Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

What Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation does

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation (SAKGF) is an Australian non-profit founded in 2004 by chef Stephanie Alexander to deliver food education programs to schools and early childhood services. Its core product is a curriculum-based kitchen and garden learning program that teaches students to grow, harvest, cook, and share food. The foundation operates through a membership model serving more than 1,000 member schools and early childhood services across Australia, supported by teacher training, curriculum resources, and community engagement events. Primary and secondary school members join at $1,650 with a $440 annual renewal, while early childhood services pay a $975 joining fee plus $440 renewal.

The foundation's technology surface is anchored by the Shared Table digital platform, launched in September 2026, which extends the program beyond physical school settings into an online resource hub featuring AI-assisted resource discovery for educators. The platform functions as a community layer connecting teachers, students, and program alumni. Distribution is enhanced through partnerships with major institutions, including a $2.7M three-year VicHealth partnership (2025-2028) targeting regional and disadvantaged schools and a collaboration with Powerhouse Parramatta (2026) that extends reach into cultural institutions.

Revenue is generated through school membership fees, the online shop, philanthropic donations, and institutional grants from government bodies and corporate foundations (VicHealth, Philips Foundation, Pierce Armstrong Foundation, Costa Group). The organisation supplements fee income with high-profile international recognition, including the HundrED 2025 Global Collection and a Food Planet Prize longlist placement. Operating as a registered charity, the foundation reinvests revenue into program delivery, curriculum development, and the Shared Table digital platform.

Name

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

Legal name

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

Website

https://kitchengardenfoundation.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation is an Australian non-profit delivering kitchen-garden food education programs to 1,000+ member schools and early childhood services, supported by memberships, grants, and the Shared Table digital platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Food education programs
• School garden curriculum
• Educational publishing resources
• Teacher professional development
• Children nutrition learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Collingwood

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Schools and early childhood services pay joining fees and renewal fees for Kitchen Garden Program membership, which includes access to resources, training, support, and the Shared Table platform.
2. Product Sales: The Foundation operates a shop selling educational resources including workbooks, syllabus materials, aprons, planting charts, and books authored by Stephanie Alexander.
3. Donations: The Foundation accepts donations through its website and monthly giving program to support program delivery and reach.
4. Government and Foundation Grants: Major grants from organizations like VicHealth ($2.7m over three years) and state governments support program expansion and delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Foundation sells multi-year memberships to its Kitchen Garden Program for Australian schools and early childhood services, granting access to curriculum-aligned lesson plans, professional development, and the Shared Table online community hub and resource library. It also operates an e-commerce shop selling curriculum workbooks, syllabus books, themed activity books, teaching resources, branded merchandise, and Stephanie Alexander's cookbooks. The Foundation runs the annual National Kitchen Garden Awards and supports Community Initiatives in partnership with local organizations.

Product overview

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation offers the Kitchen Garden Program as its core product - a globally-recognised food education program for schools and early childhood services that teaches children to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh food. The program includes curriculum-linked resources (Kitchen Garden Syllabus for Years F-2 and 3-6, Themed Activities and Recipes Books, Workbooks for Early Childhood), professional development tools (Tools for Teachers series, Step-by-Step Visual guides), and supplementary merchandise (aprons, companion planting charts). The Shared Table serves as the program's online community hub and resource library. The Foundation also runs the annual National Kitchen Garden Awards to celebrate program participants. A major new platform launch for the Shared Table is scheduled for September 2026, featuring AI-powered resource discovery and mobile app access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shared Table: Online community hub and resource library for kitchen garden educators
• Kitchen Garden Program
• National Kitchen Garden Awards

Products and services

• Kitchen Garden Program Membership A multi-year membership program for Australian schools and early childhood services that provides curriculum-aligned lesson plans, professional development training, personalized onboarding, ongoing phone/email support, and access to the Shared Table resource library. Tiered into Primary/Secondary and Early Childhood Services memberships.
• Shared Table Online community hub and resource library for Kitchen Garden Program educators, where members share posts with photos, videos, and PDFs, access recipes, activities, and program resources, and participate in community discussion forums. Includes AI assistance for finding resources.
• National Kitchen Garden Awards Annual awards program recognizing creativity and excellence in kitchen gardens across Australian schools and early childhood services, supported by multiple partner sponsors offering prize categories such as Recipe of the Imagination, Down to Earth, The Next Crop, and First Nation Foods.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,800 children reached through Logan Kitchen Garden Project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Powerhouse ParramattaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2026Landmark partnership to create a food education and sustainability hub at Powerhouse Parramatta's rooftop garden. The program will provide up to 10,000 regional NSW and Western Sydney primary school students annually with hands-on learning through Powerhouse's Lang Walker Family Academy, embedding the Foundation's evidence-based approach into the museum's education offering.
• WaterUpscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWicking system specialists partnering as prize and category sponsor for National Kitchen Garden Awards. All Kitchen Garden Program members receive exclusive pricing, offers, and expert advice. New members receive a free WaterUps Square Planter. Winners receive Oasis 1680 wicking beds and accessories.
• SeasolcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHorticultural company providing natural, organic garden solutions. Partner for spring gardening advice content and prize sponsor for National Kitchen Garden Awards, offering products for winners.
• JAZZ ApplescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerApple brand supporting the National Kitchen Garden Awards, specifically The Next Crop category celebrating young cooks and gardeners. Provides 20kg crates of JAZZ Apples as prizes.
• ABC Organic Gardener MagazinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAward category partner for National Kitchen Garden Awards, presenting the Down to Earth category. Provides 12-month magazine subscriptions as prizes.
• Costa GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor produce company partnering to support 30 primary schools to kickstart or enhance their Kitchen Garden Programs. Partnership to promote community health and food education.
• Herbie's SpicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpice company providing ingredient packs as prizes in National Kitchen Garden Awards.
• WiltshireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKitchenware brand providing products as prizes in National Kitchen Garden Awards.
• General MillsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAward category partner presenting the Recipe of the Imagination category in National Kitchen Garden Awards.
• WorktonesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand collaborator on limited-edition Stephanie Alexander market bag featuring her handwritten shopping list.
• IndigiearthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAward category partner for First Nation Foods category, providing native cooking ingredients as prizes.
• Montague FarmsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFresh produce company providing JAZZ Apple recipes and partnership for kitchen garden content.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Garden Organic: UK-based charity promoting organic gardening and food growing education, including school programs. Closely comparable on the gardening and food-growing education dimension, though with a more horticulture-centric (rather than kitchen-and-garden combined) curriculum.
• Slow Food USA: US arm of the global Slow Food movement running school garden, taste education, and food biodiversity programs. Comparable mission around pleasurable, sustainable food education and school-based delivery.
• Life Education Australia: Australia's largest health and drug education provider for school-age students, delivering curriculum-aligned in-school programs. Operates in the same education-channel ecosystem as SAKGF and competes for wellbeing-program inclusion in Australian school directories.
• Edible Schoolyard Project: Founded by Alice Waters, the Edible Schoolyard Project runs school garden and kitchen food education programs in the US. It is the most direct international analogue to SAKGF's Kitchen Garden Program, sharing mission, school-based delivery model, and curriculum emphasis on hands-on cooking and gardening.
• Jamie Oliver Foundation: Jamie Oliver's foundation operates food education and cooking skill programs, including the Ministry of Food, targeting improved diet and cooking literacy. Comparable mission to SAKGF, with similar celebrity-chef-led brand and school/community delivery.

Others

• Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER): National education research body that has independently evaluated and listed SAKGF's program in its Wellbeing Program Guide. Functions as an ecosystem validator and reference standard for school wellbeing program adoption decisions in Australia.
• Foodbank Australia: National food relief charity operating school breakfast and nutrition programs across Australia. Adjacent ecosystem player addressing child hunger and nutrition — overlapping policy and funding channels as SAKGF.

Emerging players

• Cultivating Community: Australian non-profit supporting community gardens and food growing education, including school programs. Previously led by SAKGF's current CEO Rob Rees; comparable grassroots food-education footprint though smaller scale.

Regional players

• OzHarvest: Australia's leading food rescue charity with school-based food education programs (FEAST). Shares the Australian geography and food-literacy mission but is anchored in food rescue rather than garden-based curriculum delivery.
• Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: Major Australian cultural/scientific institution delivering plant and sustainability education programs in schools and visitor centers. Geographic and audience overlap with SAKGF, especially Victoria where VicHealth grants concentrate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SAKGF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stephanie-alexander-kitchen-garden-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/kitchengarden_foundation
• Xx.com/SAKGF

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation