Craig Newmark Philanthropies Announces $25M Donation to Conquer Food Insecurity Across the Country

Craig Newmark Philanthropies announced a generous $25 million donation to address food insecurity across the country. During the first “Leaders Eat Last” virtual panel event, part of a series developed by the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) to take a deeper look into the systems and solutions surrounding food insecurity and specifically its impact on veterans, Craig Newmark felt inspired to expand his commitment to ensure every American has enough to eat. Craig Newmark Philanthropies is contributing an additional $15 million to fight food insecurity after investing over $10 million against the crisis as part of the “Path To Full.”

The overall $25 million donation will directly support the coalition of organizations Craig convened in October 2020 to address the issue of rising hunger and food insecurity in America. This cohort of experts, guided by BWF, is working together to tackle a clear but complex challenge – to help Americans put food on the table now and for the long term. Having distributed millions of meals since the pandemic began, the group is also teaming up to explore, experiment, and address some of the systemic challenges related to food insecurity.

“People in America are going to bed hungry, and that pisses me off. I’m working with good, effective food organizations to get people fed now, but it’s not just about today,” said Craig Newmark. “Alongside BWF, we have been successful with providing meals for millions of people, but our job is far from finished. I hope everyone will join me in doing what you can – together, we can solve this problem.”

Craig Newmark Philanthropies is taking a three-pronged approach to addressing food insecurity. First, Full Plate: let’s ensure people have food today – Americans should not go to bed hungry. Second, Full Pantry: let’s ensure people can feed themselves tomorrow by tackling the issues upstream of hunger. Finally, Full Coverage: let’s move to a new economic normal in which all Americans are food secure.

“A longtime champion for veterans and military families, Craig saw the Bob Woodruff Foundation’s expertise in managing our national network of partners and invited us to join him for two important efforts: address food insecurity among veterans and help guide his coalition’s efforts on a broader scale,” said Anne Marie Dougherty, CEO of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “By convening this group of experts serving different communities across the country, we have the opportunity to drive real change for millions of Americans in need, letting them know that we’ve got their six.”

The coalition of nonprofits, led by the Bob Woodruff Foundation, has started filling plates and pantries across the country. The group consists of the following organizations:

• DC Central Kitchen
• FareStart
• Feeding America
• God’s Love We Deliver
• World Central Kitchen
• Bob Woodruff Foundation

“We are grateful to Craig Newmark Philanthropies for spearheading a shared effort to improve food security for tens of millions of people across the U.S,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. “With this support, the Feeding America network of food banks and our hunger relief partners can fulfill our commitment to provide meals and address racial, social and economic barriers to accessing nutritious food.”

“Craig’s gift will help us battle hunger in our nation’s capital today while taking on its root causes,” said DC Central Kitchen CEO Mike Curtin, Jr. “We’ll expand our emergency distributions of healthy meals and fresh, local produce, create and sustain living wage jobs for DC residents, and partner with DC schools, Dreaming Out Loud, and World Central Kitchen to build lasting food security in our city. Now is the time to advance bold solutions and bring more allies to the fight against hunger, poverty, and racial injustice.”

“With food insecurity and the need for proper nutrition growing every day, we are so grateful to Craig Newmark for his wonderful support. Craig sees the need for serious change in our food systems and is leading the way by addressing it with generosity, vision, and innovation,” said Karen Pearl, President & CEO of God’s Love We Deliver. “Our great hope is that others will follow Craig’s example so that one day no person in this country will suffer from a lack of food or proper nutrition.”

The Bob Woodruff Foundation’s “Leaders Eat Last” virtual panel series will dig deeper into the systems and solutions that surround the issue of food insecurity in the military/veteran community. For more information and to register for an upcoming panel, please visit bobwoodrufffoundation.org.

Craig Newmark Philanthropies is inviting more partners to join this vital call to action. To join or support this effort, please reach out to CNP@bobwoodrufffoundation.org.