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Newman's Own

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Newman's Own Foundation)
Newman's Own
TypePrivate
Founded1982; 44 years ago (1982)
Founders
Headquarters
Westport, Connecticut
,
US
Key people
Alex Amouyel (President and CEO)
ProductsVarious food and pet food products
Websitenewmansown.com Edit this at Wikidata

Newman's Own is an American food company headquartered in Westport, Connecticut. It is best known for its salad dressing, frozen pizza, cookies, lemonade, and dog treats. Founded in 1982 by actor Paul Newman and author A.E. Hotchner, the company donates all of its after-tax profits to charity through Newman's Own Foundation, a private nonprofit foundation that supports child-focused programs.[1]

History

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The brand started in 1982 with a homemade salad dressing that Paul Newman and A.E. Hotchner prepared themselves and gave to friends as gifts.[2][3] The successful reception of the salad dressing led Newman and Hotchner to commercialize it for sale, financing it with $20,000 each as seed money.[4][3][5] Afterward, they also produced spaghetti sauce, lemonade, popcorn, frozen pizza, salsa, and several other products; Newman's Own premium wines product line was launched in 2008.[3] The company incorporated humor into its label packaging, as in the label for its first salad dressing in 1982, "Fine Foods Since February".[5]

Newman-O's cookies made by Newman's Own

In 1993, Newman's daughter Nell Newman founded Newman's Own Organics as a division of the company, later to become a separate company in late 2001.[6] It produced organic foods, including chocolate, cookies, pretzels and pet food. Her father posed with her for the photographs on the labels.[7] In 2014, Nell's license with Newman's Own was not renewed, and Newman's Own Organics was transferred back to Newman's Own.[8]

Newman and Hotchner co-wrote Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good (ISBN 0-385-50802-6), a memoir about their company and the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, published in 2003. Newman and CEO Robert Forrester arranged for the continuation of the distribution of Newman's Own profits to charity after Newman's death through the establishment of the Newman's Own Foundation.[9] Following Newman's death in 2008, control of the company and foundation passed to CEO Robert Forrester. After taking over, Forrester expanded and diversified the company.[10] Newman's daughter, Susan, has alleged that Forrester had taken her family "hostage" and pushed them off the board of the Newman's Own Foundation, the body set up to distribute company profits to charitable causes. Forrester said that the company and foundation are continuing to be operated in accordance with the late Paul Newman's expressed wishes.[11] His salary increased from $185,000 to $295,000 from 2010 to 2013. Forrester was fired in 2019 as a result of an internal review following allegations of inappropriate behavior, and the board appointed Jennifer Smith Turner as interim president and CEO.[12][13] In January 2020, Dr. Miriam Nelson took over those roles, and the board finalized the positions in January 2021.[14] As of April 2023, the current President and CEO of Newman's Own Foundation is Alex Amouyel.[15]

Business model

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100% of profits and royalties from the sale of Newman's Own foods are donated to charity.[16] When Paul Newman died in 2008, he gifted the food company to Newman's Own Foundation, which was made possible by the passage of the Philanthropic Enterprise Act of 2017.[17]

In January 2025, Newman's Own launched a campaign encouraging more companies to adopt its model.[18]

Newman's Own has inspired other philanthropic enterprises, including Hugh Jackman's Laughing Man Coffee.[19]

Charitable funding and beneficiaries

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Newman's Own Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Private Nonoperating Foundation, as verified by Candid (EIN 06-1606588)[20]. According to the Newman's Own Foundation website, over $600 million has been generated for charity since 1982.[21] In 2016, the company donated profits of $30 million after gross sales of $600 million.[22]

Grantee are listed on the Newman's Own Foundation website[23] along with a description of funding areas.[24] One beneficiary is the SeriousFun Children's Network (previously the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps), summer camps and programs for seriously ill children, which Newman co-founded in 1988. Today, there are camps, programs, and initiatives operating across five continents. Over 2.4 million camp experiences have been provided to children and families free of charge.[25] While proceeds from Newman's Own helped finance the startup of the first camp, the network and its member camps now receive funding from many sources.

Newman's Own Foundation's priority areas also include Nutrition Education & School Food[26] and Indigenous Food Justice[27]. Newman’s Own Foundation has invested resources in Native American communities since the 1990s.[28] In 2025, the Foundation granted $12.4 million to nonprofits and Tribes across the United States and territories.[29]

Historically, the Foundation has funded The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund (from 1983 onwards),[30] Shining Hope for Communities,[31] Safe Water Network,[9] Edible Schoolyard NYC,[32] the WILD Young Women Programme (New Zealand),[33] and Pilgrims Hospices (UK).[34] The company co-sponsored the PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award, which was presented annually to a United States resident who had fought courageously, despite adversity, to safeguard the First Amendment right to freedom of expression as it applied to the written word. Newman's Own has also contributed to the advancement of the study and teaching of philanthropy at institutions like Marist University, where Raymond A. Lamontagne was designated the first Paul Newman Senior Fellow in Philanthropy.[35]

In March 2023, Newman's Own Foundation announced the Food Justice for Kids Prize, $1 million in funding over two years.[36] Two inaugural beneficiaries in DC included FRESHFARM's FoodPrints program and Urban School Food Alliance.[37] The second Food Justice For Kids Prize, launched in March 2026, grew to $1.4 million with additional funding from Australian not-for-profit ticketing company Humanitix, The Henry P. Kendall Foundation, and the Hunger to Health Collaboratory.[38]

In June 2025, Newman's Own Foundation launched a participatory grantmaking program called The Indigenous Tomorrows Fund, led by Native Americans in Philanthropy [39]. In the pilot year, the program granted $720,000, with 21 emerging Indigenous leaders making grant decisions.[40]

References

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  1. ↑ "Newman's Own renews focus on 'radically good' change for children's health and hunger". CT Insider. July 22, 2022. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  2. ↑ Nadine Brozan (22 December 1989). "From Paul Newman's Own Company, $250,000 for Neediest". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  3. 1 2 3 Terri Maloney (February 5, 2024). "The Joy of Costco; Newman's Own Supporting Girls Sports". Food Trade News. Best-Met Publishing Co. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  4. ↑ Florence Fabricant (3 April 1991). "New Salsa Is True to Newman's Own Taste". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  5. 1 2 Ty Burr (28 September 2008). "Blue-eyed idol put an indelible stamp on movies, philanthropy". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
  6. ↑ "Nell's Corner - About Nell". newmansownorganics.com. Newman's Own Organics. Archived from the original on 2014-11-21. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  7. ↑ Florence Fabricant (6 April 1994). "Food Notes". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  8. ↑ Mark Seal (July 23, 2015). "Inside the Family Battle for the Newman's Own Brand Name". Vanity Fair. Conde Nast. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  9. 1 2 Susan Haigh (29 September 2008). "Newman planned for charitable legacy after death". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 2012-04-23. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
  10. ↑ "How The CEO Of The Newman's Own Foundation Carries On An Unconventional Legacy". Fast Company. April 4, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  11. ↑ Seal, Mark. "Inside the Family Battle for the Newman's Own Brand Name". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  12. ↑ Altimari, Dave. "Newman's Own CEO Bob Forrester removed following internal investigation". courant.com. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  13. ↑ Lynandro Simmons (2019-07-11). "Ousted Newman's Own CEO made $270K per year". Fairfield Citizen. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  14. ↑ "Miriam Nelson named President and CEO of Newman's Own Foundation". newmansown.org. Newman's Own Foundation. 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  15. ↑ Phil Hall (2023-03-02). "Alex Amouyel named chief executive at Newman's Own Foundation". Westfair Business Journal. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  16. ↑ "Newman's Own invites more companies to donate 100% of their profits to charities". Associated Press. 2025-01-23. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
  17. ↑ "Newman's Own invites more companies to donate 100% of their profits to charities". Associated Press. 2025-01-23. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
  18. ↑ "Newman's Own invites more companies to donate 100% of their profits to charities". U.S. News & World Report. 2025-01-23. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
  19. ↑ "Inspired by Paul Newman, Jackman creates Laughing Man org". Variety. 2025-01-23. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
  20. ↑ "Newman's Own Foundation". Candid.
  21. ↑ "Homepage". newmansown.org. Newman's Own Foundation.
  22. ↑ Tom Cunneff (24 March 2017). "Hollywood icon's 'lark' nears half billion in charity, but some family isn't applauding". CNBC.
  23. ↑ "Grantee Map". newmansown.org. Newman's Own Foundation. 2026.
  24. ↑ "Mission". newmansown.org. Newman's Own Foundation. 2023.
  25. ↑ "Impact". seriousfun.org.
  26. ↑ "Nutrition Education & School Food". newmansown.org. Newman's Own Foundation. 2026.
  27. ↑ "Indigenous Food Justice". newmansown.org. Newman's Own Foundation. 2026.
  28. ↑ "Walking Towards Food Justice: A Call to Action for Indigenous Communities". Native News Online. 2024-05-18. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
  29. ↑ "Our Impact". newmansown.org. Newman's Own Foundation. 2026.
  30. ↑ Jon Gertner (16 November 2003). "Newman's Own: Two Friends and a Canoe Paddle". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  31. ↑ Michael Roth (11 January 2012). "Opportunity, Engagement and Confidence: Cures for the Civic Recession". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
  32. ↑ "Newman's Own Foundation Awards $4 Million for Nutrition Programs". Philanthropy News Digest (Press release). 28 October 2012. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
  33. ↑ Rebecca Blithe (20 April 2012). "US charity helps fund programme for Auckland teens". The Aucklander. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
  34. ↑ Chris Murphy (15 July 2012). "Paul Newman charity to fund research by Kent's Pilgrims Hospices". KentNews.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
  35. ↑ "Prominent Philanthropist Lamontagne is First Paul Newman Senior Fellow in Philanthropy at Marist". marist.edu. Marist University. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
  36. ↑ "Newman's Own Foundation Announces Inaugural Food Justice for Kids Prize". BusinessWire. 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
  37. ↑ "Local programs targeting food insecurity receives $50K grant". NBC News 4. 2024-10-17. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
  38. ↑ "Food Justice for Kids Prize". newmansown.org. Newman's Own Foundation. 2026.
  39. ↑ "This New Youth-Led Grantmaking Program Backs Indigenous Approaches to Health". Inside Philanthropy. 2025-07-17. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
  40. ↑ "Here's what young Native Americans funded with $720K from Newman's Own Foundation and Novo Nordisk". Associated Press. 2025-10-14. Retrieved 2026-06-25.

Further reading

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See also

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