Bringfood for Nonprofits: Free Multi-Route Food Delivery Planner
Purpose-built for food pantries managing home delivery programs. Upload your address list, set the number of drivers, and generate optimized multi-stop routes in under five minutes. Completely free for 501(c)(3) organizations.
What Bringfood Does
Food pantry coordinators managing home delivery face a logistical challenge that seems simple on the surface but proves time-consuming in practice: how do you divide a list of 50, 100, or 200 addresses across 8 volunteer drivers in a way that minimizes total drive time and avoids sending drivers to opposite ends of the city? Before Bringfood, many organizations handled this with paper maps, manual grouping by zip code, or simply handing drivers an unorganized stack of addresses and hoping for the best.
Bringfood solves this problem with a web-based route planning application built specifically for the nonprofit food distribution context. Coordinators upload a spreadsheet of delivery addresses, specify how many stops each driver can handle and how many drivers are available that day, and click once. The tool's spatial clustering algorithm groups nearby addresses into geographically logical clusters, then applies Google Maps routing to sequence each cluster into an efficient driving order. The entire process takes under five minutes, compared to the hours of manual planning it replaces.
The tool was created in 2020 by AppGeo (Applied Geographics, Inc.), a geospatial IT consulting firm now part of The Sanborn Map Company, in response to COVID-19 dramatically increasing demand for home food delivery at pantries across the country. What began as a rapid response to an emergency has become a permanent tool used by over 100 food pantries and local governments across the United States.
Who Bringfood Is Best For
Organization Types
- Food pantries and food banks managing home delivery programs
- Local governments running food assistance programs
- Meal delivery nonprofits (Meals on Wheels style programs)
- Community organizations distributing essential goods
- Emergency relief organizations coordinating delivery during crises
Ideal Use Cases
- Weekly home delivery with 25 to 300+ stops across multiple drivers
- Variable driver pools where available volunteers change each week
- Organizations replacing manual zip code grouping or paper map planning
- Pantries transitioning from in-person pickup to home delivery models
- Small nonprofits with no budget for commercial logistics software
Key Features for Nonprofits
Spatial Clustering Algorithm
Smarter grouping than simple zip code sorting
Rather than grouping addresses by zip code or neighborhood boundaries (which can be surprisingly inefficient), Bringfood uses a proprietary spatial clustering algorithm to group stops based on actual geographic proximity. Stops that are physically close to each other end up on the same route regardless of administrative boundaries, minimizing total drive distance and time.
Multi-Vehicle Route Optimization
Plans all drivers simultaneously, not one at a time
Bringfood is specifically designed for multi-vehicle scenarios. Rather than planning one route at a time and hoping the workload balances out, it optimizes across all drivers simultaneously. You input how many drivers are available that day and how many stops each driver can handle, and the tool distributes the load intelligently.
Flexible Data Import
Works with your existing data collection tools
Upload address lists as CSV or Excel spreadsheets, or feed data directly from Google Forms and Airtable exports. Organizations that collect delivery requests through Google Forms can route deliveries the same day without reformatting data. The tool geocodes addresses automatically using Google Maps, converting them to route-ready coordinates.
Google Street View Integration
Verify delivery addresses before drivers set out
For tricky addresses, ambiguous unit numbers, or locations that may be hard to find, Bringfood's built-in Google Street View access lets coordinators visually verify an address before finalizing routes. Drivers can also reference Street View during delivery. This reduces failed deliveries caused by address errors or hard-to-find locations.
Privacy-First Design
Protects the dignity of food assistance recipients
Bringfood transmits only geocoordinates (latitude and longitude) to its servers, not recipient names, contact information, or other personally identifying data. This matters in the food pantry context where recipients often have strong privacy concerns about their food insecurity status. The privacy-by-design approach was a deliberate choice by the AppGeo development team.
No Installation Required
Fully web-based, works on any device with a browser
Bringfood runs entirely in a web browser with no software installation, no app downloads, and no IT configuration required. This is critical for organizations relying on volunteers using their personal devices. Drivers receive their routes as interactive maps they can view on any smartphone, plus downloadable ordered address lists they can print if needed.
Real-World Nonprofit Use Case
Consider a mid-sized food pantry that serves 150 households through a home delivery program every Saturday. The program coordinator receives delivery requests through a Google Form throughout the week. By Friday afternoon, they have a spreadsheet of 150 addresses, varying numbers of volunteer drivers confirmed for Saturday (sometimes 8, sometimes 12, depending on the week), and each driver's car can realistically handle about 15 stops before needing to return for more boxes.
Before Bringfood, this coordinator spent 2 to 3 hours on Friday evening manually grouping addresses by neighborhood, then hand-typing route instructions for each driver. Inevitably, some routes ran long while others finished early, and drivers occasionally covered overlapping areas.
With Bringfood, the same coordinator exports the Google Form responses, uploads the spreadsheet, inputs "15 stops per route" and the current number of available drivers, and clicks once. Within seconds, the tool generates optimized routes for each driver with stops grouped logically by geography and sequenced for efficient driving. The coordinator reviews the routes, makes any needed adjustments using the address editing feature, and shares route maps with drivers via a link or printed sheet. Total planning time drops from 2 to 3 hours to under 10 minutes. Drivers report shorter total drive times and fewer backtracking trips across the service area.
This scenario plays out at pantries of all sizes. Arlington EATS in Massachusetts reported that Bringfood enabled them to achieve 100% home delivery coverage during COVID-19 when demand surged 50% overnight and all in-person distribution had to stop. The tool gave them the operational capacity to serve every household that needed home delivery without the planning chaos that would have otherwise made it impossible.
Pricing
Free
Only Tier$0 forever for qualifying organizations
- Full multi-route planning with no stop or route limits
- Spatial clustering algorithm for geographic route optimization
- Google Maps routing and geocoding
- Google Street View address verification
- Spreadsheet, Google Forms, and Airtable data import
- Interactive driver maps and downloadable address lists
- No credit card, contract, or time-limited trial
Eligible organizations: U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits and local government entities. Apply at bringfood.care/apply/
Note: Prices may be outdated or inaccurate.
100% Free for Nonprofits
Bringfood is not a "freemium" product with a limited free tier. It is a nonprofit-first platform where the free offering is the entire product. AppGeo built Bringfood explicitly for the nonprofit and government food assistance sector, and it is not offered to for-profit businesses at any price. Google provides the underlying Maps API access at no cost to support the platform's mission.
To access the tool, apply at bringfood.care/apply/, answer a short qualifying questionnaire confirming your organization's nonprofit status, and receive login credentials by email. There is no waiting period described, no onboarding fee, and no recurring cost ever.
Apply for Free AccessLearning Curve
Bringfood has one of the lowest learning curves of any logistics tool on the market. The entire workflow involves three steps: upload a spreadsheet, set two numbers, and click once. Multiple coordinators have described being fully operational within minutes of their first login, with no prior logistics or mapping experience required.
The most involved part of using Bringfood is preparing the address spreadsheet, not the tool itself. Organizations that already collect delivery requests in a structured format (Google Form, Airtable, or any spreadsheet) can typically be up and running within a single day of receiving access credentials. AppGeo has also published training webinars through the Sanborn Map Company website for coordinators who want additional guidance.
Setup Time
Apply, receive credentials, and run your first route set within one day
Training Required
Minimal. Most coordinators need no formal training to begin using the tool
Volunteer Adoption
Drivers receive route maps by link or printout, no app download needed
Integration & Compatibility
Data Import Sources
- CSV and Excel spreadsheets (primary input format)
- Google Forms exports (direct integration)
- Airtable data exports
- Any system that can export addresses to spreadsheet format
Platform Compatibility
- Any modern web browser on desktop or laptop
- Driver route maps viewable on any smartphone browser
- Google Maps Platform (underlying routing technology)
- Google Street View (built-in address verification)
Integration Limitation
Bringfood does not offer native integration with pantry management software like Link2Feed, PantrySoft, or case management platforms. The workflow requires exporting addresses from your intake system into a spreadsheet before uploading to Bringfood. Organizations using structured intake forms (Google Forms, Airtable) find this export step takes under a minute.
Honest Pros & Cons
Strengths
- Completely free with no hidden costs or expiring trials for qualifying nonprofits
- Extremely low learning curve, usable by volunteers with no technical background
- Spatial clustering produces genuinely better routes than manual zip code grouping
- Built specifically for the food pantry context rather than adapted from commercial logistics
- Privacy-first design protects recipient confidentiality
- Backed by AppGeo/Sanborn, an established geospatial firm, not a startup at risk of shutdown
Limitations
- No real-time driver tracking or live route progress monitoring
- No delivery time windows or time-based scheduling constraints
- No proof-of-delivery features (photos, signatures, notifications)
- No automatic recipient notification when delivery is en route or completed
- No native integration with pantry management or case management software
- U.S. only (eligibility limited to U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations and local governments)
Alternatives to Consider
Routific
For organizations needing a free tier with more features
Routific offers a free tier covering up to 100 orders per month with features Bringfood lacks including time windows and basic proof of delivery. Paid plans start at $150/month for higher volumes. A stronger option for organizations that have outgrown Bringfood's feature set and can afford a modest subscription.
OptimoRoute
For larger programs with more complex needs
OptimoRoute provides advanced route optimization with real-time tracking, delivery time windows, live proof-of-delivery capture, and customer notifications. At $35-$49 per driver per month, it is suitable for larger food bank programs with dedicated paid staff managing logistics operations who need full visibility into delivery status.
Onfleet
For enterprise food distribution programs
Onfleet is a comprehensive last-mile delivery platform used by some large food banks and meal delivery nonprofits. Starting at $599/month, it includes real-time tracking, recipient SMS updates, proof-of-delivery, analytics dashboards, and API integrations. Reserved for large organizations with complex, high-volume operations.
Bottom line: For the vast majority of food pantries managing home delivery on a nonprofit budget, Bringfood's free offering fully meets their needs. The commercial alternatives provide genuine advantages (real-time tracking, time windows, delivery confirmation) but come at costs that most pantries cannot justify when Bringfood handles the core routing challenge completely free.
Getting Started with Bringfood
Apply for Access
Visit bringfood.care/apply/ and complete the short application. You will confirm your organization is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit or local government entity. Credentials arrive by email, typically quickly after submission. No credit card or billing information is collected at any point.
Prepare Your Address Spreadsheet
Export your delivery request list from whatever system you use (Google Forms, Airtable, your donor management system, or a manual spreadsheet). Make sure the spreadsheet includes a clean address column. If addresses are split across multiple columns (street, city, state, zip), combine them into a single column before uploading. This is the most time-consuming part of the setup, but once your template is established, it becomes a quick weekly step.
Generate and Review Your Routes
Log in, upload your spreadsheet, enter how many stops each driver can handle and how many drivers are available, and click to generate routes. Review the resulting route clusters on the interactive map. You can edit addresses, adjust stop assignments, and make other tweaks before finalizing. Once satisfied, download driver address lists and share route maps with your volunteer drivers.
Distribute Routes to Drivers
Share each driver's interactive route map via link (viewable on any smartphone) and provide the downloadable ordered address list as a backup. Drivers can use Google Maps navigation from any address on their route and verify tricky locations using the built-in Street View access. After your first delivery day using Bringfood, gather driver feedback on route quality and adjust your stop-per-route parameters for future runs.
Need Help Optimizing Your Food Delivery Program?
Bringfood handles the routing, but an effective home delivery program involves more than just directions. Our team helps nonprofits design end-to-end delivery operations, from intake workflows and volunteer coordination to data tracking and program evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bringfood really free for nonprofits?
Yes. Bringfood is 100% free for qualifying U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits and local government organizations. There are no paid tiers, no trial period that expires, and no credit card required. AppGeo (now Sanborn Map Company) covers the cost of the underlying Google Maps API access, making the entire tool freely available to eligible organizations.
Who qualifies to use Bringfood?
U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and local government entities qualify. Organizations apply at bringfood.care/apply/, answer a short questionnaire confirming nonprofit status, and receive login credentials by email. For-profit businesses are not eligible.
How many delivery stops can Bringfood handle?
Bringfood is designed to handle tens to hundreds of addresses per session. The spatial clustering algorithm creates groups of up to 25 stops per driver route, optimizing for geographic proximity and driver efficiency. Organizations currently route 25 to 300+ deliveries per week using the platform.
Does Bringfood require technical expertise to use?
No. Bringfood was deliberately designed for volunteers and coordinators without technical expertise. The entire workflow is upload a spreadsheet, set two parameters (stops per route and number of routes), and click once. Most coordinators are fully operational within minutes of their first login.
What file formats does Bringfood accept for address uploads?
Bringfood accepts standard spreadsheet formats (CSV and Excel) for address uploads. It also integrates with Google Forms and Airtable data exports, allowing organizations to feed delivery lists directly from their existing intake workflows.
How does Bringfood protect recipient privacy?
Bringfood transmits only geocoordinates (latitude and longitude) to its servers, not recipient names or other personally identifying information. This privacy-first design reflects the sensitivity of food insecurity data and ensures recipient confidentiality throughout the routing process.
How does Bringfood compare to commercial route planners?
Bringfood is purpose-built for food pantry home delivery and is entirely free, while Routific starts at $150/month and OptimoRoute at $35/driver/month. Commercial tools offer additional features like real-time driver tracking, proof-of-delivery photos, and customer notifications that Bringfood does not have. For most food pantries needing simple, efficient multi-route planning, Bringfood's free offering meets their needs completely.