James Beard Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The James Beard Foundation awards grants, fellowships and scholarships for small businesses and individuals who aim to advance the food and beverage industry.
IP TAKE: In addition to culinary training, the foundation supports education in financial, legal and media issues related to business development. Across all programs, this funder prioritizes BIPOC people and women or BIPOC-led businesses.
This accessible and approachable funder accepts applications for each of its programs, but guidelines and due dates vary significantly. Prospective recipients should consult individual program pages and sign up for updates via the organization’s newsletter.
PROFILE: The James Beard Foundation was established in 1986 in honor of the famous American chef and culinary educator James Beard. The effort was spearheaded by Julia Child and Peter Kump, who was one of Beard’s students before becoming a famous chef in his own right. The foundation’s goal is to “celebrate support, and elevate the people behind America’s food culture and champion a standard of good food anchored in talent, equity, and sustainability.” This funder runs a series of awards programs, fellowships and grant programs to support education, entrepreneurship and the adoption of sustainable practices in the food and hospitality industry.
Grants for Food Systems, Women, Higher Education and Work and Opportunity
The James Beard Foundation’s grants, fellowships and awards stem from the following programs:
The foundation’s Open For Good initiatives makes grants through its Food and Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans and its Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fund. The Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans offers $15,000 grants to “food or beverage businesses that are majority-owned by Black or Indigenous individuals.” The program runs an annual open application program via the foundation’s website. The Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fund was established at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis and supported small businesses in danger of going out of business during the pandemic. It is unclear if the fund will continue to award grants after its 2021 cycle.
The James Beard Foundation House Fellows program is conducted through a partnership with Capital One and offers monthlong residencies for aspiring chefs that include financial, legal and media training in addition to culinary and wine education programs. Applicants interested in applying may contact the foundation via email about this program.
The James Beard Legacy Network program “trains emerging leaders across the culinary industry and connects them with future generations of excellence.” Recent programs have prioritized “Black American and Indigenous heritage persons.” Prospective applicants should sign up for program updates via the foundation’s industry support newsletter.
The Foundation also awards scholarships for “aspiring and established culinary professionals who plan to further their education at a licensed or accredited culinary school or hospitality institution, college, or university.” Scholarships are awarded in the form of cash grants, tuition waivers and work study programs at participating schools. This program runs an open application program via an online application portal.
Finally, the James Beard Foundation runs a Women’s Leadership program, which awards scholarships to aspiring culinary professionals and a Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellowship Program, which consists of a ten-week virtual educational program conducted in conjunction with Cornell University. The program runs annually. Candidates may sign up for application updates via the foundation’s Industry Support Newsletter.
It is worth mentioning that the James Beard Foundation also runs an annual awards program for chefs who demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of American cuisine and a Smart Catch sustainability training program for culinary and restaurant professionals.
Important Grant Details
The James Beard Foundation’s grants and scholarships are generally awarded in set amounts per program. Its multiple scholarship and educational program grants range from $3,000 to $20,000. Grants generally support individuals seeking advancement in food and beverage industry and small businesses that are experiencing hardship. All funding appears to prioritize BIPOC businesses and individuals.
This funder runs accepts applications for each of its programs, but guidelines and due dates vary. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the individual program guidelines and instructions that are linked to program pages. General inquiries may be submitted via the organization’s contact page.
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