By: Tom Cosgrove, Senior Manager, Program and Development, FMI Foundation/Health & Wellness, FMI
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season and a very full calendar of special days:
- You probably know about Black Friday (11/29) and may even have your shopping game plan in place.
- Small Business Saturday (11/30) focuses on supporting local and regional businesses.
- Cyber Monday (12/2) is abuzz with online deals.
But there is one more special day during the early holiday season you need to put on the calendar: Giving Tuesday (12/3). This takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which has become an international day of charitable giving at the beginning of the holiday season.
In the spirit of Giving Tuesday, I encourage you to donate to the FMI Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization that supports research and education in the areas of food safety, nutrition, and health. Here are some of our 2019 successes that your donations support:
National Family Meals Month™
According to the Harris Poll, who has been the data collector for the entire five-year campaign, 25% of the U.S. population saw the campaign in 2019 and 84% of the U.S. population report that they are willing to commit to having more family meals each week.
FMI’s Food Safety Auditing Scholarship and Education Travel Grant
We promote food safety auditing as a career with scholarships and education travel grants. This year, we awarded 15 scholarships to students in various stages of their education – from undergrad to PhD students. Additionally, the Foundation offers grant support to several food safety and health organizations.
The Unified Voice Protocol
This initiative created by the FMI Foundation in 2017 proactively nurtures consumer trust in the food and consumer goods industries so your customers can purchase products they desire with full confidence in those who provide them. This year we have embarked on our second pilot project that examines the emerging issue of consumer acceptance of gene editing.
#GivingTuesday with FMI Foundation
The best way to give a tax-deductible donation to the FMI Foundation is by reserving your ticket to Stir It Up! – the annual culinary competition held during the Midwinter Executive Conference.
Supporting Stir It Up! is easy. You can fill out the form to pledge your support or you can reach out to the FMI Foundation team directly at stiritup@fmi.org. We’ll be happy to get you all squared away for what looks to be the best Stir It Up! yet.
