Donor Summary
Nick's Nonprofit Grocery
Help us build a grocery system where food is affordable, dignified, and accessible to everyone.
Donate Now (opens in new tab)Our Model
A New Kind of Grocery Store
Nick's Nonprofit Grocery is building a new kind of grocery store, one that puts people before profit. Our mission is simple. Food is a human right, and everyone deserves access to affordable, nutritious food without losing dignity or choice.
We are creating a network of nonprofit grocery stores serving Denver and Gilpin County, Colorado, with a long term vision of expanding this model to communities across the country. Nick's bridges the gap between traditional food assistance and the grocery store experience by offering full choice shopping at affordable prices while surrounding it with community support programs.
Our stores will carry fresh produce, staple groceries, and locally sourced products while supporting small farmers and local food producers. Alongside the store, we will host farmers markets, health fairs, and educational programs that help strengthen community health and connection.
Nick's will also operate a commissary kitchen that supports local food entrepreneurs and a SNAP eligible grocery subscription box that helps families access reliable, affordable food each month.
Sustainability is built into our model through a Revolving Food Fund that helps keep groceries affordable while maintaining long term stability. Donations to the food fund are used to purchase food for our stores. As groceries are sold, those dollars return to the fund and are used to restock shelves again, allowing one donation to help provide food many times over.
Nick's is more than a grocery store. It is a community driven solution to rising food costs, food deserts, and the growing gap between people and the nourishing food they need to live thriving lives.
Together, we can build a grocery system that works for everyone.
"Dignity means walking into a store that feels clean, welcoming, and thoughtfully designed with you in mind. It's the ability to choose healthy, nourishing food without the fear of being priced out. It's feeding your family with pride, not shame — knowing that you are supported, respected, and seen."
The Problem
Why This Work Matters
Across the United States, grocery stores are placed where profits are highest, not where food is needed most.
In rural communities like Gilpin County, residents often travel long distances just to reach a grocery store. In many neighborhoods across Denver, full service grocery stores are scarce, leaving families dependent on convenience stores or fast food.
Meanwhile, food banks and pantries do incredible work but cannot fully replace the dignity and choice of a grocery store.
Nick's bridges this gap.
We operate a full service grocery store experience, where families can shop normally while accessing food at prices designed for community affordability.
What Makes Nick's Different
- ✕ Nick's is not a pantry.
- ✕ Nick's is not a charity food giveaway.
- ✓ Nick's is a real grocery store designed for community access.
Our stores carry:
- ✓ Fresh produce
- ✓ Meat, dairy, and pantry staples
- ✓ Bulk foods and household essentials
- ✓ Locally produced items from regional farmers and food makers
- ✓ Culturally relevant foods for diverse communities
Customers shop just like they would anywhere else, but without the corporate markup.
Community Programs
Programs That Strengthen Communities
Nick's grocery stores are designed to be community hubs. In addition to affordable groceries, we operate programs that strengthen families, local food systems, and small businesses.
- Subscription Grocery Box Program
- Weekly grocery boxes provide families with affordable, nutritious staples and fresh produce. These boxes can be purchased with SNAP benefits and are available for pickup or delivery.
- Monthly Farmers Markets
- Each hub location hosts farmers markets that give local growers and food entrepreneurs a free platform to sell their goods while improving access to fresh food.
- Commissary Kitchen
- Our shared commercial kitchen helps local food producers launch and grow their businesses. Products made in the kitchen can be sold in Nick's stores without retail markup.
- Baby Days
- Monthly events provide diapers, formula, wipes, and baby supplies to families in need in a supportive environment.
- Weekly Hot Meal Program
- Meals prepared in our commissary kitchen provide nutritious food using rescued grocery items while reducing waste.
- Holiday Meal Boxes
- Each year, Nick's distributes complete holiday meals so families can celebrate with dignity.
These programs extend food access beyond the store shelves and strengthen community resilience.
Sustainability
A Sustainable Grocery Model
Nick's operates using a Revolving Food Fund. Instead of relying on constant fundraising for groceries, the system works like this:
- ✓ Donations help purchase the initial food inventory for the store.
- ✓ When groceries are sold, the revenue returns to the Food Fund and is used to restock shelves.
- ✓ This creates a continuous cycle where one investment in food inventory can serve the community many times over.
Because the store sells food at cost, approximately 90 percent of inventory costs are recovered through sales, while fundraising supports community programs and expected food loss. This model allows Nick's to remain affordable while staying financially stable.
Our Values
C.A.R.E.
Nick's operates through a leadership philosophy called C.A.R.E. These values guide how we treat customers, employees, volunteers, and community partners.
- C Communication
- A Assistance
- R Respect
- E Empowerment
Nick's also uses a People Operations model rather than traditional HR. This approach focuses on supporting employees as people first, creating workplaces built on dignity, trust, and collaboration.
When the people running the grocery are supported, the entire community benefits.
Progress
Where We Are Today
Nick's Nonprofit Grocery is fully organized and currently in the funding stage. We have completed:
- ✓ A full operational business plan
- ✓ Governance through a Board of Directors
- ✓ Program and operational frameworks
- ✓ Financial systems and budgeting
- ✓ Community partnerships and program design
We are now raising the capital needed to open the first Nick's locations.
Your Impact
What Your Support Will Help Build
Funding will support the launch of the first Nick's grocery hubs and community programs. This includes:
- ✓ Opening our first nonprofit grocery stores
- ✓ Establishing the Revolving Food Fund inventory system
- ✓ Launching the grocery box program
- ✓ Expanding Baby Days and community meal programs
- ✓ Building the commissary kitchen for local food entrepreneurs
- ✓ Supporting farmers markets and community health events
Your support helps transform this plan into a functioning community grocery system.
The Vision
Nick's is more than a grocery store.
It is a new model for how communities can care for each other.
A grocery system where food is treated as a shared resource, not a profit center.
A place where families can shop with dignity.
A model that strengthens local farmers, entrepreneurs, and neighborhoods.
Make a Difference
Donation Impact
Every contribution helps build a grocery system where food is affordable, dignified, and accessible to everyone. Because Nick's uses a Revolving Food Fund, donations help purchase food that is continuously restocked as it is sold — meaning one contribution can support food access many times over.
- $25
Your gift helps support programs like the Revolving Food Fund, purchasing staple foods such as rice, beans, flour, and pantry essentials that keep grocery shelves stocked.
- $50
Your gift helps support programs like our fresh produce sourcing, providing fruits and vegetables used in grocery boxes, community meals, and affordable store inventory.
- $100
Your gift helps support programs like the Subscription Grocery Box Program, helping families access consistent weekly groceries using SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks.
- $250
Your gift helps support programs like our Weekly Hot Meal Program, where meals are prepared in the commissary kitchen using rescued grocery items and community donations.
- $500
Your gift helps support programs like the Cuddle Cot Fund, helping hospitals provide specialized cooling bassinets that allow grieving families time to say goodbye to their infant with dignity.
- $1,000
Your gift helps support programs like community farmers markets, providing free vendor space for local farmers, artisans, and small food businesses.
- $5,000
Your gift helps support programs like the Commissary Kitchen Incubator, where local food entrepreneurs can produce and sell their products without the high cost of commercial kitchen space.
- $10,000+
Your gift helps support grocery infrastructure, including refrigeration, shelving, and equipment needed to launch nonprofit grocery stores that serve entire communities.
A Special Opportunity
Major gifts can directly support the Revolving Food Fund, which powers the sustainability of Nick's grocery model. The initial Food Fund required to launch all Nick's locations is approximately $1,161,270.00, creating the inventory cycle that keeps groceries available long term.
Join Us
With your support, we can open the first Nick's stores in Colorado and build a model that can expand to communities across the country. Together, we can create a grocery system that works for everyone.
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