Created by Julia in 1995, the Foundation makes grants to non-profit organizations in support of its mission to foster the participation in and the appreciation of gastronomy and the culinary arts.
The Foundation identifies and selects its grant recipients; however we are open to learning about new opportunities. Click here to inform us about your project or organization. (Please note that the Foundation can only support organizations designated as non-profit by the Internal Revenue Service; we do not make grants to individuals.)
The AIWF Foundation
The AIWF Foundation was created by the board of the American Institute of Wine & Food, a national membership organization founded by Julia Child, Robert Mondavi, and Richard Graff. The mission of the AIWF Foundation is to improve the quality of food and drink for all people and to initiate, support, and foster its study, including the history and aesthetics of gastronomy. The AIWF Foundation currently administers scholarships in the culinary field including for writers specializing in food and recipe writing to attend the esteemed Symposium for Professional Food Writers, which Julia herself attended for many of the conference's 20 plus years.
Boston University Metropolitan College, Department of Gastronomy
Julia was instrumental in the formation of and highly supportive of BU's groundbreaking Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) in Gastronomy. The interdisciplinary program teaches students to view food through different lenses – including anthropology, history, literary criticism, art history, social and natural sciences, communications, business studies, and public policy – and features experiential learning through culinary arts laboratories and wine studies courses. It promotes scholarship by drawing from the resources and expertise of BU faculty and visiting faculty, academic departments, and industry professionals. The Foundation supports merit awards presented to students in BU's Gastronomy Program and a teaching assistants program.
Careers Through Culinary Arts (C-CAP)
Julia encouraged young people interested in cooking professionally to get solid training and gain work experience in good kitchens. C-CAP is a multifaceted school-to-career program that prepares underserved high school students for college and career opportunities in the restaurant and hospitality industry, including internships and employment in top restaurants and corporate dining facilities. The Foundation helps support C-CAP's Summer Job Training Program, which provides high school students with work skills and on-the-job experience.
Culinary Historians of Chicago
A passionate academic, Julia was committed to enhancing her knowledge of the culinary arts, including its history. The Culinary Historians of Chicago (CHC) is an educational organization committed to the study of the history of food and drink in human cultures. CHC's members are from a wide range of competencies - the common denominator being that all are food enthusiasts. The Foundation supports The Culinary Historians of Chicago Scholars' Grants (in collaboration with the Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance) to encourage the study of Midwestern foods and food-related institutions. The awards are intended to help underwrite the research of academics and other investigators who intend to publish their findings in books, articles, videos or other media.
Culinary Historians of New York (CHNY)
Julia was a committed student, passionate about enhancing her knowledge of the culinary arts, including its history. Culinary Historians of New York was founded in 1985 to support research, share knowledge of how food has affected individuals since earliest times, and raise awareness about the field of culinary history. Members of CHNY include chefs, cooking teachers, historians, anthropologists, food writers, food editors, food stylists, researchers, librarians, caterers, collectors, nutritionists, and food enthusiasts – intellectual curiosity is the common denominator. The Foundation supports The Culinary Historians of New York Scholar's Grant, which is designed to promote research and scholarship in the field of culinary history.
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA)
A strong believer in culinary education, Julia frequently recommended this prestigious college to aspiring professionals. She addressed several graduations, conducted cooking demonstrations, and engaged students in question-and-answer forums. Julia was named a Fellow of the college and was the first woman inducted into its Hall of Fame; she was awarded the CIA's Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degree and its first Lifetime Achievement Award. The Foundation supports two awards: The Julia Child Foundation Scholarship for Culinary Writing and the Julia Child Foundation Scholarship for Culinary Educators; awarded to students planning to pursue careers in food media/journalism and in teaching the culinary arts respectively. Additionally, the Foundation supports the development of the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning and the launch of an upcoming internship program.
The French Culinary Institute (FCI), International Culinary Center
Julia was one of the first visitors to The French Culinary Institute when it opened in Manhattan in 1984. FCI has continually expanded its programs and its reach, including its International Culinary Center, which opened in 2006 to accommodate additional culinary programs. Advanced studies such as the Craft of Food Writing course, developed for aspiring and active journalists, chefs and culinary professionals, are offered there. The Foundation most recently supported a scholarship for students attending the Intensive Sommelier Training Program at FCI's newly opened International Culinary Center of California.
Les Dames d'Escoffier International (LDEI)
LDEI is a worldwide philanthropic society of professional women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverages, and hospitality composed of 28 individual chapters across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. During her lifetime, Julia received the honorary title of Grande Dame, given in recognition of extraordinary and unusual contributions to the fields of food, wine, other fine beverages, nutrition, and the arts of the table. The Foundation supports LDEI's Legacy Awards in which veteran members mentor other women in the food, fine beverage and hospitality industries.
Heritage Radio Network
Julia was committed to making the culinary arts and gastronomy accessible to a wide audience. Heritage Radio Network.org (HRN) is a non-profit member-supported radio station with more than one million monthly listeners in over 200 countries. Since its inception in 2009, Heritage Radio Network has broadcast more than 4,000 shows and produces more than 30 regular weekly programs. Heritage Radio Network is committed to archiving, protecting and advancing America's rich food culture through programs that give voice to the country's leading food professionals, farmers, policy experts, artists and tastemakers. Radio hosts are chefs, culinary scientists and "food-forward urban homesteaders." Shows feature content ranging from chef biographies and cooking techniques to food policy analysis, interviews with farmers, restaurateurs, music and cultural events. The intersection between radio and the Internet allows HRN to transmit its message to virtually every corner of the globe. The Foundation supports programs and initiatives to help Heritage Radio Network expand its overall programming capability and in turn its audience reach.
Johnson & Wales University
Julia visited Johnson & Wales University several times during her lifetime and was awarded a Doctor of Culinary Arts from the university. Today, nearly 7,000 students are enrolled in two or four-year Culinary Arts degree programs across its four campuses (Providence, RI, Denver, CO, Charlotte, NC, and North Miami, FL). The majors in this program include Baking & Pastry Arts, Culinary Arts, Culinary Nutrition, Culinary Arts and Food Service Management, Baking & Pastry Arts and Food Service Management, and Food Service Entrepreneurship. The Foundation provides scholarships to support students pursuing their A.S. and/or B.S. degrees in JWU's Baking and Pastry Arts programs.
NY City College of Technology, CUNY, Department of Hospitality Management
New York City College of Technology, Department of Hospitality Management is part of the City University of New York. The school offers students Bachelor of Technology and Associate in Applied Science degrees in the areas of Culinary and Pastry Arts, Food and Beverage Management, Hotels and Resorts, and Tourism and Travel Management, along with a Culinary Arts Teacher Education Degree to teach in New York City high schools. Well-known New York chefs and sommeliers serve as Adjunct Professors in the Hospitality Program and students take part in internships in esteemed New York City hotels and restaurants, often leading to full-time positions. From the kitchen to front-of-house, hospitality students participate in running a full-service dining room, which is also used for events. The Foundation supports the development of an innovative wine blending program curriculum which enables students to study advanced wine topics and work with a local New York City wine producer on various stages of the vinification process.
The Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery
Julia attended the Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery – an annual, weekend-long conference on food, its culture, and its history held at St. Catherine's College, Oxford, England. Since 1981, the Symposium brings together an interdisciplinary mix of international scholars, food writers, journalists, chefs, scientists, sociologists, anthropologists, and amateurs for serious and spirited discussions about the theme at hand. Symposium themes include: "Food and Material Culture;" "Wrapped and Stuffed Foods;" the "Theme of Celebrations;" and "Food and Cookery: The Impact of Science in the Kitchen." The Foundation supports a project to record and podcast sessions of the Symposium, with some live streaming, to help the Symposium reach a wider audience and create a permanent archive.
Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science (RMI)
Robert Mondavi, a dear friend of Julia's, established the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis. The Institute now houses the departments of Food Science and Technology and Viticulture and Enology, with nutrition and other disciplines linked to quality of life in a state-of-the-art research and teaching complex. RMI seeks to promote the scientific, technological, and cultural understanding of food, wine, and beer through outreach, education, and research. The Foundation supports RMI's lecture series, which presents a variety of programs available to both students and the public.
Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University
Julia greatly valued and admired the Schlesinger Library and all it does to collect and preserve materials relating to the culinary arts. Originally developed because cookery has been such a significant part of so many women's lives, the Library's renowned culinary collection of more than 15,000 books and numerous periodicals, pamphlets, and manuscripts now spans four centuries and includes rare and classic titles from around the globe. The Foundation supports the Schlesinger's Culinary Collection and the preservation of and public access to the personal papers that Julia Child donated, as well as the cataloging and digitizing of Paul Child's photos, which include pictures taken from the Childs' years in France and during the filming of The French Chef.
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
In November 2001, when Julia left her Massachusetts home of 42 years to return to her native California, she gave her kitchen to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The kitchen was deconstructed, transported, and reconstructed in the Museum to become Bon Appetit! Julia Child's Kitchen at the Smithsonian, which opened in 2002 and has been one of the museum's most popular exhibits. The Foundation supports the ongoing conservation of the exhibit and its contents.
Spoons Across America, The Dinner Party Project
Julia was a passionate advocate for sharing the joys of cooking and the pleasures of the table with family and friends. The Dinner Party Project is an eight-week, family-focused educational program for middle school students. The curriculum includes seasonal meal planning, nutrition, food safety, table setting, etiquette, and cooking, all culminating in a dinner party to which students invite their families. The experience also deepens students' understanding of the value of community, family, and teamwork, as they build self-esteem and simply have fun. The Foundation helps support the Dinner Party Project at PS 132 Juan Duarte School in Washington Heights, NY, and has contributed to the Spoons' program evaluation project.
WGBH
Julia had great affection and respect for public television and, in particular, WGBH, where The French Chef series debuted nationally in 1963 and ran for 10 years. Subsequent WGBH cooking shows – which included Julia Child & Company, Julia Child & More Company and Dinner at Julia's – have been aired and repeated ever since. WGBH continues to develop and support fine programming relating to gastronomy and the culinary arts. The Foundation recognizes the long-standing relationship between Julia and WGBH, its quality culinary programming, and recently supported a project to digitize and preserve newly discovered footage, primarily from The French Chef.
Bay Area Video Coalition
An avid reader and strong supporter of public radio, in 1997 Julia recorded introductions and commentary for a set of radio specials on food in fiction. In "HUNGRY: The Literary Julia Child," never aired until recently, Julia introduces classics "about eating, some cooking, and most of all about people." The series features the authors or actors reading stories, from Dickens and Steinbeck to Edna O'Brien to M.F.K. Fisher in a rare recording of her reading her own work; sometimes chefs step in with recipe commentary. The Foundation supported the completion of seven radio specials on food in fiction, presented by Public Radio Exchange.
COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts
COPIA opened in Napa, CA, in 2001 with the mission to explore, celebrate, and share the many pleasures and benefits of wine, its relationship to food, and its significance to our culture. At the time, Julia regarded COPIA as a premier institution devoted to gastronomy and the culinary arts. She was an Honorary Trustee and lent her name to the dining room, Julia's Kitchen. The center featured wine and food tastings and educational programs. Those programs about food – both cooking and non-cooking – were designed to explore the history, cultivation, and uses of foods. Additionally, COPIA offered exhibitions, films, concerts, fine and casual dining, and organic edible gardens until the center closed in 2008.
The Culinary Trust
In 1984, Julia became one of the first Trustees of the Cooking Advancement Research and Education Foundation (CAREF), formed under the auspices of the International Association of Culinary Professionals as its philanthropic arm. Later renamed The Culinary Trust, the organization solicits, manages, and distributes funds for educational and charitable programs related to the culinary industry – including scholarships for students and career professionals, library research, travel grants for food writers, cookbook preservation and restoration, and the alleviation of hunger. The Foundation helped fund a scholarship for independent study in France.
Fales Library, New York University
Fales Library at New York University houses a Food and Cookery Collection – books and manuscripts documenting the evolution of cuisine and food practices in 20th century America, with particular emphasis on New York City. The Cecily Brownstone Collection is the foundation of the Collection, which also includes the James Beard Papers, Cafe Nicholson Archive, Les Dames d'Escoffier New York Archive, and the Gourmet Magazine Library. These materials support the research of university students, faculty, and other researchers working in food studies, food management, nutrition, performance studies, American studies, and history – as well as writers, journalists, chefs or food professionals outside of the university. The Foundation supported the processing of the Noel Riley Fitch Collection of Julia Child Materials.
New England Culinary Institute (NECI), Julia Child Library
The school's Julia Child Library served as a resource for students and faculty on the Institute's Essex campus. While in existence, the Library housed the majority of the NECI Library collection of culinary books, magazines, audio books, and DVDs and was an important part of students' educational experience. The Foundation helped support the acquisition of new materials and tools for the library.
