Chef Ann Foundation

What it reported doing in 2025

In order to help school districts build, implement, and sustain a self-operated, scratch-cook program, the chef ann foundation (caf) provides a continuum of programming that meets districts where they are and helps support them in moving their programs forward. Our work is grounded in a systems-change approach for school food operations that encompasses five key areas of focus: food, facilities, finance, human resources, and marketing. We execute this work through three primary categories: scratch cooking, workforce & professional development, and sustainability.(continued on schedule o)scratch cooking: caf provides high-touch, customized technical assistance to transition schools from processed, heat-and-serve meals to whole-ingredient scratch cooking.get schools cooking: an intensive 3-year assessment and strategic planning program that provides schools with the operational knowledge to transition from a heat-and-serve to a scratch-cook operational model.custom district support: projects designed in collaboration with school districts to address their specific school food challenges and goals.workforce & professional development: these programs equip school food professionals with the knowledge, skills, and capacity to enact real school food change.the lunch box: the largest free online resource for scratch cooking in schools, providing step-by-step guides, tools, and recipes to help schools improve their meal programs.school food institute: comprehensive online courses that provide professional development on the key components of successful scratch-cook operations in schools.healthy school food pathway: includes new pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs that prepare the next generation of school food professionals with the skills to operate fresh, healthy, and sustainable school meal programs. It also includes a national fellowship program that empowers mid-career professionals to take on leadership roles in school food service.sustainability: caf aims to establish a replicable model that positively impacts local food systems by strengthening values-aligned procurement practices, reducing waste, and encouraging sustainable menus. Implementation grant programs provide schools with the tools and equipment needed: salad bars to schools: a granting program that provides schools and districts with salad bar equipment and support, such as cambro bars and camchillers.bulk milk: a granting program that provides schools with bulk milk dispensing equipment, reusable cups, and technical assistance.plants (partnerships for local agriculture and nutrition transformation in schools): a sub-grant program that funds projects led by local partners advancing systemic and equity-driven approaches to transforming school food supply chains.in all our work, the chef ann foundation strives to meet the following goals: reduce the rate of diet-related diseases among children by improving the nutritional quality of school food; help children establish better eating habits for life through healthy school meals; increase exposure to fresh fruits and vegetables; and transition schools from heat-and-serve operation models that depend on processed food to scratch-cook kitchens that produce meals made with whole, nutrient-rich food.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 71.8%; rating input score 72
• Program expense ratio: 84.8%; rating input score 85
• Fundraising efficiency: $18.82 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 10th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 92.1%; rating input score 92; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 15.6%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.53; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.16; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 1.7%; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 18.6% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 17.7% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 16.4% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings