National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
ActivePublic CharityFood, Agriculture & Nutrition
Washington, DCWebsite
About National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
A purpose-driven philanthropic foundation dedicated to changing lives and uplifting communities by empowering people from all backgrounds with the training, education, and resources needed to pursue careers in the restaurant, foodservice, and hospitality industry.
Focus Areas
K-12 career & technical educationPost-secondary scholarshipsWorkforce training and job placementApprenticeshipsReentry employment programs (HOPES)Veterans transition programs
Who They Fund
youth / young people (secondary or early-career)entry-level restaurant/hospitality job-seekersparticipants in vocational/technical high school programs
Funding Style
workforce development funding
About National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation centers its grantmaking on restaurant, foodservice, and hospitality career pathways, with a strong emphasis on training people for entry-level and advancement opportunities in the industry. Its recent grants show a mix of workforce programs, K-12 career and technical education, post-secondary scholarships, and transition support for military members, veterans, and spouses. The foundation also funds reentry employment programs through HOPES, linking restaurant-sector jobs with workforce reentry and job placement services. Recent awards include $441,859 to Safer Foundation for HOPES Program work and $217,014 to San Antonio Food Bank Inc for the same program. On the education side, the foundation granted $159,457 to Rhode Island Hospitality Ed Fdn for Kessler Grant and ProStart Program support, and $157,421 to Texas Restaurant Foundation for ProStart Program work. Those examples reflect a grantmaking approach that supports both classroom-to-career pipelines and direct job-readiness services. The foundation’s structure fits a public charity that awards program-specific grants rather than unrestricted philanthropic support. Its portfolio includes scholarships, educator grants, certification support, and apprenticeship-related funding tied to restaurant and hospitality workforce development.
What National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Funds
A major theme is reentry employment. The foundation gave $171,964 to Food Bank of Delaware for HOPES Program and Restaurant Ready work, and the same program appears in grants to Peckham Vocational Industries Inc in Lansing, MI and Community Workshops Inc in Boston, MA. That points to a recurring focus on helping participants move into restaurant jobs. Another clear area is ProStart and other K-12 career pathways. Grants to Texas Restaurant Foundation for ProStart Program support and to Rhode Island Hospitality Ed Fdn for Kessler Grant, ProStart Program funding show investment in restaurant-focused classroom training. It also supports post-secondary and certification pathways. The foundation’s scholarship and grant programs are tied to degrees, professional training, and industry certifications, aligning with career advancement in restaurant, foodservice, and hospitality fields. Military transition programming is another defined strand, with grants that support training, apprenticeships, and certification for military personnel, veterans, and spouses.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.3M
Total Assets
$42.4M
Total Revenue
$18.8M
Total Expenses
$20.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $13K and $43K, with a median of $22K.
25th Percentile
$13K
Median
$22K
75th Percentile
$43K
Geographic Reach
National50 states funded
About 2% of grants go to recipients in CO.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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