This project, Strengthening Volunteer Coordination to Improve Community Access to Fresh Produce, led by the Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens (MAFPG) is expanding the organization’s capacity to provide equitable access to fresh, culturally meaningful produce for Dane County residents experiencing nutrition insecurity. This project invests in a centralized volunteer coordination system and strategic planning implementation to improve volunteer engagement, reduce staff burden, strengthen organizational systems and ensure MAFPG can continue providing consistent access to nutritious food for communities most affected by nutrition insecurity.
The Challenge
Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens (MAFPG) has grown into a vital resource for addressing nutrition insecurity across Dane County. Through a network of 10 gardens, the organization now grows and distributes approximately 150,000 pounds of culturally relevant produce each year to about 40 food pantries and community food outlets, while engaging 2,361 volunteers in 2025. As volunteer participation and community demand have grown, MAFPG recognized that its internal systems needed to evolve alongside its expanding impact. Volunteer coordination had historically been shared among volunteer board members and staff without dedicated systems or clear accountability, leading to inconsistent volunteer experiences, increased administrative burden and limited capacity to intentionally recruit, retain and support volunteers equitably. Through a strategic planning process with The People Company Consulting Group, MAFPG identified volunteer coordination, role clarity and stronger operational systems as urgent capacity needs. Without targeted investments in these areas, continued growth could strain staff, contribute to burnout and make it more difficult to sustain the consistent access to fresh, culturally meaningful produce that communities experiencing nutrition insecurity depend on.
Project Goals
To build on its growing impact and ensure long-term sustainability, Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens focused on strengthening the organizational systems needed to support its expanding volunteer network and equitable food access efforts. To accomplish this, the organization will:
Build organizational capacity by strengthening volunteer coordination systems to improve operational efficiency, consistency and equitable access to fresh produce.
Strengthen organizational systems and governance through strategic planning implementation to increase MAFPG’s long-term capacity to advance health equity and address nutrition insecurity.
Strengthen long-term organizational sustainability by building systems that support growing volunteer engagement, retention and visibility through coordinated storytelling and communications.
