Draft Built to demonstrate AI-assisted board briefing capability. Demonstration purposes only; no NHFB review or approval intended or implied.
Sector Disruption BriefingGranite State EditionVol. 01May 2026

Headwinds & AI: New Hampshire Food Bank Looking Ahead

What the federal funding cliff, the 26% demand surge, and the AI shift mean for the Manchester warehouse — and what the board has 90 days to decide.

8-minute read Jump to the 3 decisions (§08)

A local view of the federal funding cuts, the 26% demand surge, and the AI shift reshaping how peer food banks operate — all hitting the Manchester warehouse and the 400+ partner agencies it serves. The 34-month window through end of FY2029 starts now.

$2M out. 26% more in. 34 months to decide.

Prepared For
NH Food Bank Board of Directors
Horizon
May 2026 to March 31, 2029
Prepared By
AdoptionLab.AI
Federal Cut
~$2M
$967K LFPA + ~$1M LFS (est.) cancelled[3]
Demand Surge
26%
YoY distribution increase[4]
State Cost
$14M
NHFPI SNAP cost-shift estimate[7]
Clock Starts
Oct 2026
SNAP admin cost-shift begins[7]
01 Executive Summary

Three key takeaways.

The national narrative on AI in food banking is not the New Hampshire story. The Granite State story is sharper, more local, and moving faster than most boards realize.

01
Demand is up 26 percent year over year[4] while federal funding has been cut by nearly $2 million[3] and the state's ability to backfill is structurally constrained by the January 2025 repeal of the Interest and Dividends Tax.[6]
02
Beginning October 2026, New Hampshire takes on a larger share of SNAP administrative costs, and the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute estimates a $14 million state-level impact over the rollout window.[7]
03
Meanwhile, AI adoption among peer food banks is no longer experimental, and Granite State funders, including NH Charitable Foundation under incoming CEO Shawn V. Morehead, are signaling rising expectations.[9]
02 The Granite State Numbers

New Hampshire Statistics.

Not national averages. Not sector trends. These are commitments already made, dollars already cut, and demand already arriving in Manchester.

Cancelled
$967K
USDA LFPA funding cancelled in March 2025 that would have run through 2028.[2]
YoY
26%
Year-over-year increase in NH Food Bank distribution as of November 2025.[4]
Forecast
$14M
Estimated NH state-level cost from SNAP federal cost-shift over the rollout window.[7]
SNAP
76K
Granite Staters relying on SNAP, now facing benefit freeze and tighter eligibility.[6]
Tax revenue lost
$184M
Annual NH state revenue lost; full repeal of the Interest and Dividends Tax took effect January 2025.[8]
03 The Local Window

What is happening in New Hampshire right now.

The national narrative says "AI is coming for nonprofits." The Granite State narrative is more specific, more concurrent, and more financially sharp.

The Manchester warehouse is moving 26 percent more food than a year ago[4] with $967K less in committed federal support[2] and a state government that just gave up $184M in annual revenue.[8] That is not a sector trend. That is a Granite State pressure point.

Layered on top: the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (July 2025) froze SNAP benefit calculations,[5] shifted SNAP administrative costs to states starting October 2026,[7] and triggered the kind of charitable giving rules revision that the United Way of Greater Nashua's Mike Apfelberg has already flagged as causing corporate giving to "cut back pretty significantly."[5]

The least visible force is the most consequential. NH Charitable Foundation, the state's $70M-a-year community foundation,[9] is in the middle of a CEO transition. Incoming leader Morehead inherits a portfolio facing exactly the conditions VP Simon Delekta called "unprecedented" in January.[9] When that funder's expectations sharpen, every NH nonprofit board will feel it. The window to position is now.

The 34-Month Pressure Map · May 2026 → March 31, 2029

Eight forcing events from today through end of FY2029.

The May 2026 dot is where the board sits right now; the March 2029 dot closes the FY2029 reporting window this briefing covers. Click any marker for the interactive detail panel, or scan the full event list below.

MAY 2026
Today · Board sits
AUG 2026
90-day decisions due
OCT 2026
SNAP admin shift
JAN 2027
NHCF new CEO
MAR 2027
FY2027 close
OCT 2027
SNAP benefit share
MAR 2028
FY2028 close
MAR 31, 2029
FY2029 close · horizon
MAY 2026 · TODAY
The board sits at the inflection point.
Federal cuts have already hit. Demand is up 26 percent. The SNAP cost-shift is 5 months away. The next NHCF grant cycle and the next CEO are both close enough to feel. This is the planning window — and it is short.
All eight events · reference view
  1. MAY 2026 · TODAY
    The board sits at the inflection point.

    Federal cuts have already hit (~$2M). Demand is up 26 percent. The SNAP cost-shift is five months away, and three full fiscal years sit between this meeting and the FY2029 close. This is the planning window — and the decisions here will be visible all the way to March 2029.

  2. AUGUST 2026 · 3 MONTHS IN
    90-day decisions due at the board.

    The three commitments scoped in Section 08 (AI literacy session, one operational pilot, and a knowledge-sharing discipline) should be voted, owned, and resourced by this point. This is the latest credible moment to start without missing the FY2027 funder window.

  3. OCTOBER 2026 · 5 MONTHS IN
    SNAP admin cost-shift begins.

    NH's share of SNAP administrative costs jumps from 50% to 75%, costing the state at least $5.75M more per year. Expect service degradation (slower SNAP processing, fewer caseworkers), which means more households fall through SNAP into the food bank network.

  4. JANUARY 2027 · 8 MONTHS IN
    NHCF CEO transition completes.

    Morehead succeeds Richard Ober. The first major grant cycles under new leadership will set the tone for years. Boards that bring an AI-credible narrative into this window position differently than those that don't.

  5. MARCH 31, 2027 · FY2027 CLOSE
    First fiscal-year close under pressure.

    First full NHCF, McGovern, and Humanity AI cycles where NHFB's AI exploration roadmap is read against peer narratives. If the pilot ran and was documented, this is when it pays off. If it didn't, the comparison set is Greater Boston and Feeding America, and that's the version that lands on the FY2027 audit.

  6. OCTOBER 2027 · 17 MONTHS IN
    SNAP benefit-share liability.

    If NH's state error rate is 6% or higher, NH may be required to fund a portion of SNAP benefits directly. Combined NHFPI estimate across both shifts: $14M in unbudgeted state cost, with no headroom to deploy.

  7. MARCH 31, 2028 · FY2028 CLOSE
    Cumulative cost-shift becomes visible.

    Two full fiscal years past the start of the SNAP admin shift, and six months into possible benefit-share liability. FY2028 is the first year where the combined federal-and-state pressure shows up as a single line item in NHFB's audited financials and in funder-facing reporting.

  8. MARCH 31, 2029 · FY2029 CLOSE
    Horizon close · the three-year verdict.

    End of FY2029. By this point the SNAP cost-shifts are fully in effect, NHCF's new leadership has set its grant priorities through at least one full cycle, and peer food banks have three more years of AI-enabled operations on the record. This is where the May 2026 board's decisions are judged.

04 Five Local Disruptions

What is hitting the Manchester warehouse, the partner network, and the funder relationships.

National AI commentary frames this as "the sector is transforming." For New Hampshire, the frame is "the funding floor has dropped and the demand ceiling keeps rising." Use the tabs to explore each pressure.

Disruption 01 · Highest Compounding Risk

The Granite State Funding Vise.

Federal cuts, frozen SNAP benefits, and an eroded state tax base are squeezing NHFB from three directions at the same time, with each pressure compounding the others.

Federal loss
~$2M
State revenue lost
$184M/yr
What Changed
March 2025: USDA cancelled NHFB's LFPA award of $967K that would have run through 2028.[2] Combined with Local Food for Schools (~$1M estimated), NH lost close to $2M in committed federal support.[3] July 2025: OBBB Act froze SNAP benefit recalculations, cutting $15 per person per month by 2034.[6] Effective January 2025: full repeal of the NH I&D Tax took effect, eliminating $184M in annual state revenue.[8]
Why It Compounds
The state can no longer backfill federal cuts at the level it historically could. Private giving is being squeezed simultaneously: corporate giving is "cutting back pretty significantly" per Mike Apfelberg of United Way of Greater Nashua,[5] and new federal charitable deduction rules take effect in 2026 with expected net decreases.[5]
Where AI Matters Here
Funder narratives are tightening. NHFB will be evaluated on whether its operations are efficient enough to do more with less. AI-enabled forecasting, partner agency intelligence, and impact reporting are the visible markers of that efficiency in 2026 and 2027.
Disruption 02 · Already Materialized

The Demand Surge Is Already Here.

A 26 percent year over year increase, with the SNAP benefit freeze and the October 2026 cost-shift positioned to push demand higher, not stabilize it.

YoY distribution
+26%
Partner agencies
400+
What Is Happening
NHFB distribution rose 26 percent year over year as of November 2025.[4] The 2024 baseline already showed the food bank purchasing 30 percent more food than the year prior.[2] These are two separate signals (a 30 percent jump in 2024, then another 26 percent through November 2025), not a single multi-year rate. Distribution to 400+ partner agencies through Manchester is the pressure release valve for the entire state.[3]
Why It Will Not Stabilize
The SNAP benefit freeze cuts real purchasing power for 76,000 Granite Staters.[6] The October 2026 administrative cost-shift to states will likely produce service degradation (fewer staff, slower service) per NH Hunger Solutions,[7] meaning more households fall through SNAP and into the food bank network.
Where AI Matters Here
Capacity planning based on 2024 baselines is structurally wrong. AI-enabled demand forecasting integrating SNAP timeline scenarios, county-level demographics, and benefit cycle patterns is the difference between planning blind and planning sharp.
Disruption 03 · Scheduled, Not Theoretical

The SNAP Cost-Shift Cliff.

Two scheduled federal cost-shifts (Oct 2026, Oct 2027) hit a state with a newly weakened tax base. The downstream impact on NHFB is mechanical, not theoretical.

Admin shift starts
Oct 2026
NHFPI estimate
$14M
What Is Scheduled
October 1, 2026: NH's share of SNAP administrative costs jumps from 50 to 75 percent, costing at least $5.75M more per year.[7] October 1, 2027: NH may be required to fund a portion of SNAP benefits if state error rate is 6 percent or higher.[7] Combined NHFPI estimate: $14M state-level cost.[7]
Why It Matters For NHFB
A state government that just gave up $184M in revenue and now faces $14M in unbudgeted SNAP costs will not have headroom to expand food security funding. Every dollar the state cannot deploy is a dollar the food bank network has to find elsewhere.
Where AI Matters Here
NHFB can model the partner-agency-level demand impact of each scheduled shift using AI scenario forecasting. That model becomes the most compelling artifact in the next NHCF, McGovern, or federal grant conversation, and a credible input to state policy discussions.
Disruption 04 · Medium Today, High by 2028

The Quiet Workforce Crisis.

An aging nonprofit workforce, a tightening AI-driven labor market, and 23,000 nonprofit jobs lost nationally in 2025 mean staffing the warehouse and partner network gets harder, not easier.

NP jobs lost 2025
23,000
Staffing shortage
65%
The Pattern
Over half of nonprofit employees are 45+. Most board members are 50+. 65 percent of nonprofits nationally report staffing shortages and the sector lost 23,000 jobs in 2025.[10] In NH, this compounds because the labor pool is small and an AI-driven economy is pulling skilled workers toward higher-paying roles.[11]
The Volunteer Layer
Volunteer NH and AmeriCorps remain core to the food bank ecosystem, but federal cuts threaten national service funding, and the volunteer base is aging in parallel with paid staff.[12] A 2027 warehouse staffing plan that assumes 2023 volunteer participation will likely miss by a meaningful margin.
Where AI Matters Here
AI-enabled productivity tools let smaller teams handle larger volume without adding headcount. The Belt-style structured AI literacy approach is one path; cohort training with peers is another. The board decision is not "do we adopt AI" but "do we adopt it before our staff has to."
Disruption 05 · Highest Credibility Leverage

The Funder Conversation Is Shifting Under Our Feet.

NHCF is in a CEO transition while calling current conditions "unprecedented." National funders ($500M Humanity AI, $75.8M McGovern) are pouring capital into peer food banks that already lead on AI.

NHCF annual
$70M+
McGovern 2025
$75.8M
The Local Picture
NHCF gives $70M+ annually across 2,330 NH nonprofits.[9] Outgoing CEO Richard Ober is succeeded by Morehead in 2026.[9] VP Simon Delekta opened 2026 calling the moment "unprecedented" and emphasizing equity, racial justice, and economic security as the Foundation's frame.[9] When a $70M funder enters a leadership transition with that framing, every grantee should be positioning.
The National Picture
The Humanity AI coalition ($500M, October 2025) and Patrick J. McGovern Foundation ($75.8M in AI grants in 2025 alone) are funding food banks that demonstrate AI maturity.[1] Greater Boston Food Bank, our nearest large peer, is already named as a reference case.[1]
Where AI Matters Here
The next NHCF grant cycle is a credibility test. NHFB shows up with an AI exploration roadmap (board-level literacy, a real pilot, documentation discipline) or shows up without one. The room reads those two boards very differently.
05 Peer Movement

Where do our peers stand with AI?

This is the AI-maturity landscape, illustrative based on public reporting.

Note Peer placements are a directional read of public posture as of May 2026, not an audited maturity model. Welcomes correction.
AI Maturity · Peer Landscape
Tracking Piloting Production ★ AI leader · click
Feeding AmericaNational network · NHFB parent
Production
Greater Boston Food BankMcGovern reference
Production
ReFEDSector intelligence
Production
Vermont FoodbankStatewide peer
Piloting
Good Shepherd Food BankMaine peer
Piloting
NH Food BankOur position today
Tracking
★ Overall AI Leader
Feeding America

NHFB's parent network. Named alongside Greater Boston Food Bank by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation as a reference case for AI in food security.[1]

Operates AI-powered supply chain optimization, predictive analytics, and demand forecasting at network scale across 200+ member food banks and 60,000 partner pantries via the MealConnect platform.[1]

Why this matters for NHFB. Whatever the national network builds, every member food bank eventually inherits. Watching Feeding America's AI roadmap tells the board what is coming through the network in the next 24 to 36 months, and what NHCF and McGovern will expect of grantees long before that.

How peers are placed on the maturity scale

Three discrete states based on public reporting as of May 2026. This is a directional benchmark for the board, not an audited maturity model.

Tracking
Watching the space. Internal interest, no public AI work or active pilots. No funder positioning around AI maturity yet.
Piloting
One or more AI-enabled pilots underway, not yet at production scale. Some public communication; not yet a named reference for AI work.
Production
AI tools running in regular operations. Publicly documented, often cited by funders or peer networks. Sets the pattern for the sector.
PeerPlacementBacked By
Feeding America★ProductionNamed reference case by Patrick J. McGovern Foundation; MealConnect AI platform publicly documented. [1]
Greater Boston Food BankProductionMcGovern Foundation named reference case in New England. [1]
ReFEDProductionRAG chatbot and Insights Engine live; cited in McGovern AI-for-food-security review. [1]
Vermont FoodbankPilotingPublic posture only; not named by McGovern. Placed in Piloting based on regional peer convention. Welcomes correction.
Good Shepherd Food BankPilotingPublic posture only; not named by McGovern. Placed in Piloting based on regional peer convention. Welcomes correction.
NH Food BankTrackingInternal assessment, May 2026. No public AI work to date. [2][4]
What this assessment is, and is not
  • Is: a directional read of where peers sit publicly as of May 2026. Useful for board orientation and grant positioning conversations.
  • Is not: an audited maturity model. We did not interview peer EDs or review internal documents.
  • For Vermont and Maine, the public AI narrative is thin in May 2026; we placed them in Piloting based on regional peer convention and welcome correction from those organizations.
  • NH Food Bank's placement reflects current public posture only. A 2026 board commitment to the 90-day decisions in Section 08 changes this within 12 to 18 months.
GBFB
New England Reference Case
Greater Boston Food Bank
Real-time emergency relief, McGovern partner
Named alongside Feeding America by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation as a reference case in 2025.[1] Operating real-time data and AI for emergency food relief at regional scale. Closest large peer to NHFB geographically and operationally; the most direct benchmark for "what good looks like" in New England.
FA
National Network · Sets The Pattern
Feeding America
200+ food banks, 60K pantries
NHFB's parent network. Already running AI-powered supply chain optimization, predictive analytics, and demand forecasting at network scale via MealConnect.[1] What is true at the national level is heading toward every member food bank.
VT
Regional Peer · Vermont
Vermont Foodbank
Statewide single-bank model
Like NHFB, Vermont Foodbank is the sole statewide food bank serving its state. Watch their public communications and grant positioning over 2026 to 2027; their constraints and ours are unusually similar. Worth direct outreach for a peer learning conversation.
ME
Regional Peer · Maine
Good Shepherd Food Bank
Largest hunger relief org in Maine
Maine's primary food bank. Similar rural and small-state pressures to NHFB. A natural peer-cohort partner for shared AI pilots, sourcing strategy, or funder narrative work across northern New England.
ReF
Sector Intelligence · National
ReFED
RAG chatbot, financial modeling tools
National reference for AI in food waste and food rescue economics. Their RAG-based chatbot lets users query sector data, and their Insights Engine models the cost and financial returns of rescue programs.[1]
NHT
In-State Indicator · AI Policy
NH Tech Alliance AI Task Force
Launched July 2025
A statewide AI policy task force formed by NH Tech Alliance, bringing together government, industry, academia, and community voices.[11] NHFB participation or observation gives the board real-time visibility into how AI policy and governance is forming inside the state.
06 Granite State Risk Matrix

Four risks the NHFB board has a fiduciary duty to consider.

Each is rated on probability and impact, both on a 0-to-100 scale, then placed on the matrix. Click any dot to see the rationale and AI-focused mitigation. Open the methodology panel below the matrix to see how every score was assigned.

Note The risks, probability scores, and impact scores shown here are illustrative. A real risk assessment for the NHFB board would be developed through an AdoptionLab.AI-facilitated conversation with NHFB leadership before being used in a board briefing.
Probability × Impact
Click a dot to inspect
Impact on Mission
Low probability / High impact
High probability / High impact
Low / Low
High probability / Low impact
R1
Mission
R2
Revenue
R3
Talent
R4
Relevance
Probability Within Briefing Horizon (May 2026 to March 2029)
Mission Risk
High
80Probability /100
78Impact /100
158Total /200
A 26 percent year over year demand surge against ~$2M in lost federal support means the gap between need and capacity widens unless something materially changes. Without predictive forecasting, partner agencies in higher-need pockets of the state get under-served first. The mission risk is not "we close." It is "we leave Granite Staters behind in geographies and populations the spreadsheet does not surface in time."
AI-Focused Mitigation
  • Build a county-level demand and need dashboard powered by AI forecasting by Q4 2026, integrating SNAP timeline scenarios.
  • Pilot AI-enabled equity-aware allocation in 2–3 highest-stress counties (Coos, Sullivan, parts of Hillsborough) before full rollout.
  • Use AI to surface coverage gaps quarterly for the board, in geographic and demographic terms, not just aggregate pounds.
All four risks · reference view
R1 Mission Risk High
Probability 80/100 · Impact 78/100 · Total 158/200

A 26 percent year over year demand surge against ~$2M in lost federal support means the gap between need and capacity widens unless something materially changes. Without predictive forecasting, partner agencies in higher-need pockets of the state get under-served first. The mission risk is not "we close." It is "we leave Granite Staters behind in geographies and populations the spreadsheet does not surface in time."

AI-Focused Mitigation
  • Build a county-level demand and need dashboard powered by AI forecasting by Q4 2026, integrating SNAP timeline scenarios.
  • Pilot AI-enabled equity-aware allocation in 2 to 3 highest-stress counties (Coos, Sullivan, parts of Hillsborough) before full rollout.
  • Use AI to surface coverage gaps quarterly for the board, in geographic and demographic terms, not just aggregate pounds.
R2 Revenue Risk High
Probability 88/100 · Impact 85/100 · Total 173/200

Federal: ~$2M already cut. State: backfill capacity weakened by I&D repeal. Foundation: NHCF in CEO transition. Corporate: giving "cutting back pretty significantly." Individual: charitable deduction rules tighten in 2026. Every channel is under pressure at the same time.

AI-Focused Mitigation
  • Audit next 6 grant applications for AI-readiness and predictive-impact language by Q3 2026.
  • Build a McGovern Foundation-ready pilot narrative tied to a real AI-enabled operational improvement, not a hypothetical.
  • Lead the first CEO-to-CEO conversation with incoming NHCF leader Morehead with NHFB's AI exploration roadmap on the table.
R3 Talent Risk Medium
Probability 52/100 · Impact 48/100 · Total 100/200

Aging workforce (over half of nonprofit staff 45+, most board members 50+). AI-driven labor market pulling skilled operations talent toward higher-paying roles. Volunteer base aging in parallel. Medium today; could move higher by 2028 if NH labor market tightens further.

AI-Focused Mitigation
  • Add AI fluency to the job descriptions for the next 3 operations or development hires.
  • Sponsor staff in a structured AI literacy program (the AdoptionLab.AI Belt structure is one fit; others exist).
  • Designate one board member as AI lead, or form a 3-person AI Committee, to give the work governance home.
R4 Relevance Risk Medium
Probability 62/100 · Impact 55/100 · Total 117/200

Greater Boston Food Bank is already a McGovern reference case. Feeding America's national systems set the expected baseline. If NHFB's next grant narrative does not credibly speak to data, AI-enabled operations, and predictive impact, the comparison set is not flattering. Affects future grant cycles more than present-day operations, and is largely conditional on board action.

AI-Focused Mitigation
  • Publish a public-facing "How We're Adopting AI" story by Q3 2026, positioning NHFB as a thoughtful adopter.
  • Refresh impact reporting with at least one AI-enabled peer-grade element (interactive dashboard, real-time pulse, county-level transparency).
  • Have the CEO or board chair speak at one NH or New England nonprofit forum specifically on AI adoption in food banking in 2026.
07 Strategic Questions for the Board

Five AI-focused questions to answer in the next 90 days.

Each is a real choice between defined options. The options on the table for each question are listed below.

What does successful AI adoption look like for our people, our processes, and our partners by March 2029?Before we choose tools or timelines, we owe ourselves a working definition of what good looks like. These three lenses are not mutually exclusive; each is a different way of measuring the same destination.
Three lenses to define success
PEOPLE
Staff, volunteers, and board. Less time on data wrangling, more on relationships and outcomes? Higher-skilled volunteer roles? A board that governs AI fluently? Define this concretely before the FY2027 hiring plan is written.
PROCESSES
Operations and reporting. Which functions are measurably faster, more accurate, or more transparent? Demand forecasting? Donor segmentation? Partner agency intelligence? Pick the ones whose improvement the team would feel daily.
PARTNERS
Agencies, peers, funders. Are the 400+ partner agencies better served with sharper data about their communities? Do Vermont, Maine, and Greater Boston view NHFB as a credible AI peer? Does NHCF cite our work as a reference within the state?
Where is our AI-enabled FY2027 forecast for demand and sourcing, given the 26 percent surge and the layered SNAP policy timeline?2024 baseline projections are no longer credible. Either we update them with current data plus predictive modeling, or we plan to be wrong on the record.
The options on the table
OPT A
Status quo. Use 2024 baseline + 10 percent growth assumption. No AI integration. Easiest, least defensible to funders.
OPT B
AI-augmented. Apply peer forecasting frameworks (Feeding America MealConnect, ReFED) to NH data. Real improvement, modest lift.
OPT C
AI-native NH model. Commission or build a custom NH model integrating SNAP timeline scenarios, partner agency data, and county demographics. Most defensible, longest timeline.
Who on the executive team or board can credibly speak to AI strategy in the next NHCF conversation and the next McGovern, KPMG, or Humanity AI prospectus?If no one, the 60-day plan to change that is itself an answer.
The options on the table
OPT A
Recruit. Add one board member with AI or data leadership credentials in the next 12 months. Longer timeline, structural strength.
OPT B
Invest. Designate the CEO or COO as the AI strategy spokesperson and fund their fluency (training, advisor, peer cohort). Faster, more dependent on individual.
OPT C
Borrow. Form a 2 to 3-person AI Advisory Group of NH tech leaders willing to support NHFB on a volunteer basis. Lowest cost, fastest, requires relationship cultivation.
Which two operational functions would have the highest impact if AI-enabled in the next 12 months?Demand forecasting, donor segmentation, partner agency intelligence, impact reporting, logistics. Pick two, fund them, and commit.
The options on the table
PAIR A
Revenue-leaning. Demand forecasting + Donor segmentation. Tells the strongest funder story; most likely to attract a McGovern-style grant.
PAIR B
Mission-leaning. Partner agency intelligence + Impact reporting. Strongest internal credibility; reshapes how the board sees the work.
PAIR C
Operations-leaning. Logistics + Demand forecasting. Most direct cost savings; shortest path to a measurable outcome.
How will we organize AI exploration in coordination with Vermont Foodbank and Good Shepherd Food Bank?Three small-state food banks coordinating AI exploration have more weight with foundation funders than any one of us alone.
The options on the table
LEVEL 1
Informal AI learning exchange. Quarterly CEO-to-CEO calls sharing AI pilot status, lessons, and pitfalls. Minimal commitment, real value.
LEVEL 2
Coordinated AI cohort. Shared AI learning sessions, joint funder narrative on small-state AI capacity, peer review of pilot designs and outputs.
LEVEL 3
Formal AI initiative. Co-branded AI work, shared tooling (e.g. joint demand forecasting model trained on combined data). Highest commitment, strongest market signal.
08 90-Day Decisions

Three AI-focused commitments to make before the next board meeting.

Costed. Owned. Time-bound. Click any decision to see the first concrete steps.

09 Sources

Every claim above traces to one of these.

Public sources only. Paste this section into Gemini, Claude, or any other tool for independent verification.

[1]Patrick J. McGovern Foundation on AI in food security, December 2025. Names Feeding America, ReFED, and Greater Boston Food Bank as reference cases. $75.8M in 2025 AI grants across 149 organizations. medium.com/patrick-j-mcgovern-foundation
[2]NH Food Bank: Federal Funding Updates, May 2025. USDA LFPA cancellation ($967K), 30% YoY food purchasing, NH Feeding NH program details. nhfoodbank.org/federal-funding-updates
[3]Concord Monitor: "USDA eliminates two local food programs," March 2025. ~$2M in lost federal support, 400+ partner agencies, quotes CEO Cipriani. concordmonitor.com
[4]The Cabinet Press: "NH Food Bank amplifying fundraising," November 3, 2025. 26 percent YoY distribution increase, NH DHHS mobile pantry partnership. cabinet.com
[5]Valley News: "Federal funding cuts hit N.H. nonprofits hard," January 2026. Mike Apfelberg on corporate giving, charitable deduction changes for 2026. vnews.com
[6]The Dartmouth: "Professors say federal budget cuts will affect food programs," October 2025. 48K NH households on SNAP, 76K total recipients, $15/person/month cut by 2034. thedartmouth.com
[7]NH Hunger Solutions / NH Food Alliance: SNAP cuts analysis, August 2025. Oct 2026 cost-shift, $5.75M+ additional state cost, $14M total state impact. nhfoodalliance.org
[8]NH Fiscal Policy Institute: "Three policy decisions from 2025," December 2025. Interest and Dividends Tax repeal ($184M annual loss), Medicaid paperwork risks. nhfpi.org
[9]NH Charitable Foundation: "Grant opportunities and updates for 2026," January 22, 2026, by Simon Delekta. $70M+ annual grants, CEO transition Ober to Morehead, "unprecedented" framing. nhcf.org
[10]OnBoard Meetings citing Hub International 2026 Nonprofit Outlook. 23,000 nonprofit jobs lost in 2025, 65 percent staffing shortages, workforce age data. February 2026. onboardmeetings.com
[11]Keene Sentinel: "NH Tech Alliance task force maps AI in New Hampshire," February 2026. July 2025 AI Task Force launch, COGE report December 2025. keenesentinel.com
[12]Volunteer NH: AmeriCorps NH programs, FY26 Mini-Grants. Volunteer pipeline context. volunteernh.org
10 Fact Register

A paste-friendly table for independent review.

Every factual claim above, with its source. Click the button, select all, and paste into Gemini, Claude, or any fact-checker.

ClaimStatementSource
F-01USDA cancelled the NH Food Bank's LFPA award of $967K in March 2025; it would have run through 2028.[2]
F-02NH Food Bank received nearly $2M from two federal programs in previous years (LFPA + LFS).[3]
F-03NH Food Bank distribution increased 26% YoY as of November 2025.[4]
F-04NH Food Bank purchased 30 percent more food in 2024 than in 2023.[2]
F-05NH Food Bank serves 400+ partner agencies statewide.[3]
F-06The NH Feeding NH program served 308 partner agencies in 2024/2025.[2]
F-07One Big Beautiful Bill Act (July 2025) froze SNAP benefit recalculations, cutting $15/person/month by 2034.[6]
F-08Approximately 76,000 New Hampshire residents rely on SNAP.[6]
F-09Starting Oct 1, 2026, NH pays 75 percent of SNAP administrative costs, costing at least $5.75M more per year.[7]
F-10Starting Oct 1, 2027, NH may pay a share of SNAP benefits if state error rate is 6 percent or higher.[7]
F-11NHFPI estimates total state-level SNAP cost-shift impact at $14M over the rollout window.[7]
F-12$1.18M SNAP-Ed program in NH eliminated effective Oct 1, 2025.[7]
F-13NH repealed Interest and Dividends Tax in January 2025, eliminating $184M in annual state revenue.[8]
F-14~20,000 Granite Staters at risk of losing Medicaid under new paperwork requirements.[8]
F-15NH Charitable Foundation awards $70M+ annually in grants and scholarships.[9]
F-16NHCF made grants to 2,330 nonprofits in 2024.[9]
F-17Richard Ober is being succeeded by Shawn V. Morehead as NHCF CEO in 2026.[9]
F-18NHCF VP Simon Delekta characterized 2026 conditions as "unprecedented" in January 2026.[9]
F-19Greater Boston Food Bank named alongside Feeding America by McGovern Foundation as a reference case.[1]
F-20Feeding America operates 200+ food banks, 60,000 pantries with AI-powered supply chain optimization.[1]
F-21Patrick J. McGovern Foundation: $75.8M across 149 AI-for-social-impact grants in 2025.[1]
F-22Humanity AI coalition committed $500M, announced October 2025; ten major foundations.[1]
F-23Nonprofit sector lost 23,000 jobs in 2025; 65 percent of nonprofits report staffing shortages.[10]
F-24More than half of nonprofit employees are 45+; most board members are 50+.[10]
F-25NH Tech Alliance launched its AI Task Force in July 2025, ED Julie Demers.[11]
F-26NH state COGE report on AI in state government released December 11, 2025.[11]
F-27Mike Apfelberg of United Way of Greater Nashua: corporate giving "cutting back pretty significantly."[5]
F-28New federal charitable deduction rules take effect in 2026, expected to net-decrease giving.[5]