Founded by the late movie star, philanthropist Paul Newman in 1982, Newman’s Own entered its fourth decade this year by refreshing its brand to better connect with younger consumers and more sharply focusing the mission of the foundation that receives 100% of the food company’s profits. Dr. Miriam Nelson, a scientist and social entrepreneur renowned for her extensive research, policy work and civic action in public health, children’s wellness, sustainability and food systems, took the reins of the Newman’s Own Foundation in 2020.
Dr. Miriam Nelson, president & CEO of The Newman's Own Foundation
David Hessekiel: Please tell me a bit about the personal/professional journey that resulted in you becoming the CEO of Newman’s Own Foundation, a unique, important player in the world of corporate social impact.
Miriam Nelson: My relationship with Newman’s Own Foundation began in the most organic way. I’d been brainstorming ways to secure funding for a small after-school nutrition project I was running. The project needed outside funding, but I was at a loss as to where I could find it. My eureka moment came one night when I reached into my refrigerator and saw a bottle of Newman’s Own salad dressing on the shelf. I thought to myself, “Hey, I should really approach this food company and ask them for a grant.” So that’s exactly what I did.
Newman's Own Garlic Viniagrette & Marinade
I felt like I had won the lottery when I received my grant, so when I was asked to fill a seat on the food company board, I was thrilled. What a great way to advance food security for more children.
I transitioned to my current role as the Newman’s Own Foundation President and CEO in January 2020, so I guess you can say that I’ve held almost every seat at Paul Newman’s pioneering table of philanthropy.
I never got the chance to meet Paul, but I’ve read almost everything he wrote, and I’ve watched most interviews he gave during his lifetime. For the record, my favorite Paul Newman movie is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. From my own research and talking to team members and legacy Foundation partners who worked with Paul, I feel I have come to know an extraordinary man, a pioneer in philanthropy. Paul had a truly unique approach to philanthropy, and that approach intrigued me as a grantee, as a childhood nutrition advocate/expert, and now as leader of a legendary social enterprise that all started with a great recipe for salad dressing.
David Hessekiel: Newman’s Own recently announced an evolution of its mission to nourishing and transforming the lives of kids who face adversity every day. Why did the commercial and giving sides of the enterprise feel it was important to make this change?
Miriam Nelson: Paul founded the first food company to donate 100% of its profits to charity. Even today, with so many companies talking about their ESG strategies and talking about purpose and corporate social responsibility, it’s hard to find any company that does what Paul was doing 40 years ago. Paul was among the first “social entrepreneurs” long before that was even a term.
But in an age where we’re used to companies talking about their purpose, the pioneering story of Newman’s Own is especially important—particularly the early work driven by Paul on behalf of seriously ill children. That story was getting lost with younger generations—people who don’t know Paul Newman the Oscar-winning actor, let alone the man who created an entirely different kind of social enterprise.
We also realized that by focusing our efforts more deeply on one area—kids who face adversity—we could have a greater impact than by spreading our resources across many different causes. And with more than 34 million children (46% of youth under age 18) facing at least one significant adverse childhood experience, including severe, chronic health conditions, extreme poverty, and/or a lack of nutritious food, the need for help has risen greatly. In fact, the demand to help these children has grown exponentially due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Paul’s face still appears on Newman’s Own food products after 40 years, but the millennial and GenZ grocery shoppers who buy our salad dressings, pasta sauces, and pizzas might be wholly unaware of Paul’s film career and his story as a food company founder and humanitarian. It’s an enduring example of philanthropy and giving back. The more we tell this story, the more kids can benefit from his spirit and the innovative partners he identified—and that’s what Paul would have wanted.
David Hessekiel: What were the guiding principles that have helped you decide how to focus your activity? What are some examples of major initiatives you are supporting?
Miriam Nelson: While Paul is no longer by our side and no longer at the helm of the Foundation today, he’s still very much with us in spirit. From day one, he believed that nourishing a child’s spirit is just as important as nourishing their bodies. His first major act after founding Newman’s Own was creating summer camps where kids with serious illnesses could just be kids. Bringing joy to kids is at the heart of the Foundation, and that mission informs our partnerships with the visionary children-first humanitarians who are implementing innovative ideas within their communities.
Paul believed that we all have an obligation to protect and nurture children because these efforts lead to a more just and humane society. So, when it came time to look at what the Foundation will set out to do for the next 40 years, we dug deep into Paul’s foundational ethos and his desire to bring joy to children. The decision to focus on kids was ultimately a natural evolution—it’s exactly what the world needs right now.
By raising awareness of children’s issues like nutrition and food security, we connect people with important causes. Ultimately, the folks who choose our food products become donors to these causes.
As for major initiatives that we’re supporting, we work closely with SeriousFun Children’s Network, a network of 30 lifechanging camps and programs around the world that serve children living with serious illnesses and their families, free of charge. The network includes The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, the first camp founded by Paul, in 1988.
On the food security and nutrition side, we work closely with FoodCorps, an organization that partners with schools and communities to nourish kids’ health, education, and sense of belonging. Paul personally helped FoodCorps get its start, and now this innovative organization operates in more than 13 states, bringing kids closer to nourishing food and food education in their schools. This relationship is an example of Paul’s keen ability to identify, trust, and partner with extraordinary humanitarian leaders, like Curt Ellis, the founder of FoodCorps—people who are tirelessly working within their communities to uplift and nourish the lives of children.
We began supporting nutrition security in Indian Country 20 years ago, and in recent years that work has focused on Indigenous children. Less than one percent of philanthropic dollars flow to Indigenous communities, and yet there is high need and a great deal of social innovation around regaining food sovereignty in Indigenous communities. We want to support those innovations.
David Hessekiel: Refocusing the mission means there are some groups that you’ve supported that you will no longer — that is always tough. What are examples of causes you are moving away from and how have you handled those transitions?
Miriam Nelson: Moving away from other causes, such as supporting veterans, has been difficult, and we are sensitive to how our former partners will fare without our dedicated support. We have taken great care to navigate these transitions, including providing transitional support over a number of years, all in a spirit of enduring respect and common interest.
David Hessekiel: I love the way you sum up your approach by saying “We sell products to support a cause, we don’t support a cause to sell product.” Speaking of product — what is the best-selling Newman’s Own product and what is your favorite?
Miriam Nelson: I should say that the salad dressing is my favorite product since it was my entry into Newman’s Own Foundation. I also love our new pizzas that are coming out this year. But I am particularly partial to Newman’s Own Lemonade.
Beyond its great taste, this beverage is most like Paul. For he was a true example of someone who could turn “lemons into lemonade”—through his philanthropy and the creation of a food company that gives it all away. To me, the lemonade is the enduring ethos of this pioneering philanthropist and the job he wants all of us to do.
