Beth Braniff Harp is the executive director of Kids’ Meals, Inc., a caring nonprofit whose mission is “to end childhood hunger by delivering free healthy meals to the doorsteps of Houston’s hungriest preschool-aged children, and, through collaboration, provide their families with resources to help end the cycle of poverty.” It is the nation’s only home meal delivery program for preschool-aged children. As the organization’s executive director, Beth has proven to be a stronghold in combating childhood hunger in the Houston community.

Houston ranks second in the nation for childhood poverty, with approximately 88,000 children living in food-insecure homes. Beth works tirelessly with the Kids’ Meals’ staff, board, and volunteers to ensure that as many impoverished children as possible receive vital nutrition. As Kids’ Meals’ executive director, her goal is to raise awareness regarding the hunger crisis in Houston, the lasting effects it has on our economy, and the solutions that are key to overcoming the challenges surrounding childhood hunger.

With over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Beth has developed a diverse skill-set in strategic planning, fundraising, donor relations, event creation and production, board cultivation, volunteer recruitment and management, communications, and board governance. By applying her diverse background and skills to the job that means so much to her, through developing and implementing creative fundraising and marketing strategies, Beth has led successful efforts over the past 10 years to grow the Kids’ Meals’ annual budget by 310 percent.

The annual Kids’ Meals Harvest Luncheon is her brainchild. It has grown from 120 attendees in the beginning to 1,400. In addition, Beth is implementing a strategic five-year plan with the board of directors to grow the organization so that it will be equipped to provide one million meals to children in need by 2020. It is a worthy goal.

Because of her hard work and devotion to helping the city’s children, Houston Mayor, Sylvester Turner, proclaimed July 21 as Kids’ Meals Day in Houston, Texas.

Beth began her career in the nonprofit sector at Child Advocates. During her eight plus years with the nonprofit, Beth worked tirelessly with the staff to raise the annual budget to $2 million. She also served as the organization’s spokesperson.

After Child Advocates, Beth spent the next 12 years of her career as the director of sponsorships for the Houston’s Children’s Festival benefiting Child Advocates, the nation’s largest children’s festival. Overall, she raised over $35 million in sponsorships for the festival and created relationships with over 250 companies and corporations.

To date, Beth has raised over $44 million to help improve the lives of underprivileged Houston-area children and families.

Though the task to end childhood hunger in Houston may seem daunting, Beth, who has made helping children her life’s work, is determined to do just that. Already, as executive director of Kid’s Meals, she has personally, and with the help of dedicated staff, board members, and volunteers, made tremendous strides in alleviating the problem for many, providing them with tremendous hope for the future.

CKW LUXE would like to congratulate Beth Braniff Harp for being a CKW LUXE Top 20 CEOs and Entrepreneurs Awards recipient for 2019.