Little Chefs Big Change

What it reported doing in 2024

Healthy Cooking Program - Our greatest focus is teaching in-person cooking classes at schools, after-school programs and summer camps, prioritizing low-income elementary and middle school children. Students work together to make healthy recipes that expand their preference for nutrient-dense, veggie-filled dishes, while learning an evidence-based nutrition curriculum and life-long cooking skills. Our cooking program has two main goals: 1) to promote early, preventive nutrition habits by building children's cooking skills and enjoyment of vegetables, legumes and whole grains, and 2) to advance food equity by reaching low-income communities facing multiple barriers to healthy eating. As an organization, we invest deeply over time in the students and families we serve to ensure a strong, targeted impact-and to meaningfully move the needle on the health and wellness of the people we serve. During a six-class series, 12 students split into three groups, each cooking a different recipe from start to finish while learning a variety of essential cooking skills. The students then sit down together to eat a full dinner of at least three different plant-based dishes, featuring vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes, exposing them to a wide variety of whole plant foods. Students try new recipes and ingredients in a supportive environment, take pride in the dishes they make, and discover healthy foods that they love. These moments-when a child realizes they enjoy foods like sweet potatoes and beans and that they can cook a meal from start to finish-are at the heart of our program. Our curriculum extends to families through our skills-for-home sheets-brief, practical handouts that reinforce what students learned in class and help parents feel confident involving their children in healthy cooking at home. Families also receive recipe books with key nutrition information to support healthy eating habits that reduce the risk of diet-related diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. From January through June 2025, we partnered with 10 sites in Knox County, Tennessee to offer our in-person cooking classes in schools, after-school programs, community centers and summer camps. Partners included Wesley House Community Center, SHADES of Development (Mount Olive Elementary School and South Doyle Middle School), Dogwood Elementary School, Knoxville Office of Parks & Recreation (Christenberry Community Center and EV Davidson Community Center), BLOC Knox, Community Law Office, East Tennessee Children's Hospital and the Postmark LaFollette. We taught a total of 60 classes to 154 students. Most students participated in a series of six classes. Improving equitable access to a healthier lifestyle While all families can benefit from cooking education and healthy eating, we prioritize at-risk communities because low-income populations are disproportionately affected by preventable diet-related diseases. Our programs were delivered in Knox County Title I schools, and after-school programs and community centers that serve students from Title I schools. We also taught six classes at the Postmark Lafollette summer camp in Campbell County, which is designated as an at-risk county by the Appalachian Regional Commission. By bringing cooking education to at-risk communities, we help bridge gaps in food access by providing the knowledge and skills necessary to adopt healthy eating habits using low-cost ingredients accessible at most grocery stores and often at food pantries. Diets rich in vegetables have been consistently linked to a reduced risk of diet-related chronic diseases and their comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Providing affordable, quick, and delicious recipes-that kids will eat-makes adopting healthier diets at home easier and more accessible. Many of our students haven't had the opportunity to learn cooking skills at home, and while some families report immediate changes-like children trying new foods and

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Limited

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -65.6%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.49; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 123.9%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: Limited
• Revenue growth: Limited
• Asset growth: Limited