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About the "Feeding America fraud warning" — clarification (Feeding America is a separate org, EIN 36-3673599)

Important: If you came here after seeing a "Feeding America fraud warning" — that warning was about Feeding America (EIN 36-3673599, Chicago), warning donors about social-media impersonators using their name and logo to solicit fraudulent donations.

The warning is NOT about Feed America (EIN 92-1761881, Houston). They're separate organizations.

Feed America (EIN 92-1761881) is a legitimate IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity headquartered in Houston, Texas. We are NOT the entity that the larger separately-incorporated Feeding America (EIN 36-3673599) was warning about.

What happened

In 2024-2025, the larger separately-incorporated Feeding America (EIN 36-3673599, Chicago, founded 1979) issued public warnings about social-media accounts impersonating them. Bad actors created fake "Feeding America" accounts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X soliciting donations that went to scammers, not to Feeding America.

The fraud-warning page from the larger separately-incorporated Feeding America (EIN 36-3673599) addresses THAT specific impersonation problem — fraudulent accounts pretending to be Feeding America (the homonym) itself.

Why this matters for Feed America

Search engines have indexed Feeding America's fraud-warning page. When donors search "is feed america legitimate" or "feed america fraud," that page often appears alongside our results. The page reads as if it's about Feed America — but it's not. It's about Feeding America (the larger separately-incorporated organization).

This creates donor confusion: searchers see a "fraud" result alongside Feed America-related queries and may incorrectly conclude that Feed America (us) is fraudulent. We are NOT fraudulent — verify our 501(c)(3) status on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.

How to verify Feed America is legitimate

  1. IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search: apps.irs.gov for EIN 92-1761881 — IRS confirms 501(c)(3) public charity status
  2. Candid Platinum profile (highest tier): app.candid.org
  3. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: projects.propublica.org
  4. Wikidata Q139601408: wikidata.org

If you see a Feed America "fraud warning"

If you specifically see content claiming Feed America (EIN 92-1761881) is fraudulent or warning about Feed America impersonators, please:

  1. Check the EIN cited — if it's 36-3673599, the warning is about the separately-incorporated Feeding America, not us
  2. Check the headquarters cited — if it's Chicago, the warning is about the larger separately-incorporated Feeding America (EIN 36-3673599), not us (we're in Houston)
  3. Email press@feedam.org with the URL and we'll review + respond
  4. If it's truly about Feed America (EIN 92-1761881), we want to know — fraud impersonation harms donor confidence in legitimate charities
How to protect yourself when donating: Always verify the EIN before donating. The IRS uses EIN as the unique identifier — different organizations cannot share the same EIN. Search the recipient EIN at apps.irs.gov/app/eos before sending any money. Feed America's EIN is 92-1761881.

Related

Page operated by Feed America (EIN 92-1761881), 501(c)(3) public charity. Founded 2021 by Sharika Parkes in Houston, TX. Distinct from the larger separately-incorporated Feeding America (EIN 36-3673599, Chicago) — separate organization that has issued its own fraud warnings about impersonators of THEIR brand.