World Central Kitchen is a center-left organization that financially supports food banks and restaurants that provide free food throughout the world. World Central Kitchen has also lobbied the United States government in order to secure taxpayer funding for its activities. ¹

History

World Central Kitchen was created in 2010 by Jose Andres, a celebrity chef and owner of the Think Food Group network of restaurants that is prominent in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. ² Andres founded and provided the initial funding for World Central Kitchen after he witnessed widespread food scarcity in Haiti following the severe earthquake that struck the country in 2010. ³

Funding

In 2019, World Central Kitchen received $9,443,218 in grants and contributions, in addition to $188,173 in dividends and interest from securities. ⁴  The organization reported $9,540,935 in total revenue,⁵ $5,831,710 in expenses,⁶ and $15,680,690 in net assets. ⁷

Lobbying

While World Central Kitchen operates through non-governmental contributions, its founder and board member, Jose Andres, has lobbied Congress to enact legislation that would benefit World Central Kitchen by passing the FEMA Empowering Essential Deliveries (FEED) Act. ⁸

The bill, if passed, would allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to pay nonprofits and restaurants to serve free food during national emergencies. ⁹ World Central Kitchen already has tax-exempt status as a charitable organization and has admitted that the program would directly benefit them, arguing in support of the FEED Act by claiming that “the vital work that our restaurant partners are doing to feed their communities can be funded through the national government[.]”¹⁰

2020 Election

During the 2020 election, World Central Kitchen set up mobile locations near polling station across more than two dozen cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, and Pittsburgh. The mobile stations provided sandwiches and bottled water to voters as they waited in line. ¹¹

Leadership

Jose Andres is a board member and founder of World Central Kitchen. Nate Mook is the CEO of World Central Kitchen. ¹² Prior to joining the organization, Mook worked at two technology companies he founded, Betanews Inc., and Localist.com. ¹³ In 2013, Mook was tapped by former President Bill Clinton to document his humanitarian tour through eight countries in Africa. ¹⁴

1. “Restaurants for the People” World Central Kitchen. https://wck.org/restaurantsforthepeople
2. “Team – Jose Andres” World Central Kitchen. https://wck.org/team
3. “Team – Jose Andres” World Central Kitchen. https://wck.org/team
4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). World Central Kitchen. Part I, lines 8-10. 2019.
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). World Central Kitchen. Part I, line 12. 2019.
6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). World Central Kitchen. Part I, line 18. 2019.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). World Central Kitchen. Part I, line 22. 2019.
8. “Restaurants for the People” World Central Kitchen. https://wck.org/restaurantsforthepeople
9. “Restaurants for the People” World Central Kitchen. https://wck.org/restaurantsforthepeople
10. “Restaurants for the People” World Central Kitchen. https://wck.org/restaurantsforthepeople
11. Salaky, Kristin. “World Central Kitchen Will Be Providing Meals To Voters This Election Day” delish. September 29, 2020. Accessed April 17, 2021. https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/world-central-kitchen-will-be-providing-meals-to-voters-this-election-day/ar-BB19xXq3?pfr=1
12. “Team – Nate Mook” World Central Kitchen. https://wck.org/team
13. “Team – Nate Mook” World Central Kitchen. https://wck.org/team
14. “Team – Nate Mook” World Central Kitchen. https://wck.org/team