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About GCNF

The Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) is a US-based nonprofit (501c3) dedicated to a future where every child has access to nutritious, sustainable school meals—helping children, families, communities, and nations thrive.

We work with governments and partners around the world to provide the knowledge, tools, and connections needed to build high-quality school meal programs that improve education, health, nutrition, local economies, and community wellbeing.

GCNF is dedicated to helping countries build and sustain their own school meal systems

How We Work

  • We Support government efforts to effectively implement and sustain national school meal programs
  • We Engage civil society and businesses to strengthen supply chains and increase political will for school meal programs
  • We Share best practices and tools to support the creation, expansion, and improvement of national school meal programs
  • We Coordinate with others in the field – nonprofits, schools, and researchers – to raise awareness and secure robust support and resources for school meal programs.
  • We Research school meal programs to highlight their multisectoral intersections and identify areas of challenge and opportunity

OUR PROGRAMS

The Global Child Nutrition Forum

Unites representatives from governments, businesses, international organizations, NGOs, and academic institutions to share knowledge and strategies for improving school feeding and child nutrition worldwide.
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The Global Survey of School Meal Programs ©

Collects the most comprehensive data collection on national and large-scale school meal programs with information from 167 countries to date.
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GCNF also offers partnerships in research, technical assistance, and advocacy to ensure every child has access to nutritious meals. We welcome collaboration with all who share our mission. Investing in school meals is investing in a healthier, more resilient future for every child.

Why School Meals Matter

For millions of children, a school meal is the only nutritious meal they receive in a day.

The Power of School Meals

School meal programs address the three pillars of economic development in one program: education, health and nutrition, and agriculture.

Data from the Global Survey of School Meal Programs©

Our Story

The Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) was founded by Gene White, whose vision was to ensure every child has access to a nutritious school meal. Her work built a strong foundation of global collaboration, including the start of the Global Child Nutrition Forum, which has brought leaders together since the 1997.

GCNF was officially established in 2006 to carry this momentum forward—connecting partners, sharing knowledge, and strengthening school meal programs worldwide. GCNF expanded its role as a global resource, launching the Global Survey of School Meal Programs© in 2019 to provide critical data and insights to inform policy and practice.

Mission

The Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) provides governments and their partners with knowledge, tools, and connections to build high-quality school meal programs that support all children and contribute to national educational, agricultural, economic, social protection, health, and nutrition goals

Vision

We envision a future where school meals sustainably nourish all children and help them, their families, communities, and nations to thrive.

Core Values

The principles guiding everything we do.

  • Mutual Respect and Partnership

  • Trust and Integrity

  • Peer Learning and Sharing

  • Equity and Inclusion

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Our Team

Meet the Leaders and Staff driving GCNF's global mission.

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Opportunities

Explore open roles, fellowships, and ways to engage with us.

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Contact Us

Get in touch with our team for partnership and inquiries.

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JOIN US!

Join GCNF in helping to ensure governments and their partners have the tools, connections, and knowledge they need to implement high quality school meal programs.

Help by making a tax-deductible contribution to GCNF today.

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