January 2026 Funding | $900,000
As we begin the new year, we're excited to highlight two incredible organizations joining us in creating healthier communities. Chef Ann Foundation is transforming school cafeterias across the United States, empowering districts to serve scratch-cooked meals that nourish students and set them up for success—through innovative programs that bring fresh produce into schools and develop the next generation of school food leaders. Nsutaman Rural Bank, a new Foundation partner, is opening doors to financial opportunity for smallholder farmers in Ghana, providing accessible lending and championing regenerative agricultural practices that support increased yields and livelihoods.
Chef Ann Foundation | United States
Chef Ann Foundation is a nonprofit that empowers schools nationwide to transition to scratch cooking so children are well-nourished and ready to learn. Their $600,000 grant will support two signature programs: the Salad Bars to Schools program (SB2S), which donates salad bar equipment and training to public schools to increase students' daily intake of fruits and vegetables, and the Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship, a 13-month program that equips mid-level school food professionals with the knowledge and leadership skills to produce healthy, scratch-cooked meals. This funding will serve 17,508 students through 35 salad bars (including equipment, marketing packages, and training) and training 8 Fellows in the 2026 cohort, addressing critical workforce development gaps in school food systems.
Nsutaman Rural Bank (NRB) | Ghana
Nsutaman Rural Bank (NRB) works to provide their diverse and enterprising customers with an opportunity to earn a meaningful livelihood by championing financial inclusion, innovation and localization. A new partner of the Foundation, NRB will use their 3-year, no-interest $300,000 loan to support 1,826 smallholder farmers with 4,103 loans over the next 3 years. This funding will also enable NRB to expand their agriculture finance offering, providing accessible and affordable group loans with joint liability while scaling innovative regenerative practices that aim to increase farmers yield by 50% by the end of the project.