In 2025, Allie Shapiro Dandry and her parents, Dan and Debbie Shapiro, founded the Shapiro Family Foundation to deepen their commitment to New Orleans. Building on years of philanthropic leadership and industry experience — including Dan Shapiro’s role as CEO of Krispy Krunchy Chicken and Dandry’s work advancing the company’s disaster relief and social responsibility initiatives — the family established the foundation to increase their impact and further their philanthropic efforts.
Hunger Relief and Educational Access
As uncertainty around SNAP benefits left more New Orleans families at risk of hunger in late 2025, Dandry made hunger alleviation a central focus of the foundation’s work. By leveraging decades of relationships in the food service industry, the family has quickly multiplied its impact. For instance, they secured donations of whole chickens for Clover New Orleans’ holiday meals from their longtime chicken provider.
Dandry, who holds an undergraduate and master’s degree in neuroscience from Tulane University, is equally committed to expanding educational access. She is especially focused on the critical early years from birth to age five. In addition to early childhood learning, she also champions investments in occupational and educational therapy, as well as career pathways beyond the traditional college route.
Meeting Community Needs
When the Shapiro Family Foundation launched its initial grant round, Dandry expected fifteen to thirty applicants. Instead, they received 196 applications in less than four weeks.
“You know the need is there, but once you start dialing in, it is heartbreaking,” said Dandry. Sorting through the many applications became a task in itself. She focused on organizations within Orleans Parish that work to reduce hunger or support education.
After many phone calls and meetings, she arrived at the first four grant recipients: unCommon Construction, Early Partners, Raintree Children & Family Services, and Lantern Light. Toups’ Family Meal and Clover New Orleans also received Community Impact Awards. With this grant round in September of 2025, the foundation gave away four $10,000 investments. These, as well as additional donations, totaled around $70-80,000 provided to nonprofits in 2025.
Education Investments
These investments have already brought about positive change for the recipients. For instance, Early Partners, a Reggio-inspired preschool, hired an educational therapist. Both Kim Frusciante, their founder and CEO, and Dandry understood that this young age was the best time to assess each child’s independent needs.
UnCommon Construction, meanwhile, used their investment to cover meal and transportation costs for their apprentices. This organization provides young New Orleanians with the skills and connections to enter the construction field.
Nutrition Services and Hunger Relief
Raintree Children & Family Services brought in a nutritionist to help their children and families. As Dandry explained, Raintree helps children who deal with a lot of trauma related to food, and the nutritionist reteaches them how to eat without hoarding food or overeating.
Given their background in the food services industry, the foundation is especially adept at upgrading the capacity for their food-based organizations. To this end, they are helping Toups’ Family Meal construct a kitchen. This organization cooks thousands of meals during the holiday season, and the Shapiro Family Foundation is donating hot food cases, fryers, and more equipment from one of their suppliers, HR Supply. They are also donating refrigerators and freezers to Raintree as the organization expands their campus. Lantern Light, who often provide hundreds of meals from two hot plates, will receive more industrial refrigerators and freezers to help expand their capacity.
Dandry speaks highly of all these organizations and their work within the city. “The success is those relationships for me, personally,” said Dandry. “It is being able to meet all these amazing people that are doing great work.” Helping them continue this work is key.
Though the foundation has only been in existence for a year, its impact on the community is already evident and meaningful. Building upon her longstanding philanthropic leadership at Krispy Krunchy Chicken and expanding that commitment through the Shapiro Family Foundation, Dandry has demonstrated a dedication to strengthening New Orleans. Given the success of its inaugural year, the foundation is poised to remain a significant, steady force for good in the community for years to come.
Shapiro Family Foundation, shapirofamilyfoundation.com
