2024 Reflections from the Newman’s Own Foundation team

December already! We’re looking back on an impactful year of nourishing and transforming the lives of children who face adversity through Nutrition Education & School Food, Indigenous Food Justice, and Joyful Experiences for Children with Serious Illnesses.

2024 Highlights 

• There is an abundance of good work being done on food justice across the country! We received an unprecedented 495 applications for our inaugural Food Justice for Kids prize and awarded grants to 12 nonprofit organizations and Tribes! 
• Feedback is a gift. In the first half of the year, we held Listening and Design Sessions with Grantee Partners to co-create our application and reporting processes. Thank you to all—your participation was invaluable!
• Food justice is a marathon, not a sprint. Unfortunately, this year’s USDA report showed food insecurity for kids is at a 10-year high. The silver lining is that our Grantee Partners are rising to the challenge, and doubling down on community-based solutions that promise generational change—acknowledging Indigenous wisdom, such as the Seven Generations Principle from the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois).

Looking Forward

• Taking care. We want to support our partners, to continue to care for ourselves, our coworkers, and our communities, and to rest when needed
• Open calls! We can’t share too much yet, but we will be launching new open calls next year, notably for youth and for Indigenous communities. (Be the first to know by signing up for our newsletter!)
• Supporting the 100% for Purpose movement. Through Newman’s Own, Paul Newman created a pretty unique business model: a Foundation that owns a food company which gives all the royalties and profits it receives from the sale of Newman’s Own products in service of its mission. We want to encourage and support others who want to do the same. Stay tuned for the launch of a TED talk, and more ahead!

In Case You Missed These 5 Pieces This Year: 

1. John Oliver’s School Meals segment on Last Week Tonight, featuring Newman’s Own Grantee Partner Food Research and Action Center (September 12, 2024). 
2. “The Competitive Edge of Doing Good:” Peter Singer’s piece in Project Syndicate features companies like Newman’s Own that give away 100% of profits (Feb 8, 2024).
3. “Walking Towards Food Justice: A Call to Action for Indigenous Communities:” Our Indigenous Communities Officer, Jackie Blackbird, makes the urgent case for supporting food justice in Indigenous communities (May 18, 2024).
4. The Importance of Positive Childhood Experiences thanks to SeriousFun Camps: Dr. Laura Blaisdell, SeriousFun’s Medical Advisor, was featured on TV stations around the U.S. talking about the benefits of positive childhood experiences (like camp!) on kids’ mental health (May 17, 2024).
5. “Newman’s Own Foundation: Still at the Forefront of Funding, After All These Years:” Inside Philanthropy covered our unique model and approach to philanthropy, including using tech platforms, a new focus on data, and robust giving in Indigenous communities (September 13, 2024).

We’re grateful for our incredible Grantee Partners, and our “donors” (aka the mission-minded consumers of Newman’s Own products!) who enable us to give it all away! Thank you for being on this journey with us.

Wishing you a relaxing and restorative winter,
The Newman’s Own Foundation team

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