27 Partners Confirmed and $19.8 Million in Grants to Community Organizations So Far This Year…And More to Come

By Dave Tovar
SVP Communications & Government Relations

For decades, companies have seen ever-increasing pressure to do more than deliver shareholder profits. Recent findings reported by Harvard Business School show that 95% of employees believe businesses should benefit all stakeholders—not just shareholders— including employees, customers, suppliers, and communities where they operate. 

Throughout my career, I’ve been extremely fortunate to work for some of the leading American brands, including their programs and initiatives to improve the communities they serve. The Walmart Foundation invested in programs that create economic opportunity, advance sustainability and equity and strengthen local communities. While at McDonald’s, I was able to work with the Ronald McDonald House Charities as our charity of choice and saw how they helped improve the health and well-being of children and their families. And during my time with Sprint, the company launched a massive program offering free devices and free internet service to unconnected students. After joining Grubhub almost one year ago, the opportunity to help further develop the company’s corporate giving – with greater strategic direction and measured impact – was a clear priority as our team grew.

Taking key learnings from existing partnerships, we’ve expanded our philanthropic efforts and evolved the way we partner with nonprofits to drive more meaningful, long-term change. So far this year, we have laid the groundwork to support programs and initiatives with 27 Grubhub Community Fund partners, supported by an expected $19.8 million in grants. This support will enable $11.3 million in restaurant grant programs. And, we’re not done yet. As we look to the second half of the year, new programs and partnerships are in the works that will launch in the coming months.

Fortunately, we are building on a strong foundation of corporate giving. Grubhub has a history of supporting independent restaurants, helping to eliminate food waste and fighting food insecurity in communities. The Grubhub Community Fund, with the support of our diners through our Donate the Change program, has enabled $21 million in grants to independent restaurants and provided 325,000 meals to food-insecure families. Additionally, Grubhub has given $500,000 in grants to drivers working to create meaningful change in their communities. In 2021 alone, the Grubhub Community Fund donated more than $25 million to over 23 charitable organizations. Looking back, it’s incredible to see how much has been achieved in just a few years since the Grubhub Community Fund launched. 

As our corporate giving continues to mature, we’re poised to make an even bigger impact supporting independent restaurants, closing the hunger gap and creating more opportunities in the food and beverage industry. At the end of the day, we will not only strengthen our company’s reputation and help us attract and retain the best talent, but they also show our diners how we support their restaurant neighbors and the communities they live in. And, our Grubhub customers should feel good knowing they’re directly supporting local restaurants and community-first initiatives with each order. 

 2022 GCF Confirmed Partners

(Updated June 2, 2022) 

National 

• Feed The Soul 
• National ACE 
• NGLCC 
• Restaurant Strong Fund 
• UNHCR 
• World Central Kitchen 

Local 

• Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago 
• FeedMore WNY
• Food Bank for NYC 
• Heartland Human Care Refugee and Immigrant Community Services  
• Hospitality Pathways 
• JCFS Chicago – HIAS Immigration & Citizenship 
• Nourishing Hope (fka Lakeview Pantry) 
• Madison Square Boys & Girls Club 
• MEANS Database 
• Momentum Advisory Collective 
• Piatt Family Foundation 
• Plant Powered Metro 
• Queens Center for Progress 
• Rescuing Leftover Cuisine 
• Tacombi Community Kitchen 
• The Refugee Center 
• Union League Boys & Girls Club 
• Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens 
• Youth Guidance 
• World Relief Chicago 
• World Relief Quad Cities 

The Grubhub Community Fund is a Donor Advised Fund at a national sponsoring organization.