To build healthy communities through fresh foods, timely access to nutritious food, and supporting programs and organizations that help communities thrive.
A defining feature of Save Mart Cares is its direct tie to store communities: local store teams can support schools, youth teams, local nonprofits, community activities, product donations, and small local grants through the Local Store Community Sponsorships & Adopt-a-School / Youth Team Support program. That local structure sits alongside quarterly foundation grants aimed at stronger communities through fresh foods, access to food, and youth-serving programs. The foundation’s recent grant list shows that it funds a mix of food access, youth development, community health, and education groups, often at the $10,000 level. In 2025, it supported organizations such as Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services in Sacramento, Mandela Partners in Oakland, and Poverello House in Fresno, showing a pattern of practical community-based support across Northern and Central California. The foundation also funds food recovery infrastructure through a dedicated Feeding Forward cycle, which narrows the focus to retail food recovery efforts. Across the available grants, the emphasis is on nonprofit programs and organizations rather than individuals or fundraising appeals, with grants appearing to support operating or programmatic needs in the communities served by Save Mart, Lucky, and FoodMaxx stores.
Food access is one of the clearest themes in Save Mart Cares’ grantmaking. In 2025, the foundation gave $10,000 to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services in Sacramento and $10,000 to Poverello House in Fresno, both aligned with food security and access. Youth and education also appear frequently. The foundation awarded $10,000 to Pleasanton Partnerships in Ed in Pleasanton and $10,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Merced in Merced, linking grants to youth programs and education support. Community health and wellness is another recurring theme, with $10,000 to Womens Empowerment in Sacramento and $7,500 to Sacramento Life Center in Sacramento. The grant list also includes support for local community institutions such as Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding and Oakland Childrens Fairyland in Oakland, which fits the foundation’s broader community-support approach.
Save Mart Cares’ recent awards cluster around small grants: the stated typical range is $500 to $10,000, and the distribution is tight at the top end with p25 at $7,500, median at $10,000, and p75 at $10,000. That pattern matches the recent grant list, where many awards land at $10,000. The foundation is a public charity and a regular funder, and the available grant programs show quarterly cycles plus local store sponsorships. Grants are unsolicited in the listed programs, and the program descriptions emphasize support for community-based nonprofits, programs, and organizations rather than individuals or fundraisers. The recent record also shows repeat support over multiple years for some recipients, including Nevada Diabetes Association and Second Harvest Bank of Sj & Stan Co.
$296K
$1.1M
$464K
$549K
Most grants fall between $8K and $10K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Grantmaking is regional, with 60% of grants going to recipients in California. The recent list is concentrated in California cities such as Sacramento, Fresno, Oakland, Modesto, Redding, and Pleasanton, alongside Nevada recipients in Reno and Carson City. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 35 grants in the United States. Program geography also points to the Save Mart Companies footprint across California, Oregon, and Washington, though the recent grants shown here land mainly in California and Nevada.
The foundation funds food security, food access and distribution, hunger relief, youth programs and education, food rescue and retail recovery, and community health and wellness. Recent grants also show support for local schools, youth-serving nonprofits, food banks, and retail food recovery infrastructure.
Yes. The active grant programs listed for the foundation all note that they accept unsolicited requests, including quarterly general grants, community grants, and the Feeding Forward cycle.
Typical grants are small. The stated distribution is p25 at $7,500, median at $10,000, and p75 at $10,000, with program descriptions generally listing a $500 to $10,000 range.
The top state by grant count is California, which accounts for 60% of grants to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipients include organizations in Sacramento, Fresno, Oakland, Modesto, Redding, and Pleasanton.
The recent record includes repeat support for some organizations across multiple years. Nevada Diabetes Association received grants in both 2023 and 2025, and Second Harvest Bank of Sj & Stan Co also appears in multiple years.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Save Mart Cares that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Local schools, youth teams, and community organizations in the store’s neighborhood. Store managers handle requests for product donations, youth sports team sponsorships, and community fundraiser considerations.
Who can apply: Open exclusively to organizations engaged in retail food recovery efforts with funding requests related to infrastructure needs. Limited to Feeding Forward-related applications only.
Deadline: Application Deadline: August 10, 2026.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEVADA DIABETES ASSOCIATION | RENO, NV | $25,000 | 2025 | — |
| TURTLE BAY EXPLORATION PARK | REDDING, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| OAKLAND CHILDRENS FAIRYLAND | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| POVERELLO HOUSE | FRESNO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| COMMUNITY EDUCATION PARTNERSH | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| STAN CO OFFICE OF ED | MODESTO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| PLEASANTON PARTNERSHIPS IN ED | PLEASANTON, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| SCIENCE FROM SCIENTISTS | BURLINGAME, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| CASA OF FRESNO AND MADERA COU | FRESNO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| CARE FRESNO | FRESNO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| Bethlehem Center | VISALIA, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| CALIFORNIA ST UNIVERSITY SACR | SACRAMENTO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| SAFE 2 SCHOOL | FRESNO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| KIDS FIRST-FAMILY COUNSELING | ROSEVILLE, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| CONTRA COSTA CO SOC ST VINCEN | PITTSBURG, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| SACRAMENTO FOOD BANK & | SACRAMENTO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| CHANNEL 5 PUBLIC BROADCASTING | RENO, NV | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| MANDELA PARTNERS | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | LONG BEACH, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| JAKARA MOVEMENT | FRESNO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF MERCED | MERCED, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| WOMENS EMPOWERMENT | SACRAMENTO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | — |
| GIGIS PLAYHOUSE SACRAMENTO | ROSEVILLE, CA | $9,855 | 2025 | — |
| FOOD BANK OF NORTHERN | MCCARRAN, NV | $7,500 | 2025 | — |
| SACRAMENTO LIFE CENTER | SACRAMENTO, CA | $7,500 | 2025 | — |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF NORTH NEVADA | RENO, NV | $7,500 | 2025 | — |
| SOLUTIONS FOR YOUTH FUND | REDDING, CA | $7,500 | 2025 | — |
| TRUCKEE COMMUNITY CARES | TRUCKEE, CA | $7,500 | 2025 | — |
| CAMP TAYLOR INC | SALIDA, CA | $7,500 | 2025 | — |
| DOWN SYNDROME ASSOC OF CENTR | FRESNO, CA | $6,000 | 2025 | — |
| NEVADA DIABETES ASSOCIATION | RENO, NV | $18,000 | 2023 | — |
| IMPROVE YOUR TOMORROW | SACRAMENTO, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | — |
| WESTERN NEVADA COLLEGE FOUNDA | CARSON CITY, NV | $10,000 | 2023 | — |
| SECOND HARVEST BANK OF SJ & STAN CO | MANTECA, CA | $7,500 | 2023 | — |
| CRICKETS HOPE INC | MODESTO, CA | $5,500 | 2023 | — |
NEVADA DIABETES ASSOCIATION
$25,000OAKLAND CHILDRENS FAIRYLAND
$10,000POVERELLO HOUSE
$10,000COMMUNITY EDUCATION PARTNERSH
$10,000STAN CO OFFICE OF ED
$10,000PLEASANTON PARTNERSHIPS IN ED
$10,000CASA OF FRESNO AND MADERA COU
$10,000CARE FRESNO
$10,000Bethlehem Center
$10,000CALIFORNIA ST UNIVERSITY SACR
$10,000SAFE 2 SCHOOL
$10,000KIDS FIRST-FAMILY COUNSELING
$10,000CONTRA COSTA CO SOC ST VINCEN
$10,000CHANNEL 5 PUBLIC BROADCASTING
$10,000MANDELA PARTNERS
$10,000THE SALVATION ARMY
$10,000JAKARA MOVEMENT
$10,000BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF MERCED
$10,000WOMENS EMPOWERMENT
$10,000GIGIS PLAYHOUSE SACRAMENTO
$9,855SACRAMENTO LIFE CENTER
$7,500SOLUTIONS FOR YOUTH FUND
$7,500TRUCKEE COMMUNITY CARES
$7,500CAMP TAYLOR INC
$7,500DOWN SYNDROME ASSOC OF CENTR
$6,000NEVADA DIABETES ASSOCIATION
$18,000CRICKETS HOPE INC
$5,500