MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger

IRS instructions ask that the description of program service accomplishments “be clear, concise, and complete”. To help charities meet this requirement, IRS Form 990 allows up to three sections, each to describe a single program area. In addition there is a fourth section set aside to describe any additional program areas. Unfortunately, some charities choose not to divide extensive program activities into the four available sections. Instead they describe a host of activities in one very long, difficult to read paragraph. This makes it difficult for interested parties to learn the full range of the organization’s activities. MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger provides one example which we reproduce below. (See Descriptions of Charity Programs: What the IRS Wants for more on IRS requirements for descriptions of charity programs.)

First program. INSPIRED BY JEWISH VALUES AND IDEALS, MAZON IS A NATIONAL ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION WORKING TO END HUNGER AMONG PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS AND BACKGROUNDS IN THE U.S. AND ISRAEL. ITS PROGRAMS IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS UNIQUE HUNGER ISSUES AFFECTING MARGINALIZED AND VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES SUCH AS RETURNING VETERANS AND CURRENTLY-SERVING MILITARY FAMILIES, RURAL AND REMOTE COMMUNITIES, NATIVE COMMUNITIES, SENIORS, AND OTHERS. MAZON CONSISTENTLY ENGAGES THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN SOCIAL JUSTICE WORK TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT HUNGER ISSUES AND MOBILIZE THE COMMUNITY TO HELP END HUNGER. MAZON USES A NUMBER OF STRATEGIES TO ACCOMPLISH ITS MISSION, INCLUDING (SEE SCHEDULE O): SURFACE AND SPOTLIGHT OVERLOOKED ISSUES: WORKING WITH AND LISTENING TO ITS BROAD NETWORK OF ANTI-HUNGER, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND JEWISH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, MAZON IDENTIFIES OVERLOOKED ISSUES AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND FINDS POLICY SOLUTIONS THAT MEET UNMET NEEDS. WE SPOTLIGHT THESE ISSUES, ELEVATING THEM TO THE LEVEL OF NATIONAL CONVERSATION AND PLACING THEM ON THE NATIONAL POLICY AGENDA. EDUCATION: MAZON WORKS TO EDUCATE KEY STAKEHOLDERS, SUCH AS POLICYMAKERS, PARTNERS, THE PUBLIC, AND MEDIA, BUILDING NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND COALITIONS WHERE NECESSARY AND VALUABLE TO BUILD AWARENESS ABOUT HUNGER IN AMERICA AND ISRAEL, BOLSTER UNDERSTANDING ABOUT OVERLOOKED ISSUES AND POPULATIONS, AND ENGAGE THE JEWISH AND ANTI-HUNGER COMMUNITIES IN POLICY CHANGE WORK TO ADDRESS HUNGER. ADVOCACY: MAZON PRACTICES AND PROMOTES ADVOCACY AS A MEANS FOR ENSURING NOT ONLY THAT FOOD REACHES THOSE WHO ARE HUNGRY TODAY, BUT ALSO THAT NO ONE GOES HUNGRY TOMORROW. OUR BIPARTISAN ADVOCACY WORK, THROUGH POLICYMAKER EDUCATION AND SHAPING LEGISLATION ON THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVELS, HELPS TO ENSURE THAT GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS ARE RESPONSIVE TO EVERY PERSON IN NEED OF FOOD ASSISTANCE AND THE UNIQUE BARRIERS UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS FACE. CAPACITY BUILDING: MAZON PROVIDES FUNDING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TRAININGS, AND OTHER RESOURCES TO HUNDREDS OF TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL PARTNERS, INCLUDING FOOD BANKS, FOOD PANTRIES, HOME-DELIVERED MEAL PROGRAMS, LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDERS, AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS, BUILDING LEADERSHIP CAPACITY WITHIN THE ANTI-HUNGER AND JEWISH COMMUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN ADVOCACY. MAZON’S PARTNERS WORK AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVELS TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION IN FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND CHAMPION RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT POLICIES TO PREVENT WIDESPREAD HUNGER IN THE FUTURE.FY2017 HIGHLIGHTS: COMPLETED THE 16-MONTH NATIONAL TOUR OF THIS IS HUNGER, A POWERFUL AND IMMERSIVE MOBILE MUSEUM HOUSED IN AN 18-WHEELER TRUCK , FROM NOVEMBER 2016 FEBRUARY 2018. THE EXPERIENCE ENGAGED 90 HOST ORGANIZATIONS AT OVER 63 STOPS, REACHING NEARLY 15,000 VISITORS OVER THE COURSE OF THE PROGRAM; BUILT AND OPENED MAZON’S PERMANENT INSTALLATION OF THIS IS HUNGER IN ENCINO, CA, TO SERVE AS BOTH A LEARNING SPACE AND A “PUBLIC COMMONS” FOR OTHER SOCIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS TO USE AS FREE EVENT AND MEETING SPACE; LAUNCHED MAZON’S QUICK REACTION FUND (QRF), PROVIDING ONE-TIME GRANTS TO LEVERAGE IMMEDIATE, TIME-SENSITIVE ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES; LAUNCHED MAZON’S EMERGING ADVOCACY FUND, TARGETING ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT IN THE 15 MOST FOOD-INSECURE U.S. STATES; DRAFTED THE MILITARY HUNGER PREVENTION ACT IN THE HOUSE, INTRODUCED BY REP. SUSAN DAVIS, SECURING 61 BIPARTISAN COSPONSORS IN THE HOUSE AND BUILDING CONGRESSIONAL AND COALITION SUPPORT FOR THE BILL; DRAFTED THE MILITARY HUNGER PREVENTION ACT IN THE SENATE, INTRODUCED BY SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH AND SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI, SECURING 12 ADDITIONAL BIPARTISAN COSPONSORS IN THE SENATE; SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR FOOD INSECURITY SCREENING IN VA’S CLINICAL SYSTEM AS PART OF VA’S ENSURING VETERAN FOOD SECURITY WORKGROUP THIS REPRESENTS THE FIRST TIME THE VA HAS SCREENED FOR AND COLLECTED DATA ON VETERAN FOOD INSECURITY, WITH MORE THAN 1.6 MILLION VETERANS SCREENED THUS FAR; WORKED WITH VA LEADERS ON A PROTOCOL FOR SNAP ELIGIBILITY SCREENING & REFERRALS FOR VETERANS; JOINED TRIBAL OFFICIALS AND NATIVE FOOD POLICY ADVOCATES FOR A SERIES OF MEETINGS TO ADVISE THE NEW ADMINISTRATION ON HOW TO IMPROVE FDPIR (FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON INDIAN RESERVATIONS). MAZON IS THE ONLY NON-NATIVE ORGANIZATION INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE IMPORTANT HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS; JOINED THE NATIVE FARM BILL COALITION AS THE ONLY NON-NATIVE ORGANIZATION; MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN ENDING THE PRACTICE OF “LUNCH SHAMING,” STIGMATIZING PRACTICES AIMED AT HOLDING CHILDREN ACCOUNTABLE FOR UNPAID SCHOOL LUNCH DEBT. IN CALIFORNIA, CO-SPONSORED AND PASSED SB 250, MAKING CALIFORNIA THE LARGEST STATE YET TO BAN LUNCH SHAMING PRACTICES; ADVISED ONGOING ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS IN STATES THAT HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PASSED SIMILAR LEGISLATION IN MINNESOTA, OREGON, AND NEW MEXICO; AND DRAFTED MODEL LEGISLATION WITH MAZON’S LEGAL ADVISORY COUNCIL TO ELIMINATE SHAMING PRACTICES; TESTIFIED BEFORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AS AN EXPERT WITNESS ON OPPORTUNITIES TO PROTECT AND STRENGTHEN SNAP (SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FORMERLY KNOWN AS FOOD STAMPS); PRODUCED AUGUST RECESS TOOLKIT; ORGANIZED RABBIS AND SYNAGOGUE LAY LEADERS TO HOLD IN-DISTRICT MEETINGS NATIONWIDE WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND STAFF ON PROTECTING SNAP. BROUGHT 14 RABBIS FROM STATES NATIONWIDE TO WASHINGTON, DC AS A PART OF A RABBINIC JUSTICE MISSION, ADVOCATING TO LEGISLATORS TO PROTECT SNAP IN THE 2018 FARM BILL; ORGANIZED A LETTER SIGNED BY NEARLY 1000 MEMBERS OF THE JEWISH CLERGY URGING CONGRESS TO PROTECT SNAP IN THE 2018 FARM BILL; DEVELOPED AND LAUNCHED NATIONAL FOOD BANK SURVEY TO ASSESS NUTRITION POLICIES AND PRACTICES INFLUENCING THE DISTRIBUTION OF MORE NUTRITIOUS FOOD; SPEARHEADED A NEW RESEARCH REPORT: A TIPPING POINT: LEVERAGING OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF FOOD BANK INVENTORY, HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED TO PROMOTE THE AVAILABILITY OF HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES IN THE CHARITABLE FOOD SECTOR; SPONSORED AND PASSED CUTTING-EDGE LEGISLATION AIMED AT ADDRESSING THE GROWING CRISIS OF HUNGER ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES IN CALIFORNIA (AB 1747, AB 214, AB 453 IN 2016 AND 2017). IN CONGRESS, SUPPORTED AND ENDORSED H.R. 3875, THE “COLLEGE STUDENT HUNGER ACT OF 2017” (REP. AL LAWSON, FL) AND H.R. 3742, THE “FOSTERING SUCCESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION ACT OF 2017” (REP. DANNY DAVIS, IL). SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE TO REVIEW THE FULL EXTENT OF FOOD INSECURITY AMONG U.S. COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. COMPLETED AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN OF THE ANTI-HUNGER AND ANTI-POVERTY LANDSCAPE IN ISRAEL, AND BEGAN TO BUILD STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY IN ISRAEL. ESTABLISHED CAPACITY BUILDING SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR ISRAELI ANTI-HUNGER PARTNERS IN THREE CLUSTERS: ADVOCACY, PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND UNRECOGNIZED BEDOUIN VILLAGES IN THE NEGEV. COORDINATED AND RELEASED A LETTER BY MORE THAN 100 ANTI-HUNGER ORGANIZATIONS TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ISRAEL’S NATIONAL INSURANCE INSTITUTE, DEMANDING UPDATED AND CURRENT INFORMATION ON FOOD SECURITY IN ISRAEL. PARTNERED WITH ISRAELI ANTI-HUNGER ORGANIZATIONS ON DOZENS OF PUBLIC-EDUCATION VIDEOS AND ACTIVITIES TO RAISE VISIBILITY ABOUT HUNGER IN ISRAEL.