After 20 Years, an Expanded Mission and New Identity
BY JUSTIN NEWBY

In the two decades since founding members of the IACP (then known as the Cooking Advancement & Research Education Foundation) created the organization’s charitable arm, the IACP Foundation (a name it was given 10 years later) has grown and changed as dramatically as the culinary profession itself. What began with a single scholarship award is now a full-fledged program, offering 21 scholarships ranging from $5,000 in tuition credit to full tuition at culinary schools worldwide during their 2004-2005 scholarship cycle. The Foundation’s grant program now assists everyone from food writers who need help covering travel and research expenses to hunger relief organizations in IACP Annual Conference host cities. Its small (but successful) fundraising events have evolved into large high-profile gatherings, from gala Culinary Concerts to the April 2004 fundraiser “The Whole Hog” barbecue in Baltimore.

The Foundation’s overall mission has evolved as well. From an initial focus on scholarship, its activities have expanded to include another worthy cause near and dear to the hearts of IACP members: culinary preservation. Through its Endangered Treasures program (profiled in the Fourth Quarter 2003 issue of IACP Food Forum Quarterly), the Foundation has restored some major culinary works in danger of being lost forever. Fundraising dinners that bring these historically significant works to life—hosted by noted chefs, food historians and other special guests—are attracting increasing attention and fueling the Foundation’s efforts to restore many more books throughout the world.

From a small group of visionary founders, the Foundation’s leadership has expanded to an 11-member Board of Directors. The board, a true cross section of the IACP’s membership, includes culinary educators, marketing professionals, restaurateurs and a magazine editor. The Foundation’s advisory board, a similarly diverse group, now spans the globe from Mexico to Japan. And its honorary chairs, a major source of inspiration and support, include four of the profession’s best-known names: Julia Child, CCP, Emeril Lagasse, Jacques Pépin, CCP, and Martin Yan.

But through 20 years of change and growth, one thing has remained the same. Raising funds is no easier today than it was back then. In fact, recent world events have created an even bigger challenge for all but a handful of charities and philanthropies.

How then, after two decades of service, growth and change, at a challenging time for philanthropies in general, does such an organization demonstrate its evolution and reinforce its relevance?

In short, by reinventing and reintroducing itself.

And so, with great appreciation for those who crafted its original mission and identity, and all those who demonstrated their support over the years, the IACP Foundation is set to enter a new phase in its ongoing evolution. At the 2004 IACP conference, the IACP Foundation will announce both a new name for the organization and a new operational approach, both aimed at expanding its outreach and keeping its charitable efforts moving forward on a steady course.

The new name (drum roll please) is The Culinary Trust. The new approach is a shift from its current model of operation—namely, an almost complete reliance on fundraising events—to a model that combines fundraisers with corporate underwriting to achieve a healthier “return on investment” for its efforts. Rather than fund its operations from monies earned through events (a very important but somewhat unpredictable source of funds), The Trust will rely on corporate sponsors, together with generous cash and in-kind contributions from the IACP, to cover its basic costs of operations. For the organization, this means greater flexibility in planning and more funds to disburse for scholarships, grants and culinary preservation. For corporate sponsors, this provides an opportunity to be prominently linked with all aspects of the organization’s good work.

Does this identity and operational change signal a shift in the organization’s relationship with the IACP? Absolutely not. The Culinary Trust remains the philanthropic arm of the IACP. The two entities will remain inextricably linked, with the IACP serving as “mother ship” to The Trust. All activities of The Trust will continue to reflect the values of the IACP’s membership. The support of the IACP, financial and otherwise, remains critical to the success of The Culinary Trust.

Simply put, the new name does two very important things that the original name could not. First, it reinforces the relevance of this work beyond the profession. Second, it succinctly and dramatically conveys the organization’s stewardship role in the culinary world. Moving forward, the leadership of The Trust believes this new identity will bring new supporters, both individual and corporate, into the IACP’s “camp” and provide greater visibility for the overall activities of the organization.

With the new name comes a revised mission statement, one that reflects The Trust’s goal of reaching and enlisting support from a broader audience:

The Culinary Trust celebrates the culinary past and funds the culinary future through scholarship, grant and preservation programs that encourage and enable professionals in the pursuit of the culinary arts.

The Trust is now in the process of recruiting the corporate sponsors who will help usher in this new era for the organization. KitchenAid, a longtime IACP and Foundation supporter, and founding sponsor of the Endangered Treasures initiative, was the first to sign on for a three-year commitment. Encouraging discussions are underway with other leading companies who believe in The Trust’s mission and work. By limiting corporate sponsorship opportunities to four sponsors, The Trust is offering a degree of exclusivity it believes will add value for sponsors, ensuring that each receives the level of recognition it deserves.

Measuring the impact of this change will be among The Trust’s top priorities in the months ahead. Increased sponsorship, media coverage and overall “buzz” surrounding its efforts will be among the yardsticks used to gauge this impact. But the most important measure by far will be how much more it enables the organization to accomplish. The goal, the “gold standard” for any philanthropic organization, is to channel every dollar raised into the hands of worthy individuals, organizations and causes.

With almost 600,000 tax-exempt organizations vying for attention and support, the name an organization chooses for itself can make a big difference. Similarly, the way an organization pays its way, and the amount it disburses to worthy programs, says much about its own worthiness.

Armed with a new name, a broader mission and ambitious goals, together with the support of corporate sponsors and the IACP, The Culinary Trust is ready to forge ahead. Why change a good thing? The answer is simple: To make it better.

JUSTIN NEWBY is the Immediate Past Chairman of The Culinary Trust and co-founder of its Endangered Treasures culinary preservation effort.

This article was adapted by Trina Gribbins, Director of Administration, The Culinary Trust, from its original form as it first appeared in the IACP Food Forum Quarterly (Second Quarter 2004).