Support for Chef to Community Tax Credit

Our Tax Credit proposal allows restaurants to donate healthy meals to community centers in their neighborhoods while being compensated.

The undersigned coalition of nonprofits, chefs, restaurateurs, community leaders, corporate partners, and civically minded individuals strongly supports the Chef to Community Tax Credit; a fiscally responsible solution that simultaneously addresses food insecurity and supports small businesses.

Support now!

Signatories:

THE CHALLENGE

Approximately 13.5% of Americans experience food insecurity while restaurants face rising costs and excess capacity. Innovative solutions are urgently needed. Current centralized food programs often fail to efficiently reach vulnerable populations, while local restaurants, already embedded in every community, have untapped capacity to prepare nutritious meals at scale.

THE SOLUTION

The Chef to Community Tax Credit offers a non-refundable tax credit of up to $50,000 annually per location for donating prepared meals to independent 501(c)(3) nonprofits at 50% of fair market value, capped at $7 per meal. Estimated annual cost: $800 million or less.

WHY THIS MODEL WORKS

ECONOMIC BENEFITS:

  • Delivers twice the economic impact of centralized kitchens

  • 48% of benefits stay in the county of origin

  • Every $10,000 invested generates 24% higher returns and 50% more private sector jobs than government-run alternatives

  • 85% of participating restaurants source locally, keeping 80-100% of purchases in-state

  • No new infrastructure, startup costs, or administrative overhead required

  • Generates long-term Medicare and Medicaid savings by preventing costly chronic disease complications and hospitalizations

FOOD SECURITY BENEFITS:

  • Proven impact: Over 35 million meals delivered to 282 community organizations in New York City

  • Leverages existing restaurant infrastructure for immediate, scalable meal production

  • Direct delivery through trusted nonprofits to those in need

HEALTH BENEFITS:

  • Reduces diet-related chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, hypertension) through improved nutrition

  • Could save approximately $23.7 billion in health care costs each year – as well as improve health outcomes by preventing 2.6 million hospitalizations yearly

REDUCE FOOD WASTE:

  • Utilizes excess restaurant capacity, reducing food waste

  • Activates existing community assets rather than building new facilities

  • Strengthens local supply chains through community-based distribution

“There’s a lot of power within restaurants. Restaurants are also already beacons for neighborhoods and with that kind of support it allows restaurants to do this incredible work and give back within their community that they know better than anyone else. ”

— Chef Daniel Humm, owner Eleven Madison Park and Rethink Food co-founder

Contact:

Adaeze Okoli, Chief of Staff, Rethink Food (212) 364-7040
education@rethinkfood.org