Apply Now to Our Investment Fund

We’re thrilled to announce that applications for the James Beard Foundation Food and Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans are now open.

As part of our commitment to making America's food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone, we feel a responsibility to recognize and support all members of our industry, especially those whose contributions have been historically minimized or erased.

Black and Indigenous people often have portions of their cuisines and cultures appropriated, their hand in creating major American food and beverage items and dishes erased, and their images exploited and racialized to the benefit of their white counterparts. We recognize these facts and seek to highlight the merits and contributions of Black and Indigenous people.

Last fall, the Foundation launched and began fundraising for the James Beard Foundation Food and Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans. This fund will provide $15,000 grants to diverse food and beverage businesses that are majority-owned by Black or Indigenous individuals across six regions nationally.

We will accept applications from 3:00 P.M. ET on Monday, January 11, 2021 until 3:00 P.M. ET on Friday, January 22, 2021.

Please review the criteria and frequently-asked questions before submitting an application. All applications will be reviewed; however, due to the high level of applications we expect to receive, only accepted grantees will be contacted.

For the first round, the Foundation will provide a total of 18 grants divided evenly among the six national regions (three grants per region). We'll announce a new application period as funds become available.

To read more about the fund and how you can apply, visit jamesbeard.org/investment-fund.   

Additional business resources are free and available to the community here.

Want to support the JBF Investment fund?

The James Beard Foundation is actively seeking new funding to provide as much support to the community as possible. Please share the JBF Investment Fund with your community as the more money we raise, the more support we can provide to food and beverage businesses that are owned by Black and Indigenous Americans. Donations can be made by visiting jbffund.org. 

Please direct any questions that are not covered in the Fund criteria or FAQ pages to grants@jamesbeard.org and we will get back to you as soon as possible.