The Emeril Lagasse Foundation
The Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded in 2002 by Chef Emeril Lagasse and his wife Alden, the Foundation operates as a grantmaking organization dedicated to youth development through educational programming. The Foundation employs 9 staff members and engages approximately 40 volunteers.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.5M
+6.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.5M
-48.4% YoY
Grant Count
19
-34.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$77K
-21.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation's mission is to create opportunities to inspire, mentor, and enable youth to reach their full potential through culinary, nutrition, and arts education with a focus on life skills development. The organization specifically seeks to serve young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, helping them realize their potential as productive and creative individuals.
The Foundation operates three primary programs:
Community Grants Program — Provides capital and programmatic support to eligible nonprofit organizations delivering culinary, nutrition, and arts education with a focus on life skills development. Funded projects have included accessible learning kitchens for students with special needs, culinary arts programs for high school students, hospitality training centers for opportunity youth, and food service training for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen — A national education initiative that integrates culinary gardens and teaching kitchens in schools to create interactive learning environments, foster critical thinking, and nurture life skills for elementary and middle school children.
Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund — Provides culinary arts education and human services programming specifically for Latino youth.
Grantmaking
Since its inception, the Foundation has granted more than $19.3 million to children's charities. Recent grant activity includes:
How to Apply
through the Foundation's website.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation funds nonprofit organizations across the nation, with particular emphasis on communities where the Foundation lives and works. Specific beneficiaries are located in New Orleans, Chicago, Baltimore, Orlando, and other locations nationwide.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2024 Financial Summary:
- Total Revenue: $3,148,432
- Total Expenses: $3,250,668
- Total Assets: $5,453,643
- Total Liabilities: $1,430,000
2023 Financial Summary:
- Total Revenue: $2,987,060
- Total Expenses: $3,003,015
Revenue sources include contributions and grants ($5,338,667 in 2024) and investment income ($61,869 in 2024). The Foundation reported providing first-class or charter travel to key employees or officers, as detailed in Schedule J of its tax filings.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,453,643 | $5,102,438 | $6,404,684 |
| Revenue | $3,148,432 | $2,987,060 | $3,394,228 |
| Expenses | $3,250,668 | $4,399,275 | $1,448,092 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $61,869 | $35,388 | $68,219 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
117 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
7 open opportunities from The Emeril Lagasse Foundation
Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund - Aarón Sánchez Scholarship
THE EMERIL LAGASSE FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund - Human Service Grant
THE EMERIL LAGASSE FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $20,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund - Human Services Grants Program
THE EMERIL LAGASSE FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The Foundation was founded by Chef Emeril Lagasse and his wife Alden. Chef Lagasse is a restaurateur, television personality, and author. His cooking shows "The Essence of Emeril" and "Emeril Live" have been nominated for eight Daytime Emmy Awards. He is a regional winner of The James Beard Foundation Award and owner of Emeril's Delmonico restaurant.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMERIL LAGASSE | CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER | 2 | — |
| ALDEN LAGASSE | CO-FOUNDER | 1 | — |
| BRIDGET HARRELL | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| SUZANNE PRIDE BRYAN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| PAUL FRANK | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ROBERT GOLDSTEIN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| WILLIAM HINES | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ANDI OUSTALET | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MARK ROMIG | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| GARY N SOLOMON | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL C THOMPSON | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| AARON SANCHEZ | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| BRIAN KISH | PRESIDENT | 40 | $287,461 |
| ANTONIA KELLER | VICE PRESIDENT | 40 | $114,639 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation continues active grantmaking with regular grant cycles. Recent announcements include the Spring 2025 grant cycle awarding over $262,000 and recognition of the Charles and Rochelle Trotter Culinary Endowment grant strengthening culinary education in Chicago. The Foundation also celebrated 20 years of its Throwdown initiative, honoring the vision and generosity of Mike and Valerie Thompson.
$262K in Spring 2025 Grants - Emeril Lagasse FoundationContact Information
Address: 3801 Canal Street, Suite 300, New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone: 504-212-2222
Website: www.emeril.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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