The Restaurant Workers' Community Foundation concentrates its giving on organizations that support the food service sector — especially workforce development, emergency relief, business incubation, and community-building for restaurant workers and small food entrepreneurs. Grants favor industry-specific nonprofits that provide direct services (job training, crisis grants), small-business support for low-income or immigrant cooks/entrepreneurs, and advocacy/peer-support initiatives for the culinary community. The foundation funds a mix of national and local groups and appears to prioritize mission-driven organizations rooted in the restaurant ecosystem.
Restaurant Workers' Community Foundation Inc made its largest recent grant to Ascendus, a New York organization that supports the restaurant ecosystem through mission-aligned funding. The foundation’s 2023 grants show a clear emphasis on organizations serving restaurant workers and small food entrepreneurs, with awards also going to groups focused on emergency relief, workforce development, peer support, and community wellbeing in the food service sector. Several grants were sized at $35,000 or above, while many others were at $10,000 or $15,000, indicating a mix of larger anchor grants and smaller mission-support awards. Its recent portfolio includes The Giving Kitchen Initiative in Atlanta and Southern Smoke in Houston, both of which are tied to crisis support for food-service workers. Other grants reach organizations such as La Cocina in San Francisco and Emma's Torch in Brooklyn, reflecting support for culinary training and business incubation. The foundation also backed groups connected to queer and trans-inclusive food initiatives, restaurant worker advocacy, and peer support. Across these awards, the common thread is direct support for organizations embedded in the restaurant community rather than broad, general nonprofit funding.
Emergency relief is a visible part of the foundation’s grantmaking. In 2023, it gave $50,000 to The Giving Kitchen Initiative in Atlanta and $141,000 to Southern Smoke in Houston, both organizations associated with crisis support for restaurant workers. Workforce development also appears in the portfolio. Emma's Torch in Brooklyn received $15,000 for mission support, aligning with culinary training for immigrants and refugees. The foundation also granted $15,000 to La Cocina in San Francisco, a food-business incubator serving low-income entrepreneurs. Its support extends to equity-centered and community-building efforts. It gave $35,000 to Alliance for Global Justice Fiscal Sponsor Fo Queer Food Foundation in Tucson, and $10,000 to Transcanwork Inc in West Hollywood. Additional mission support went to organizations such as Pilot Light in Chicago and Safe Bars Inc in Washington, DC, showing interest in food, education, and safer workplace/community initiatives.
$886K
$977K
$173K
$576K
Most grants fall between $10K and $35K, with a median of $13K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$13K
75th Percentile
$35K
About 15% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Concentrated industry-focused philanthropy: a few large grants anchor the portfolio (notably one very large recipient) alongside numerous mid- and small-sized awards. Funding is largely unrestricted/program support to mission-driven nonprofits tied to the restaurant sector, with a mix of established national players and smaller local/startup initiatives.
Notable grantees: Ascendus, Southern Smoke, The Giving Kitchen, La Cocina, Emma's Torch
Typical grants cluster in the low five figures: the median recent grant is $12,500, with a 25th percentile of $10,000 and a 75th percentile of $35,000. That distribution suggests a pattern of frequent standard-size awards, with a smaller number of larger commitments, including a $375,000 grant in 2023. The foundation is a public charity and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The recent list shows mission support grants in 2023 rather than a mix of multi-year commitments, so the available record reads as a one-year snapshot rather than a long recurring series.
Giving is national, and every recent grant listed went to a U.S. recipient. New York appears most often by grant count, and 15% of grants went to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Recent recipients are spread across major food-service hubs and other cities, including Brooklyn, Atlanta, Houston, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Oakland, and Tucson. The pattern shows both New York concentration and broad geographic reach beyond the headquarters city.
It funds organizations tied to the restaurant and food-service ecosystem, including workforce development, emergency relief, food-business incubation, peer support, and equity-focused food initiatives. Recent awards went to groups working with restaurant workers, immigrant culinary trainees, and low-income food entrepreneurs.
Recent grants center around $10,000 to $35,000, with a median of $12,500. The 25th percentile is $10,000 and the 75th percentile is $35,000, though one recent grant reached $375,000.
No. Its giving scope is national, and all recent grants listed were to U.S. organizations. New York is the top state by grant count, and 15% of grants went to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state.
Recent grantees include Ascendus, Southern Smoke, The Giving Kitchen Initiative, La Cocina, Emma's Torch, and Transcanwork Inc. These awards point to support for crisis relief, culinary training, business incubation, and equity-oriented community work.
No. The foundation’s profile indicates that it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASCENDUS | NEW YORK, NY | $375,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| SOUTHERN SMOKE | HOUSTON, TX | $141,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| THE BIG TABLE | SPOKANE, WA | $50,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| THE GIVING KITCHEN INITIATIVE | ATLANTA, GA | $50,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| STUDIO ATAO INC | LOS ANGELES, CA | $35,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| ALLIANCE FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE FISCAL SPONSOR FO QUEER FOOD FOUNDATION | TUCSON, AZ | $35,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| TINY SEED PROJECT INC | EAST HARDWICK, VT | $35,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| IN THE WEEDS INC | HUMAROCK, MA | $35,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| LA COCINA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| EMMA'S TORCH | BROOKLYN, NY | $15,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| SAINT CITY CULINARY FOUNDATION | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| CHOW | BROOMFIELD, CO | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| BENS FRIENDS | CHARLESTON, SC | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| RESTAURANT AFTER HOURS | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| PILOT LIGHT | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| SAFE BARS INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| ALLIANCE FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE | TUCSON, AZ | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| TRANSCANWORK INC | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| I'LL HAVE WHAT SHE'S HAVING | HOUSTON, TX | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
| FLORECIENDO DBA OAKLAND BLOOM | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. |
SOUTHERN SMOKE
$141,000TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION.
STUDIO ATAO INC
$35,000TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION.
TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION.
IN THE WEEDS INC
$35,000TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION.
SAINT CITY CULINARY FOUNDATION
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION.
CHOW
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION.
BENS FRIENDS
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION.
RESTAURANT AFTER HOURS
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION.
SAFE BARS INC
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION.
I'LL HAVE WHAT SHE'S HAVING
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION.