Support The ICAEF

As a caterer, every one of us is called upon so often to make donations to our local communities. I can’t imagine another profession that is asked to provide FREE goods and services as often as we are. What is even harder to believe, is that fact that we do it. We do donate to every charity, every school, every cultural institution… the list is endless… and the calls never stop coming. Why do we do it? Well, many of us feel that this is a way to give back to the community that has provided us a livelihood for so many years… a way to assist the local community that has supported us, helped raise our children, provided us with friends in the neighborhood, and was there for us in times of need – though, fortunately, most of us have never had to call upon them for that special assistance.

But there is a much larger world out there than just our local communities… and we are all a part of that larger world. As a caterer, you are a part of a world community of caterers. If you had a question about serving ice cream to 1,000 people in July in Phoenix , wasn’t it nice to know that there was someone out there to assist you? If you needed a special type of mask for the Mardi Gras event you were doing in Seattle , wasn’t it nice knowing that there was a caterer in New Orleans willing to make the connections you needed, to have the perfect mask delivered to your door. O.K. Maybe you haven’t had the need to call upon another caterer, in another city for advice or guidance – but wasn’t it nice to know that it was available to you?

Here is your chance to help the catering community – YOUR COMMUNITY – on a much larger scale.

The International Caterers Association Educational Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation created to provide educational opportunities to caterers worldwide. One of the foundation’s goals is to provide scholarship money for new caterers to continue their catering education.

I have said, over and over, that catering is a hard business. Finding a trick, a tip or a gimmick that makes this business easier or more profitable for us, is like finding gold. The Educational Foundation is full of tips, tricks and gimmicks, but it is sorely lacking in gold.

Here is a way for you to lend a hand to your fellow caterers – not necessarily the caterer down the block – but perhaps one several states, provinces or even countries away from you. Providing a donation to the ICAEF is like providing the helping hand that new caterers need to be successful. Have you learned anything from the ICA ? Now you have the opportunity to teach what you have learned to another caterer… without ever leaving your home.

The ICAEF is a worldwide not-for-profit foundation. (In the U.S. the Foundation falls under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as a not-for-profit educational association.) As such, all donations you make to the Foundation are 100% tax deductible.

= If you have retired, this becomes a real tax benefit for you. Formerly, any contributions you made to the Association were merely expenses to be written off against revenue. Now that you are retired, donations made to this foundation are DEDUCTIONS to your taxable income rather than merely expenses.

= If you are still working in the industry you have a choice of how to contribute. A personal contribution becomes a tax deduction – a business contribution becomes a business expense for you. Either way you can deduct it.

We are accepting donations of any type…stocks, bonds, annuities, foundation grants and even planned posthumous giving is appreciated… but the easiest way to give is to merely write a check. Will you please take a moment to do that now? Should any of you want to have scholarships named for yourself, a colleague or a loved one, please contact the ICA office directly and it will be arranged for you.

Checks should be sent to:

The International Caterers Association Educational Foundation
1200 17 th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036-3095
Phone: 888.604.5844