Our Supporters and Funding
As a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, we rely on a variety of funding from different sources to support and develop all of our educational outreach and programs.
Our financial support is provided by a broad range of sources, including:
• Individual and Family Contributions
• Regions, Provinces, Chambers of Commerce and
Associations in foreign countries
• US and International Trade Associations
• Private and Public Companies
• Individual and Corporate Memberships
• Licensing (use of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid or other pyramids)
• Conference Sponsorships and Registration Fees
• Educational Publications and Products (proceeds cover costs such as printing and
mailing of High Five! Just Ask Buttons, Educational Posters, and others)
For a list of recent supporters, please click here.
Grounded in Science, and Supporting Incremental Change for the Better
All Oldways programs are grounded in the science of nutrition and good health, a principle that is not affected by our funding sources. Here’s how we operate, in relation to our two largest funding sources:
Regional and national trade promotion groups
When we accept funding from organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce in Puglia, our goal is to educate people about traditional foods around the world, and to help ensure the survival of artisanal producers of these foods. We promote healthy traditional foods from places around the world, and never promote one food or region over another.
Private and Public Companies
Corporate funding comes largely from memberships in our various consumer education programs (the Whole Grains Council, the Latino Nutrition Coalition, and the Mediterranean Foods Alliance).
We’re occasionally asked: How we can reconcile accepting financial support from well-known food companies who manufacture, market, and/or sell less-than-healthy foods or drinks, with our core mission of helping Americans to eat healthier?
We believe that we can make more changes by engaging in constructive dialogue with food and drink companies, and by showing them how they can make a reasonable profit, and provide jobs, while making better products than they did before. Change is almost always incremental, so some of the companies we work with may still make products that we neither endorse nor eat or drink ourselves. Yet we continue to be dedicated to pushing them as far as we can in the right direction—not by scolding but by providing positive incentives and practical programs. The good news is we are finding that more and more food companies are recognizing that many Americans want to eat healthier, and that our efforts are leading companies to supplement (or in some cases, reformulate) their product lines with healthier options. Oldways is very pleased to be a part of this evolving process.