Free Food Pantry Monthly Report Template
The numbers a food bank, board or funder asks for every month, in one workbook: people served by age band, new and returning households, pounds received and distributed by source with TEFAP on its own line, and volunteer hours. Log each distribution day as you go and the monthly report fills itself in. Or print a blank report below.
The Excel file has five sheets, formulas and drop-downs. The CSV is one row per distribution day with every column, for any spreadsheet or for importing elsewhere. Google Sheets: File → Import → Upload, and choose the .xlsx. Each sheet has one example row to replace or delete.
What is in the template
| Sheet | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Monthly report | Type the first day of a month and it totals that month: distribution days, household visits, new and returning households, individuals by age band, pounds received / distributed / discarded for each source, and volunteer hours. Copy these into your food bank’s form. |
| Distribution log | One line per distribution day (or per site per day): households served, how many were new, individuals by age band. Returning households and total individuals calculate themselves. |
| Pounds by source | One line per delivery, donation or day: source from a drop-down (TEFAP, CSFP, food bank, grocery rescue, food drive, purchased, produce, other), pounds received, distributed and discarded. |
| Volunteer hours | Name, role, time in and time out; hours calculate. Roles match our volunteer roles guide. |
| Lists | The sources and volunteer roles behind the drop-downs. Change them to match your food bank’s categories. |
Counting it right
- Visits vs households. A family that comes twice in a month is two visits. The log counts visits, which is what most monthly forms ask for. If your food bank also wants unduplicated households, you need a record of who came (a sign-in sheet or software), not just a tally.
- New households. Decide what “new” means and keep to it. The template uses “first visit this year”; your food bank may use first visit ever, or this month.
- Age bands. The template uses 0–17, 18–59 and 60+. Food bank forms differ, so rename the columns to match yours before you start, not at month end.
- Pounds by source. Weigh or use case weights on the way in, and keep USDA Foods (TEFAP, CSFP) on their own lines. They carry federal recordkeeping, and your food bank and State agency will ask about them separately (what TEFAP records a pantry keeps).
- Discards. Log what you throw out and why. It is a number food banks ask for and the first place to look when cutting waste (tracking food waste).
- Volunteer hours. Funders and grant reports often ask for them. See food pantry grants for where a monthly report like this gets used.
Print a blank monthly report
For pantries that keep paper: a one-page report with a line per distribution day and the monthly totals underneath. Built in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
When a spreadsheet stops working
This template carries a small pantry for a long time. It gets harder when several people fill it in, when you need unduplicated households (who came, not how many times), or when the TEFAP pounds on the report have to match a distribution log a monitor can check. PantryPOS is food pantry software that records each visit, household and item as it happens, so the monthly numbers (visits, unduplicated households, individuals by age, pounds by source with TEFAP separate, volunteer hours) come out of the day’s work rather than a tally. Everything exports to CSV.
Frequently asked questions
What goes in a food pantry monthly report?
Most food bank partner-agency reports ask for the same core numbers: how many household visits and individuals you served (often split by age group), how many households were new, how many pounds of food you distributed (often split by source, with USDA Foods such as TEFAP on their own line), and sometimes volunteer hours. Your food bank’s form sets the exact categories and age bands.
Should TEFAP pounds be reported separately?
Yes. USDA Foods received through TEFAP (and CSFP, if you distribute it) come with their own federal recordkeeping, and food banks and State agencies commonly ask for them separately from donated and purchased food. Keep them on their own rows from the day they arrive and the monthly total is a copy job.
What is the difference between households served and household visits?
A household that comes three times in a month is three visits but one unduplicated household. Many reports ask for visits (sometimes called duplicated households); some also ask for unduplicated counts. A tally sheet counts visits; counting unduplicated households needs a record of who came, such as a sign-in list or software.
Why track volunteer hours in a monthly report?
Funders and grant reports often ask for them, and some grants accept volunteer time as an in-kind contribution at a dollar rate the funder sets. A monthly total by role also shows where you are short-handed.
Can I use this template in Google Sheets?
Yes. In Google Sheets choose File, Import, Upload and pick the .xlsx file; the formulas and drop-downs carry over. The .csv is one row per distribution day with every column, for any spreadsheet, without formulas.
This template is free and unrestricted; use and change it however you like. Your food bank and State agency set the report you must send and its categories, and theirs win where they differ from this template.