Refed Inc

REFED IS A NATIONAL NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO ENDING FOOD LOSS AND WASTE ACROSS THE U.S. FOOD SYSTEM BY ADVANCING DATA-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS. OUR VISION IS A SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT, AND INCLUSIVE FOOD SYSTEM THAT OPTIMIZES ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES, MINIMIZES CLIMATE IMPACTS, AND MAKES THE BEST USE OF THE FOOD WE GROW.

DATA & INSIGHTS PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS : IN 2022 WE BEGAN BACKEND DEVELOPMENT AND DATA MANAGEMENT EFFORTS TO PREPARE FOR THE FIRST-EVER UPDATE TO THE INSIGHTS ENGINE, THE LEADING SOURCE OF DATA AND INFORMATION ON FOOD LOSS AND WASTE IN THE UNITED STATES. THE POLICY FINDER (A COMPONENT OF THE INSIGHTS ENGINE) WAS UPDATED IN 2022. IT IS A TOOL BEING USED BY POLICY MAKERS AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS AT CITY, STATE, AND REGIONAL LEVELS TO FIND BEST PRACTICES AND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT CAN DRIVE FOOD SYSTEM CHANGE WHERE NEEDED. THE INSIGHTS ENGINE HAS HAD 52,000 USERS WITH 871 USE CASES DEMONSTRATING HOW THE TOOL HAS DIRECTED POLICY, GOVERNMENT PLANNING, AND BUSINESS INTERVENTIONS.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS : CONDUCTED INTERNAL STAFF TRAINING PROGRAMS TO EDUCATE EMPLOYEES ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND JUSTICE AND THE WAYS IN WHICH THEY INTERSECT WITH REFED'S WORK ON FOOD WASTE. REFED HIRED ITS FIRST DEIJ FELLOW TO LEAD A YEAR-LONG WORKSTREAM TO CONDUCT A LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THESE INTERSECTIONS AND BEGIN WORK ON A PUBLIC REPORT. STAFF ALSO CONDUCTED THE FIRST HALF OF AN INTERNAL DEIJ ASSESSMENT TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREATER INTEGRATION OF DEIJ WORK INTO THE ORGANIZATION'S INTERNAL POLICIES AND PROCESSES AND EXTERNAL-FACING PROGRAMMING AND STRATEGIES.

CAPITAL, INNOVATION, & ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS : CAPITAL & INNOVATION LAUNCHED THE CAPITAL TRACKER, PROVIDED MONTHLY DEAL FLOW REPORTS AND ANALYSES OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO SCALE SOLUTIONS, AND LAUNCHED OUR FOOD WASTE FUNDER CIRCLE. THE CAPITAL TRACKER IS BEING USED BY INVESTORS TO SEE WHERE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN FILL GAPS TO ADDRESS FOOD LOSS AND WASTE AS A BUSINESS PROPOSITION, AND WE HAVE TRACKED MORE THAN $888M IN DEAL FLOW TO DATE. THE FOOD WASTE FUNDER CIRCLE HOSTED NINE PITCH EVENTS FEATURING THREE COMPANIES EACH, REACHING 144 FOOD WASTE FUNDER CIRCLE MEMBERS (FWFC). MOST NOTABLY WE ESTABLISHED OUR CATALYTIC GRANT FUND THAT DIRECTS PHILANTHROPIC FUNDS TO ORGANIZATIONS OFFERING THE PROMISE OF FOOD LOSS AND WASTE REDUCTION. THE FIRST OPEN CALL OF THE CATALYTIC GRANT FUND IN NOVEMBER 2022 RECEIVED GRANT APPLICATIONS IN EXCESS OF $99M FROM 270 ORGANIZATIONS.

BUSINESS INITIATIVES PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS : WE LAUNCHED A BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT SUITE OF SERVICES AND WITNESSED REAL FOOD LOSS AND WASTE REDUCTIONS IN OUR PACIFIC COAST FOOD WASTE COMMITMENT, A PRIVATE-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP FOCUSED ON FOOD LOSS AND WASTE, AND ENGAGED IN STATE AND FEDERAL POLICY ADVISEMENT. OUR BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT SERVICES WORKED WITH ITS FIRST FIVE PILOT COMPANIES, REPRESENTING REGIONAL AND NATIONAL RETAILERS. THE PACIFIC COAST FOOD WASTE COMMITTMENT REPRESENTS 15 BUSINESS SIGNATORIES ACTIVELY, INCLUDING 51% OF WEST COAST FOOD RETAILERS. THE PROJECT RAN PILOTS OF DIFFERENT FOOD WASTE INTERVENTIONS AND PUBLISHED PUBLIC CASE STUDIES WITH SEVERAL OF THE PARTICIPATING SIGNATORIES. WE ALSO COMPLETED PILOT TESTING OF A CUSTOM DATA REPORTING AND ANALYTICS TOOL TO BE FURTHER DEVELOPED AND ROLLED OUT TO BUSINESSES IN 2023.