4 minute read
Philanthropy For Pizza
Alpha Kappa Brother Sells Pizza To Boost Philanthropy In The Chicago Area
It might seem a bit strange to some to pick up a pizza order in an alleyway, but for Brother John Carruthers of Alpha Kappa Chapter, Tennessee-Knoxville, it’s the perfect spot for him to share his pizzas while encouraging philanthropy through his Crust Fund Pizza.
During the Pandemic, Brother Carruthers found himself at home with his family as most people did. He spent a lot of time with his kids and one of the fun activities they started was making homemade pizzas on Friday nights. This sprung the idea of selling pizzas to encourage community members to give to organizations and projects that better the Chicago area, and help others.
“I thought if all I could do really well at this point is make pizza, that’s what I’ll do and we will make sure that’s going towards something good for the place that I live,” John said.
Brother Carruthers has worked in the food industry for years, most recently, he worked for six years at Revolution Brewery in Chicago, holding various communication positions over those years. He has also written cookbooks and wrote for New City as a freelance food columnist. John was also on an episode of “Chopped” that aired in early 2023.
The way Crust Fund Pizza works is John will share a monthly menu and specialty pizza on his Instagram account that people can order from. Instead of directly paying John, people make a donation to the organization John has chosen that month. Using proof of a donation, John will fulfill a person’s order and deliver the pizzas in an alley near his home. Brother Carruthers does not take the money for the organizations. People just need to have a donation completed by a scheduled Monday and he delivers the pizzas that following Thursday.
“In my experience, people tend to give more than they would have normally, if they were just writing a check to some guy,” Brother Carruthers said.
In my experience, people tend to give more than they would have normally, if they were just writing a check.
He explained that allowing people to donate directly to the organizations rather than paying him the money provides a level of transparency that he feels leads to better giving outcomes.
John said the organizations that receive support every month through Crust Fund Pizza are picked by him. He said they are often organizations he has worked with in the past, they request support or he knows that they are doing something good for the Chicago community. His only stipulation is that the organization must be doing some kind of direct social good for the community.
These organizations range from homeless shelters to food pantries and more. As of January 2025, Crust Fund Pizza has raised $88,519 for local charities and organizations since its inception in 2020.
Brother Carruthers has also received requests that he visit local restaurants and make pizzas as a guest cook.
Depending on the workload, sometimes he and some of his friends who also like to cook will spend a day at a restaurant and cook a large order of pizzas for the restaurant.
According to Eater Chicago, Crust Fund Pizza received an Eater Award in 2021 as the best Chicago pop-up.
For those who would like to support Brother Carruthers and the Chicago area, people can visit crustfundpizza. com and purchase a cookbook written by John. Funds from cookbook purchases often go towards goods needed to make the pizzas. People and organizations can also donate goods to Crust Fund Pizza such as cheese, tomatoes, and other pizza ingredients.
