KENOSHA, Wis. — The Kenosha County Food Bank announced it will dissolve and cease operations by the end of 2026, a surprising development that comes just months after the organization touted a new strategic partnership designed to strengthen its operations — and after its most recent federal tax filing showed more than $281,000 in net assets, no liabilities and a financial surplus.
The nonprofit, founded in 2019 to expand access to emergency food resources throughout Kenosha County, announced the decision in a statement from its board. The organization said it had explored partnerships and other options but concluded those approaches were not viable for the long term.
“This is an incredibly difficult decision, especially because we know how important equitable access to emergency food resources is to individuals and families throughout Kenosha County,” Board President Teri Knuese said in the announcement.
Knuese said the organization was proud of its accomplishments and would work during the transition to support its pantry partners.
The announcement, however, leaves several significant questions unanswered — including why the organization is dissolving while apparently holding substantial assets, what will happen to those assets, and what changed so dramatically in a matter of months.
Comments have also been turned off on the Kenosha County Food Bank’s Facebook announcement, preventing members of the public from asking questions or commenting directly underneath the organization’s announcement.
Latest Tax Return Shows $281,070 In Net Assets
The Kenosha County Food Bank’s most recent publicly available federal tax return paints a financial picture that, on its face, does not resemble an organization that simply ran out of money.
Its 2025 IRS Form 990-EZ reports $122,828 in total revenue and $92,239 in expenses — leaving revenue exceeding expenses by $30,589.
The organization began 2025 with $250,481 in net assets and finished the year with $281,070.
The return reports approximately $159,730 in cash and savings and another $121,340 in other depreciable assets at the end of the year. It reported no liabilities.
That raises perhaps the largest unanswered question surrounding the dissolution: What will happen to the approximately $281,000 in charitable assets when the organization shuts down?
The announcement does not say.
The tax records also show substantial growth in the organization over the preceding years. KCFB reported $169,577 in net assets at the end of 2022. By the end of 2023, that figure had climbed to $299,857.
Contributions fluctuated significantly. The organization reported $93,411 in contributions in 2022 and $162,638 in 2023. Its latest filing shows contributions of $48,297 in 2024 before rebounding to $110,428 in 2025.
The 2025 filing lists $45,867 in depreciation expense, $18,000 in other expenses, $13,987 in professional fees, $7,243 in insurance and $5,724 in equipment and fuel expenses, among other costs.
The organization reported only $616 in direct food purchases in 2025, although that figure does not represent the total value of food distributed by KCFB. Food banks routinely receive and distribute donated food without purchasing it directly.
Board Members Are Unpaid
The most recent federal filing identifies Knuese as president and lists the organization’s officers and directors as receiving no compensation.
Karla Krehbiel is listed as vice president; Tina Schmitz as treasurer; and Carolynn Frisch as secretary.
The directors listed on the latest filing are Maureen Sorenson, Tina Link, Nancy McLaughlin, Kimberly Molinaro-Rasmussen, Patrick Roberts, Ron Tatum, Steve Deering and Jeff Berard.
Knuese, Krehbiel, Schmitz, Frisch, Sorenson, Link, McLaughlin, Molinaro-Rasmussen, Roberts, Tatum, Deering and Berard are all reported as receiving $0 in compensation from the organization.
Schmitz, the treasurer, is also identified in the federal filing as the person who has custody of the organization’s books and records.
What Changed In Six Months?
The dissolution is particularly noteworthy because of what the organization was saying publicly only months ago.
In April 2026, the Kenosha County Food Bank and Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency announced a strategic partnership that they said would expand food access and strengthen food security throughout Kenosha County.
At the time, Knuese spoke enthusiastically about the organization’s future.
“This partnership represents the kind of collaboration that truly changes lives,” Knuese said when the partnership was announced.
Knuese said joining forces with RKCAA would strengthen KCFB’s ability to serve Kenosha County, expand access, improve coordination and build a stronger food system.
The organizations specifically said they would remain independent nonprofits while leveraging each other’s strengths and “optimizing resources” so more funding could directly benefit people in need.
Now, roughly six months later, KCFB says the partnerships and other options it explored are not viable for the long term.
The organization has not publicly explained what happened between those two announcements.
Substantial Investments Made In Food Bank
The organization’s own history shows significant public and charitable investment in building KCFB’s infrastructure.
According to KCFB, the organization secured a $117,000 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in 2020 and 2021 to purchase a 24-foot refrigerated box truck.
It also received a $25,000 grant from the Kloss Charitable Trust intended to allow the organization to hire an executive director.
In February 2023, KCFB celebrated the completion of a new cooler system.
Federal tax filings reflect substantial depreciable assets. The organization reported approximately $75,998 in those assets at the end of 2022. By the end of 2023, that figure had increased to approximately $202,864.
Those assets were valued at approximately $121,340 on the organization’s 2025 return after depreciation.
The announcement does not explain what will happen to the truck, cooler system or other property after KCFB dissolves.
Questions Remain
Among the questions left unanswered by the announcement are why an organization that entered 2026 with $281,070 in net assets, no reported liabilities and a $30,589 surplus from the preceding year concluded that continued operation was unsustainable.
It is also unclear what will happen to KCFB’s cash and physical assets, whether another nonprofit will receive them, when the board formally voted to dissolve, how each board member voted, and whether minutes from the meeting where the decision was made will be released.
Another significant question is what happened to the partnership with Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency that was publicly announced only six months ago as a way to improve coordination and operational efficiency.
KCFB’s announcement does not provide those details.
The food bank said individuals and families needing emergency food assistance should continue obtaining services through local food pantries while the organization winds down operations. Its current pantry partners include the Kenosha Welcome Center, Twin Lakes Food Pantry, Shalom Center and Salvation Army.
The organization says it intends to cease operations by the end of 2026.
