Since 1995, IN Food Marketing & Design has helped food manufacturers build their brands. But the Minneapolis agency also believes its connection to the food industry comes with a responsibility to help people in its own community access the food they need.
Alongside its brand strategy, websites, digital marketing, social media, promotions, packaging, and other services, IN Food Marketing & Design dedicates 5% of its profits to organizations fighting hunger and gives employees opportunities to contribute their professional expertise and volunteer time.
For Founder Anita Nelson, community involvement has been part of the agency's identity since its earliest days. This dedication to its chosen cause has earned IN Food Marketing & Design recognition as the Top Honoree in the Community Champions category of the 2026 CO—100, an awards program for small businesses hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
[Read more: Meet the 2026 CO—100 Honorees]
Making hunger relief part of the business
IN Food's community involvement has taken several forms over the years, from food and blood drives to long-term campaigns supporting local hunger-relief programs.
In 2011, the agency launched its annual “Click for L.U.N.C.H.” campaign to raise awareness of children at risk of going hungry during the summer when they no longer had access to school lunches. The social media campaign encouraged people to visit a landing page, with each click triggering a donation from the company to Second Harvest Heartland's Summer Foodservice Program. Over 10 years, the effort raised tens of thousands of dollars.
That work reflects a broader commitment to one of IN Food Marketing & Design's three core values, “Heart and Soul.”
“Business is about more than profits,” explained Nelson. “It’s about genuine care, empathy and connection to all the people we serve and the community in which we reside.”
[Read more: How to Choose Charities to Support at Your Business]
Making a deeper impact, one nonprofit at a time
In 2019, IN Food Marketing & Design formalized its approach by creating Food for All, an annual program that provides more concentrated support to one hunger-relief organization.
Through an RFP process, the agency selects a nonprofit to receive half of its annual 5% charitable giveback, up to $10,000, along with $10,000 in pro bono marketing services and 25 volunteer hours from the IN Food team. Recipients have included Open Door Pantry, Twin Cities Food Justice, Pillsbury United Communities, Appetite for Change, Metro Meals on Wheels, Every Meal, Bountiful Basket Food Shelf, and The Good Acre.
“Rather than spreading our charitable contributions widely with minimal impact, our program allows us to go deep with one organization and address a marketing pain point that will help them further their mission,” Nelson said.
The agency collaborates with each organization to determine where its expertise can have the greatest impact. Depending on the nonprofit's needs, this has led to projects ranging from rebranding and storytelling videos to programs designed to encourage recurring donations.
Many participating nonprofits don't have dedicated marketing employees, making the agency's professional services an important complement to its financial and volunteer contributions. Since launching Food for All, IN Food Marketing & Design has contributed nearly $200,000 in financial support and marketing services to participating organizations.
[Read more: 4 Ways Skills-Based Volunteering Benefits Small Businesses]
Spotlight On
IN Food Marketing & Design
IN Food Marketing & Design is a women-owned, Minneapolis-based food service marketing and design agency that has been helping food and beverage brands succeed since 1995. Founded by Anita Nelson, the agency specializes in serving manufacturers and distributors across convenience store, food service, and retail food channels, offering strategic and creative solutions including brand development, packaging design, digital content, social media, trade-promotion strategy, in-store point-of-sale, experiential marketing, and food photography. With nearly three decades of industry expertise, IN Food combines deep food service knowledge, creative ingenuity, business integrity, and collaborative client partnerships to help brands build meaningful connections, stand out in competitive markets, and drive channel and business growth.
Business is about more than profits. It’s about genuine care, empathy and connection to all the people we serve and the community in which we reside.Anita Nelson, Founder of IN Food Marketing & Design
Giving employees a role in creating community impact
Food for All isn't solely a leadership initiative. IN Food Marketing & Design has built employee participation into the program, including a volunteer committee whose members help review applications, conduct site visits, and select each year's nonprofit partner. Every employee then participates in the partnership's volunteer component.
That involvement connects community service with the agency's internal culture: According to Nelson, “many [employees] cite our community-based initiatives as the favorite part of their job.”
The company continues to find additional ways to apply its skills to hunger relief. Most recently, it provided pro bono design services to a local startup developing food-pantry cupboards modeled after little free libraries.
For IN Food Marketing & Design, community service is therefore closely connected to what the agency already does best. By combining dollars, volunteer hours, and decades of marketing expertise, the company is helping hunger-relief organizations not only meet immediate needs, but strengthen their ability to serve their communities over the long term.
[View the full 2026 CO—100 list]
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