Robert Egger is the Founder and President of the DC Central Kitchen, where unemployed men and women learn marketable culinary skills while foods donated by restaurants, hotels and caterers are converted into balanced meals. Since opening in 1989, the Kitchen has distributed 17.4 million meals and helped over 605 men and women gain full-time employment.
Currently, Robert is the Co-Convener of the first ever Nonprofit Congress and the founder of the V3 Campaign (www.v3campaign.org), which is working to get the voice, value and votes of the nonprofit sector recognized in every election in America. Robert is also the Chairperson of the DC Mayor's Commission on Nutrition and serves on the Boards of TimeBanks USA and the Food Systems Leadership Institute.
Robert was included in the Non Profit Times list of the "50 Most Powerful and Influential Nonprofit Leaders" in 2006 and 2007. He was the recipient of the 2005 Volunteers of America Community Service award and the 2004 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year award. He has also been named an Oprah Angel, a Washingtonian of the Year, a Point of Light and one of the Ten Most Caring People in America, by the Caring Institute. He is also a 14-gallon blood donor to the American Red Cross.
Robert's book on the non-profit sector, Begging for Change: The Dollars and Sense of Making Nonprofits Responsive, Efficient and Rewarding For All, which was released in 2004 by HarperCollins, received the 2005 McAdam Prize for "Best Nonprofit Management Book" by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management.