About Foodservice Packaging Institute
The Foodservice Packaging Institute funds practical, implementation-focused projects to expand foam (Styrofoam) recycling capacity across U.S. communities. Grants are targeted at municipalities, county governments, community colleges, recycling centers and a small set of industry/coalition partners to buy foam densifiers and support the Foam Recycling Coalition’s outreach and program work. Their giving emphasizes infrastructure, local government solid-waste programs, and coalition-building rather than pure research or general operating support.
Focus Areas
Municipal and county foam/Styrofoam recycling infrastructure (purchase of foam densifiers)Support for the Foam Recycling Coalition and coalition outreach/educationCommunity college and local recycling center equipment grants to accept foamAssistance to municipal public works and local solid-waste programs to implement foam recycling
Who They Fund
recycling coalitionsmunicipal recycling programswaste management organizationsenvironmental nonprofit groups focused on recycling
About Foodservice Packaging Institute
Foodservice Packaging Institute Inc. centers its grantmaking on one practical goal: building foam recycling capacity in U.S. communities. Recent awards show a clear preference for implementation work, with support going to local governments, colleges, recycling centers, and coalition partners that can buy foam densifiers or advance outreach for the Foam Recycling Coalition. That makes the funder easy to distinguish from grantmakers that emphasize research or broad environmental advocacy. The pattern also points to a project-based approach, where each award is tied to a specific recycling asset or program need. Among the larger recent grants, Mecklenburg County Government in Charlotte received $50,000 for Foam Recycling Coalition grants, and The Foam Recycler in Placitas, New Mexico received $38,800 for a foam densifier to accept foam for recycling. South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois also received $50,000 for a foam densifier, underscoring the institute’s interest in institutions that can create local drop-off or processing capacity. The foundation’s giving is national, but the recipients are consistently tied to concrete, place-based recycling operations.
What Foodservice Packaging Institute Funds
The institute’s grantmaking is most visible in foam densification and EPS diversion work. In 2024, it gave $50,000 to Geauga-Trumbull in Warren, Ohio for a foam densifier to accept foam for recycling, and another $49,250 to the City of High Point in North Carolina for the same purpose. Those awards show a recurring emphasis on equipment that helps local programs process expanded polystyrene. It also supports coalition and outreach activity. Mecklenburg County Government in Charlotte received $50,000 for Foam Recycling Coalition grants, while the University of North Carolina Wilmington received $9,627 for a Styrofoam Recycling Coalition expa banner. In 2023, Ray Locato Recycling Center in Rock Springs, West Virginia received $29,450 for Foam Recycling Coalition grants, tying the institute’s philanthropy to education and program-building as well as capital purchases.
How Foodservice Packaging Institute Gives
Typical awards cluster tightly around a similar size: the 25th percentile is $39,700, the median is $49,140, and the 75th percentile is $50,000. That distribution suggests a standardized project-grant model rather than widely varying commitments. The recent record also shows repeated support across consecutive years, especially in 2023 and 2024, which points to ongoing programmatic funding rather than isolated one-off gifts. The institute is not a funder of individuals and does not make program-related investments. Grants in the dataset are project-specific, with purposes tied to equipment purchases, coalition support, or program outreach.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$199K
Total Assets
$4.6M
Total Revenue
$4.1M
Total Expenses
$3.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $40K and $50K, with a median of $49K.
25th Percentile
$40K
Median
$49K
75th Percentile
$50K
Geographic Reach
National8 states funded
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NC.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
MARANATHA DEMPSEY
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