Ifma Educational Foundation
Ifma Educational Foundation is a public charity based in Chicago, Illinois, that supports education and career opportunities for students pursuing foodservice-related fields. Its programs include scholarships and internship opportunities connected with IFMA member companies and the food-away-from-home industry.
Ifma Educational Foundation at a glance
In short: Ifma Educational Foundation gave $164K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), top state Michigan. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $164,000
- +16.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- Average grant
- $12,615
- Median grant
- $11,000
- Total assets
- $1,732,868
- +3.1% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Michigan (13% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Ifma Educational Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 180 N Stetson Avenue 2250, Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 540-4400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ifma Educational Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Michigan State University ($22K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $152K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($6,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
15 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 15 grants of 15 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest reported state shares were Michigan and Kansas at 13% each, Arizona and Illinois at 12% each, and Indiana at 9%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Ifma Educational Foundation gives
- Giving grew 225% from 2021 to 2024. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $51K (2021) to $164K (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $164K.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas State University Manhattan, KS | Scholarships | $21,000 |
| Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ | Scholarships | $20,000 |
| University of Illinois Champaign, IL | Scholarships | $20,000 |
| Purdue University W Lafayette, IN | Scholarships | $15,000 |
| Penn State Hospitality University Park, PA | Scholarships | $13,000 |
| Michigan State University East Lansing, MI | Scholarships | $12,000 |
| Georgia State University Atlanta, GA | Scholarships | $11,000 |
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Scholarships | $10,000 |
| Florida International University Miami, FL | Scholarships | $10,000 |
| Michigan State University East Lansing, MI | Scholarships | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,732,868 | $498,756 | $636,991 | $164,000 | 13 | $141,934 |
| 2023 | $1,680,499 | $544,486 | $475,585 | $140,390 | Total only | $144,541 |
| 2022 | $1,869,167 | $481,885 | $509,960 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | $1,971,179 | $215,500 | $133,294 | $50,535 | 2 | — |
| 2020 | $1,265,828 | $255,050 | $82,816 | — | — | — |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to fund scholarships and support curriculum and training programs for people interested in foodservice careers. Its website says it aims to attract collegiate business talent to IFMA member companies and the broader food-away-from-home ecosystem through financial support, career planning, and employment opportunities.
The foundation describes annual $5,000 academic scholarships for students pursuing foodservice-related degrees and $2,500 experiential scholarships that support attendance at IFMA events. Its stated areas include hospitality, culinary, marketing, sales, finance, supply chain, and food science. Its 2024 filing describes a scholarship and internship program for college and university students.
The foundation says it pre-selects colleges and universities with programs related to its exempt purpose; those institutions select students for awards based on merit and assure that funds are properly used. Among its 2024 grantees, Kansas State University Foundation describes its mission as securing and managing private gifts in support of Kansas State University. Georgia State University Foundation says it supports Georgia State University through fundraising and other activities for the university’s benefit. Florida International University describes its research foundation’s role as supporting the development and public use of university discoveries and making funds available for further research.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $164,000. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $21,000, with a median of $11,000. The largest reported awards included $21,000 to Kansas State University for scholarships, $20,000 each to Northern Arizona University and the University of Illinois for scholarships, and $15,000 to Purdue University for scholarships.
Other reported awards included $13,000 to Penn State Hospitality, $12,000 and $10,000 to Michigan State University, $11,000 to Georgia State University, $10,000 each to Cornell University, Florida International University, and Texas A&M University, and $6,000 to Brigham Young University. The filing describes these grants as scholarships.
The filing says colleges and universities select award recipients based on merit and assure proper use of funds. The foundation’s website also describes scholarships and internship placement, but does not provide application instructions for outside organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Phillip Kafarakis as President and CEO and Jennifer Tarulis as Chief Financial Officer. Stefanee Boland is listed as Executive Director as of February 2024. Trustees listed on the filing are Greg Cocchiarella, Herb Ring, Hugh Roth, Teri Trullinger, and Tim Wayne. The foundation’s website identifies Eric Blumenthal as Education Foundation Board Chair.
Ifma Educational Foundation is led by Phillip Kafarakis, President & CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2022); none of the 8 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Phillip Kafarakis
President & CEO
Chief Executive Officer → President & CEO, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stefanee Boland
Executive Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hugh Roth
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Teri Trullinger
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tim Wayne
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greg Cocchiarella
Trustee
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Herb Ring
Trustee
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Tarulis
Chief Financial Officer
CFO → Chief Financial Officer, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Anthony DePaolo (2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Alec Frisch (2020–2022) — Chairman
- Former: Zach Ramos (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Lawrence Obekfell (2020–2021) — CEO
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Ifma Educational Foundation
How much does Ifma Educational Foundation give each year?
Ifma Educational Foundation gave $164K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it reported $140K in grants paid.
What is Ifma Educational Foundation's typical grant size?
Ifma Educational Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $11,000, and its average grant was $12,615, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Ifma Educational Foundation give grants?
Ifma Educational Foundation's top state is Michigan, with 13% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Kansas (13%) and Arizona (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were East Lansing, MI (2 grants).
Does Ifma Educational Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Ifma Educational Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (13 grants).
Who are Ifma Educational Foundation's largest grantees?
Ifma Educational Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Michigan State University ($22,000 across 2 grants), Kansas State University ($21,000) and Northern Arizona University ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($6,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Ifma Educational Foundation?
Ifma Educational Foundation reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $499K.
What does Ifma Educational Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to fund scholarships and support curriculum and training programs for people interested in foodservice careers. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ifma Educational Foundation?
Ifma Educational Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Ifma Educational Foundation's EIN?
Ifma Educational Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7220674. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ifma Educational Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ifma-educational-foundation-morg_77540202e6114ba1bb7faad3082bfd24
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237220674_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ifma Educational Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ifma-educational-foundation-morg_77540202e6114ba1bb7faad3082bfd24},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Ifma Educational Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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