Program Coordinator, Food Justice Nonprofit

Career Guide
Coordinates and delivers community food access and nutrition programs for a nonprofit. Manages logistics, volunteers, partners, and reporting to ensure services run smoothly, meet goals, and comply with food safety and grant requirements.

Key Responsibilities

  • Coordinate food distributions, classes, and events
  • Recruit, schedule, and train volunteers
  • Maintain partner site relationships and MOUs
  • Track outputs/outcomes; prepare reports and dashboards
  • Support grant compliance and reporting deadlines
  • Oversee inventory, deliveries, and vendor/food bank logistics
  • Conduct community outreach and participant intake
  • Implement food safety and risk management protocols

Career Progression

Can Lead To
Senior Program Coordinator
Program Manager
Program Director
Community Engagement Manager
Transition Opportunities
Volunteer Manager
Grants Coordinator
Community Health Worker
Development/Fundraising Coordinator

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills
Food safety compliance (ServSafe-level)Program evaluation and outcomes measurementSalesforce/CRM data managementGrant compliance and reportingBudget tracking for programs
Development SuggestionsEarn a ServSafe Food Handler cert and complete a short program evaluation + Salesforce course. Shadow a coordinator to practice reporting, budgeting, and partner communications on live programs.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range
Entry Level$40,000-$50,000
Mid Level$50,000-$62,000
Senior Level$62,000-$75,000
Growth Trend
growing — Rising food insecurity and expanded community nutrition initiatives

Companies Hiring

Major Employers
Feeding America network food banksFoodCorpsNo Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength)
Industry Sectors
Non-Profit & Social ImpactPublic HealthGovernment & Public Administration

Recommended Next Steps

1
Obtain ServSafe Food Handler certification and add it to your resume/LinkedIn.
2
Volunteer at a local food bank to lead a distribution shift and manage volunteers while logging data in a CRM or spreadsheet.
3
Complete an intro Program Evaluation course (e.g., university extension/Coursera) and build a sample logic model and dashboard to share in interviews.