special events (i.e. concerts, festivals, fairs, etc.)
- Opportunity to have truck sit at sponsor workplace
- First right of refusal to sponsor replacement vehicle
Senior Backpacks
DMARC provides backpacks to the MLK Senior Center and to two programs of Meals on Wheels, one directed at low income clients and one to other senior who also need assistance. Each backpack contains simple items such as breakfast cereal (either hot or cold), protein items, fresh and canned veggies and fruit as well as snacks, dessert and a beverage. The monthly cost to sponsor this program is $1,500.
You can sponsor one month for DMARC and help feed nearly 100 seniors with your investment.
Holiday Basket Sponsor – $3,500 Exclusive Sponsorship
Each holiday season DMARC provides food for over 100 children at SCAVO high school. Food is ordered and given through the school at the parent-teach conferences to also encourage parental participation. Last year the percentage rate of parent/guardian attendance increased from 40 to over 80% thanks to this program! A win-win!
You can be the sole sponsor of this program at $3,500 level or you can a partner sponsor at the $1,000 level.
Sponsor a Meal Packing Event
Each year DMARC provides healthy food to over 50,000 individuals, including a three-day supply of fresh produce, grains, and other nutritious items once per month, regardless of household size or income. Our Food Pantry Network also offers “AnyTime Items,” a staple of which are Combo Meal Packs available through a partnership between DMARC and Meals from the Heartland.
You can help keep our pantry shelves well-stocked by hosting a meal packing event at our warehouse with members of your workplace, organization, school, or faith community!
These special volunteer events include a facility tour, a Hunger Simulation that illustrates challenges faced by individuals living with food insecurity, and a packing activity; approximately 300 meals may be packed within only 45 minutes! The length of time for which you volunteer is only limited by the availability of funds for purchasing Combo Meal ingredients.
Rice and black beans
Canned chicken
Cheese sauce
Taco seasoning
Your support: $3.77 per meal
$1,000 provides 265 meals
$3,000 provides 796 meals
$5,000 provides 1,326 meals
Macaroni and cheese
Chili beans
Chili seasoning
Shelf-stable milk
Your support: $3.14 per meal
$1,000 provides 318 meals
$3,000 provides 955 meals
$5,000 provides 1,592 meals
Macaroni and cheese
Cream of mushroom soup
Tuna
Mixed vegetables
Your support: $3.11 per meal
$1,000 provides 321 meals
$3,000 provides 965 meals
$5,000 provides 1,608 meals
Other Sponsorships
There are other events to sponsor as well!
- Young & Hungry Fall Signature Event
- DMARC Spring Signature Event
- DMARC Red Barrel program
To learn about any of these opportunities or how you might support DMARC, please contact:
Leslie L. Garman, CFRE
Director of Development & Outreach
(515) 277-6969 x13
lgarman@dmarcunited.org
or
Shoshana Salowitz
Community Outreach and Volunteer Manager
(515) 277-6969 x18
ssalowitz@dmarcunited.org