National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) is the philanthropic arm of the National Restaurant Association, established in 1987. The foundation is dedicated to enhancing the prosperity of the restaurant industry by attracting talent, developing a stronger workforce, and cultivating the next generation of industry leaders. Through educational initiatives, the NRAEF provides culinary, management, food safety, and employability skills training to millions of Americans, creating a pipeline of industry talent. The foundation's flagship program, ProStart, is a two-year nationwide initiative that prepares students for careers in the restaurant and foodservice industry, serving 90,000 students in 47 states, Guam, and U.S. military bases. In addition, the NRAEF awards scholarships to students and educators, totaling $14 million since 1997, to support continued industry education.