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The James Beard Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$0.5M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.0M
Decision Time
2mo
Success Rate
2%

The James Beard Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $500,000+ in scholarships annually; $4.7 million in COVID-19 relief (2020)
  • Success Rate: ~2% (approximately 40 recipients selected from around 2,000 scholarship applications)
  • Decision Time: 8-9 weeks (applications close early April, winners notified early June)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $20,000 (scholarships); $15,000 (relief grants)
  • Geographic Focus: National (United States)

Contact Details

Address: 49 West 27th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001

Phone: 212.627.2308

Website: www.jamesbeard.org

Email:

Scholarship Administration: International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS) administers the scholarship program. Visit jamesbeard.org/scholarships for application portal.

Overview

Founded in 1986, The James Beard Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to celebrate, support, and elevate the people behind America's food culture and lead chefs and the broader culinary industry towards a new standard of excellence. The Foundation concluded FY24 (April 1, 2023–March 31, 2024) with $23.7 million in revenue, an increase of 17% over the previous year. Since establishing its scholarship program in 1991, JBF has awarded nearly $10 million in financial aid to over 2,000 recipients. Under CEO Clare Reichenbach's leadership since 2018, the Foundation has undertaken strategic reorganization to align with its impact and education priorities, with particular focus on equity, sustainability, and supporting independent food and beverage businesses. The Foundation is rated Three Stars (84%) by Charity Navigator.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. JBF Scholarship Program (Annual - $500,000+ total)

  • Application Period: February 5 - April 5 annually
  • Application Method: Online portal via ISTS
  • Types of Awards: Cash scholarships, tuition waivers, and work-study grants

Individual Scholarship Opportunities:

  • JBF National Scholars Scholarship: $20,000 each (12 awards, one per geographic region)
  • HexClad Culinary Scholarship: $12,500 each (2 awards for women and BIPOC individuals)
  • JBF Visit San Antonio Culinaria Scholarship Fund: $10,000 each (6 awards for Texas residents who are women or BIPOC)
  • Debbie Lewis Women in Wine Scholarship: $5,000 (for women over 21)
  • Jean-Louis Palladin Professional Work/Study Grant: Up to $4,000 (for working chefs)
  • Various other scholarships ranging from $5,000-$20,000

2. Food and Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans

  • Grant Amount: $15,000 per business
  • Status: Currently paused due to the end of Federal Emergency Declaration
  • Previous Focus: Food or beverage businesses at least 51% owned by Black and/or Indigenous individuals
  • Eligibility: Independently owned businesses with 50 or fewer employees

3. JBF Relief Fund (COVID-19 emergency response - historical)

  • Grant Amount: $15,000 per restaurant
  • Total Distributed: $4.7 million to small, independent restaurants (2020)
  • Application Method: First-come, first-served by region

Priority Areas

Scholarships:

  • Culinary arts education
  • Pastry arts programs
  • Wine studies and beverage management
  • Hospitality management
  • Food studies and food systems
  • Agricultural programs related to food
  • Students demonstrating leadership potential
  • Women and BIPOC individuals in culinary fields
  • Financial need combined with academic merit

Business Grants (when active):

  • Small, independent restaurants and food businesses
  • Black- and Indigenous-owned businesses
  • Business resiliency and sustainability
  • Businesses contributing to equitable food systems

What They Don't Fund

  • Franchisees (not eligible for business grants)
  • Large restaurant groups or businesses with more than 50-100 employees (depending on program)
  • Applications outside the designated application windows

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

Clare Reichenbach, Chief Executive Officer (since February 2018)

  • Previously held executive roles at BBC Worldwide and AMC Networks
  • Quote on priorities: "Deepening our commercial relationships and funding partnerships in order to amplify the Impact and Education programs is very motivating."
  • On strategic direction: "This is a comprehensive reorganization, aligning the Foundation's talent to our strategic priorities. It sets us up for success as we embark upon the next phase of ambitious growth, with greater focus on our Impact work and all that we do in pursuit of a better food world."
  • On equity: "We're going to do the work to make the industry better for the Black and Brown people who not only make up half of our industry, but who are fundamental to the history and expression of America's food culture—past, present, and future."

Erica Helms, Chief Growth Officer

Jodi Posner, Chief Financial Officer

Vice Presidents

  • Christina D'Esposito, Vice President of Brand Partnerships (212.675.4984 x 575)
  • Siobhan Flaherty Haber, Vice President of Events
  • Anne E. McBride, PhD, Vice President of Impact
  • Dawn Padmore, Vice President of Awards
  • Tamar Simpson, Vice President of Marketing and Communications
  • Marcia Tyler, Vice President of Human Resources

Board of Trustees

Board Officers:

  • Nancy Lukitsh, Board Chair (Retired Partner and Senior Vice President, Wellington Management Co., LLP)
  • Mary Sue Milliken, Vice Chair (Chef/Owner, Border Grill Restaurants and Border Grill Truck)
  • Steve Koch, Secretary (Co-Executive Chairman, Motivate International, Inc.)

Additional Trustees:

  • Jeff Cherry (Founder/CEO, Conscious Venture Lab; Managing General Partner, Conscious Venture Partners)
  • Tricia Clarke-Stone (Co-founder, WP Narrative)
  • Michelle DiFebo Freeman (Owner and CEO, Carl M. Freeman Companies)
  • Jillian Griffiths (Partner and CFO, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice)
  • Melinda Hildebrand (Vice Chair, Hildebrand Foundation)
  • Tanya Holland (Awards Committee Chair)
  • Anthony Myint (Executive Director, Zero Foodprint; Co-Founder, Mission Chinese Food)
  • Michael Phillips (Principal, Chairman and President, Jamestown)
  • Jesse Rogers (Co-founder and Managing Director, Altamont Capital Partners)

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply - Scholarships

Application Portal: The scholarship program is administered by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS), an independent company that hosts the online application process, vets initial candidates for eligibility, and disburses awards. Visit jamesbeard.org/scholarships to access the online application.

Application Period: February 5 - April 5 (annually)

Required Materials:

  • Completed online application
  • Completed applicant appraisal form from a school counselor, advisor, or work supervisor
  • Academic records and transcripts
  • Personal essay
  • Professional recommendations
  • Documentation of financial need
  • Additional materials may be required for specific scholarships

Eligibility: Applicants must generally be enrolled or planning to enroll in a program at a licensed or accredited culinary school, hospitality institution, college, or university in Fall of the application year.

How to Apply - Business Grants

The Food and Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans is currently paused. When active, applications were submitted online with rounds of funding processed on a first-come, first-served basis by region. Applicants needed to reapply for each new funding round.

Decision Timeline

Scholarships:

  • Applications close: April 5
  • ISTS vets candidates for eligibility and forwards to JBF
  • JBF Scholarship Selection Committee reviews semifinalists
  • Winners notified: First week of June (approximately 8-9 weeks after application deadline)
  • Approximately 40 recipients selected annually

Relief/Business Grants (when active):

  • Applications reviewed on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis by region
  • Decisions typically made within weeks of application submission

Success Rates

Scholarship Program:

  • Approximately 2,000 applications received annually
  • Approximately 40 recipients selected
  • Success rate: ~2%

The highly competitive nature of these scholarships reflects the quality of applicants and the limited funding available relative to demand.

Reapplication Policy

Scholarships: Previous recipients of James Beard Foundation Scholarships are eligible to apply again. Unsuccessful applicants can reapply in subsequent years. Applicants are also eligible to apply for more than one scholarship in the same cycle.

Business Grants: When funding rounds are active, unsuccessful applicants must reapply for each new round. Applications are only eligible for the specific round for which they were submitted. If additional funds become available after a round closes, previously unfunded applications may be processed by region before opening to new applications.

Application Success Factors

For Scholarships - What the Selection Committee Evaluates:

According to the Foundation's published criteria, candidates are selected based on:

  • Academic merit and achievements: Strong GPA and academic record
  • Personal and professional recommendations: Quality and content of recommendation letters
  • Leadership potential: Demonstrated potential for leadership roles in culinary arts, food studies, agriculture, hospitality management, and related fields
  • Community involvement: Engagement with community and industry
  • Essay content: Depth of passion for food and culinary arts
  • Work history and background: Relevant experience in the field
  • Financial need: Demonstrated financial necessity

Key Insight from Selection Process: "A high GPA, leadership skills, and financial need are important to winning this competition, but what is more important is a deep-rooted passion for food." This emphasizes that technical qualifications alone are not sufficient—applicants must demonstrate genuine passion and commitment to the culinary and food industries.

National Scholars Program: This flagship program selects one scholar from each of 12 geographic regions across the United States, ensuring national representation. This means applicants are competing primarily with others in their region rather than nationally.

For Business Grants (when active):

  • Independent ownership (no franchises)
  • Small size (50-100 employees or fewer, depending on program)
  • Majority ownership by targeted demographic groups (for equity-focused funds)
  • Strong connection to community and local food culture
  • Alignment with Foundation's values of equity, sustainability, and excellence

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Competition is intense: With a ~2% success rate for scholarships, applications must be exceptional. Demonstrate not just qualifications but genuine passion for food and clear leadership potential.

  2. Geographic diversity matters: The National Scholars Program selects one recipient per region, so understanding your regional competition is valuable. Regional distribution also applied to relief funds.

  3. Equity and inclusion are core priorities: Under CEO Clare Reichenbach's leadership, the Foundation has made significant commitments to supporting Black, Brown, Indigenous, women, and BIPOC individuals in the food industry. These priorities are reflected across programs.

  4. Demonstrate leadership potential: The Foundation explicitly seeks candidates who will become leaders in their fields. Show how you will contribute to positive change in the culinary and food industries.

  5. Financial need is considered but passion is paramount: While financial need is part of the evaluation, the Foundation emphasizes that "deep-rooted passion for food" is the most critical factor.

  6. Applications must be precise and timely: The two-month application window (February 5 - April 5) is non-negotiable, and business grants (when active) operated on first-come, first-served bases.

  7. Multiple applications are allowed: Applicants can apply for more than one scholarship in a single cycle, and previous recipients can reapply. Take advantage of all opportunities that fit your profile.

References

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