About
The National Foundation to End Senior Hunger (NFESH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered at 1004 Duke Street in Alexandria, Virginia, that works to reduce hunger among older adults in the United States while promoting what it calls "Aging Well." The foundation pairs direct community initiatives with research and education, working through state and local partnerships to bring healthy-aging practices into senior centers and senior nutrition programs.
Mission
NFESH is built on a set of core convictions: "that we can reduce hunger" and "that the tremendous costs of senior hunger far exceed the price of addressing it." The organization holds that nourishing seniors requires attending to physical, emotional, and mental health, and that education holds the key to unlocking answers to Aging Well.
What they do
- ageWELL — works with state and local partners to bring innovative projects that incorporate healthy-aging principles and practices directly into senior centers, addressing seniors' mental and physical health in their communities.
- ageWELL Community Institute — provides professional development and education for people who work with seniors.
- servWELL — an initiative on food waste and other operational practices in congregate meal settings, helping Area Agencies on Aging and senior nutrition programs use data-driven approaches to reduce food waste and improve operational efficiency.
- Jack & Eleanor Borden Memorial Fund — supports kosher meals for seniors.
Research
NFESH has released a series of research studies since 2008, conducted primarily by Dr. James P. Ziliak of the University of Kentucky and Dr. Craig G. Gundersen of the University of Illinois, including the annual "State of Senior Hunger in America" reports. Among the published findings: in 2016, 7.7 percent of Americans age 60 and older were food insecure, and research drawing on 1999-2014 data found that food-insecure seniors experience significantly worse health outcomes, including lower nutrient intake and elevated disease risk, than food-secure peers.
Leadership
Enid A. Borden is NFESH's Founder and Chief Executive Officer. She has devoted nearly three decades to the issue of senior hunger, previously serving as President and CEO of the Meals On Wheels Association of America, Deputy Commissioner for Policy and External Affairs at the Social Security Administration, and Director of Public Affairs for the Office of Human Development Services at HHS. She is credited with coining the term "hidden hungry" and commissioned the first comprehensive national study on food insecurity among American seniors. Matt Levine serves as President, per the foundation's IRS filings.
Financials
According to the organization's IRS Form 990 data on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (EIN 54-1780226), for the fiscal year ending December 2025 NFESH reported total revenue of 612,802 dollars, total expenses of 515,140 dollars, and net assets of 1,032,512 dollars. About 95 percent of revenue came from contributions. The organization has been recognized as tax-exempt by the IRS since August 1998.