What Emeril Lagasse Foundation does

Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation incorporated in Louisiana and headquartered at 3801 Canal St., Suite #300, New Orleans. Founded in 2002 by Chef Emeril Lagasse and his wife Alden, the foundation's stated mission is to inspire, mentor and enable youth to reach their full potential through culinary, nutrition and arts education. Since inception the foundation reports granting over $24 million to children's charities and currently operates with a staff of 19 employees. The foundation runs three principal programmatic offerings: a Community Grants Program providing capital and programmatic support to 501(c)(3) nonprofits (grants are by invitation only across 10 U.S. metros); Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen, a national education program integrating culinary gardens and teaching kitchens in schools; and the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund, a 2022-formalized program offering scholarships and human services programming for Latino youth. An Aaron Sanchez Scholarship component, in place since 2016, provides full tuition, supplies, room and board plus mentorship, with New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) as the placement partner.

The foundation's go-to-market is event-driven fundraising plus invitation-only grantmaking and donations. Signature annual events include Carnivale du Vin (New Orleans), Line, Vine & Dine (Fort Lauderdale), Throwdown Weekend (Walton County, FL), and Aarón y Amigos (a Latino-culture celebration with Pepsi as presented sponsor). Marketing is primarily through the emeril.org website, newsletter, and social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube). Partnerships span a strategic flagship with celebrity chef Aarón Sánchez, enrollment/placement with NOCHI, and minor-tier corporate supporters including Pepsi and The Perfect Purée.

Leadership is comprised of Founder Emeril Lagasse, President Brian Kish, and designated media contact Mia CaraDonna. The foundation reports no parent company, no M&A activity, and no funding rounds; it operates as an autonomous 501(c)(3) governed by its own board. The current public-facing campaign articulates a goal to impact 250,000 youth by 2027.

Name

Emeril Lagasse Foundation

Legal name

Emeril Lagasse Foundation

Website

https://emeril.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 by Chef Emeril Lagasse that grants funds to and runs youth education programs in culinary, nutrition, and arts across 10 U.S. metros.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

Keywords

• Youth education grants
• Culinary arts scholarships
• Nonprofit foundation services
• Community grant programs
• Culinary nutrition education

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans, Louisiana

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The foundation raises funds through donations and annual signature fundraising events to support youth education programs in culinary, nutrition, and arts education.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that provides grant funding and programmatic support to eligible nonprofit organizations, scholarships to youth, and direct educational programs in culinary, nutrition, and arts education. The foundation raises funds through donations and signature annual fundraising events to support youth-focused programming nationally, including the Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen program in schools and the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund for Latino youth.

Product overview

Emeril Lagasse Foundation operates as a single unified grantmaking and program organization, not a product platform. The foundation's offerings include its core Grants Program (providing capital and programmatic support to nonprofit organizations), Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen (a national education program integrating culinary gardens and teaching kitchens in schools), and the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund (a program providing culinary arts education and human services programming for Latino youth). These programs work together to fulfill the foundation's mission to inspire, mentor and enable youth to reach their full potential through culinary, nutrition and arts education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen: National education program that integrates culinary gardens and teaching kitchens in schools to provide hands-on culinary and nutrition education for youth.
• Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund

Products and services

• Community Grants Program Provides capital and programmatic support to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations delivering culinary, nutrition, and arts education with a focus on life skills development. Available in Greater New Orleans, Austin, Greater Ft. Lauderdale, Gulf South, Greater Houston, Southern California, Las Vegas, Napa/Sonoma, Orlando, and Washington D.C.
• Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen A national education program that integrates culinary gardens and teaching kitchens in schools, providing hands-on cooking and gardening education for youth.
• Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund A program of Emeril Lagasse Foundation that creates opportunities to uplift the lives of Latino youth through food. ASIF provides culinary education through the Aarón Sánchez Scholarship and grants to nonprofit organizations offering human services for Latino youth.
• Aarón Sánchez Scholarship Provides full tuition and supplies to attend culinary school, including room and board and mentorships from established restaurateurs, for Latino youth pursuing culinary arts education. Enrollees attend the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI).
• Carnivale du Vin Signature annual fundraising weekend held in New Orleans, LA, supporting the foundation's mission and programs.
• Line, Vine & Dine Weekend fishing tournament held in Fort Lauderdale, FL, as a fundraising event for the foundation.
• Throwdown Weekend Spirited BBQ competition held in Walton County, FL, as a fundraising event for the foundation.
• Aarón y Amigos Weekend celebration of storytelling, food and Latino culture, presented by PEPSI, that raises funds to empower Latino youth.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $24 million granted to children's charities since 2002
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Enrollment location for Aarón Sánchez Scholarship recipients. Students are enrolled at NOCHI from January to June for culinary education.
• Chef Aarón SánchezflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund, a program of Emeril Lagasse Foundation focused on two pillars: culinary arts education and human services programming for Latino youth. The fund diversifies kitchen leadership through scholarships, financial support, mentoring, and career pathways guidance.
• PEPSI®minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented sponsor for the Aarón y Amigos event celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month and raising funds to empower Latino youth.
• The Perfect PuréeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonor and scholarship champion supporting the Aarón Sánchez Scholarship Fund, supporting culinary education for youth.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• DC Central Kitchen: Nonprofit culinary training program for adults and youth from underserved backgrounds. Comparable culinary-arts-vocational-training model for at-risk youth populations.
• GENYOUth: Nonprofit dedicated to creating healthier school communities for youth, including nutrition and culinary programming. Comparable in school-based youth nutrition/culinary education focus.
• FoodCorps: Nonprofit connecting kids to healthy food in schools through gardens, nutrition, and culinary education. Adjacent mission with overlap in school-based teaching kitchen and food education programming.

Direct peers

• Whole Kids Foundation: Nonprofit funding school gardens, salad bars, and culinary/nutrition education programs. Highly comparable as a grantmaking foundation that places teaching kitchens and gardens into schools to reach youth.
• No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength): National nonprofit campaign ending childhood hunger through grants, advocacy, and nutrition education. Directly comparable mission (youth nutrition + culinary education funding) and grantmaking-plus-program operating model.
• James Beard Foundation: Food industry-focused foundation supporting culinary education, scholarships, and chef training. Comparable chef-celebrity brand-driven grantmaking and scholarship programs targeting youth culinary pathways.
• Rachael Ray Foundation: Celebrity-chef-founded nonprofit supporting nutrition and culinary education for disadvantaged youth (e.g., Yum-o!). Closely mirrors Emeril Lagasse Foundation in founder-brand-driven youth culinary/nutrition grantmaking.
• Baby2Baby: Celebrity-driven nonprofit providing children in poverty with diapers, formula, clothing, and basic needs. Comparable celebrity-endorsed, event-driven, multi-region nonprofit serving children via partner grants.

Others

• José Andrés / ThinkFoodGroup Foundation-style work: While not a separate foundation, José Andrés's broader charitable work mirrors chef-celebrity-led food mission nonprofits. Included as an adjacent reference for chef-driven food education philanthropy.

Broad incumbents

• José Andrés / World Central Kitchen: Celebrity-chef-founded nonprofit focused on food and community impact. Comparable as a high-profile chef-led foundation leveraging culinary credibility for social mission, though WCK is far larger and disaster-response focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EmerilLagasseFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/emerillagassefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emeril-lagasse-foundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EmerilLagasseFoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Emeril Lagasse Foundation