To create communities free of hunger and waste by supporting nonprofit organizations, social entrepreneurs and creative thinkers focused on improving food security, ending food waste and creating a more equitable food system.
The Kroger Co Zero Hunger Zero Waste Foundation centers its giving on food security, food recovery, and a more equitable food system, with recent grants showing both national scale and local community response. Its largest visible recent grants include $1,000,000 to Share Our Strength and $1,000,000 to Feeding America, alongside major support for food recovery, charitable distribution, and food-as-medicine work. The foundation also backs organizations working on nutrition and health equity, disaster response, and systems-level collaborations. Recent grantmaking includes repeated support for national intermediaries and place-based partners. Feeding America appears multiple times in the recent grants list, as do World Wildlife Fund, The Recycling Partnership, Sunshine Division, Matriark Foods, Food Lifeline, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. That mix suggests a funder that moves between large-scale partnerships and targeted community investments. The foundation's stated purpose is to support nonprofit organizations, social entrepreneurs, and creative thinkers focused on improving food security, ending food waste, and building a more equitable food system. Grants also reach organizations tied to local food access, recovery logistics, and community-specific needs in cities such as Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Houston, and Cincinnati.
Food access is a core theme. The foundation gave $591,050 to Feeding America in 2024 and $432,910 to the same grantee in 2025, reflecting continued support for charitable food distribution capacity. Food recovery and redistribution is another recurring lane. In 2024, it awarded $500,000 to The Farmlink Project, an organization tied to moving surplus food to people who need it, matching the foundation's stated interest in bridging food waste and food insecurity. Health equity appears through food as medicine. The foundation gave $300,000 in 2023 and $250,000 in 2025 to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center for its charitable purpose, aligning with a strategic pillar focused on nutrition and better health outcomes through food. The foundation also supports local food-system and sustainability work. Grants to Matriark Foods and The Recycling Partnership connect to food recovery and circular systems, while World Wildlife Fund appears in the recent grants list as another national partner.
$6.1M
$21.7M
$8.8M
$6.6M
Most grants fall between $10K and $57K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$57K
PATTY LEESEMANN
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Typical grants cluster around modest to mid-sized awards, with a p25 of $10,000, median of $20,000, and p75 of $57,430. The recent grants list also shows larger strategic awards in the hundreds of thousands and million-dollar range. Recipients appear across multiple years, including repeated support for Feeding America, World Wildlife Fund, The Recycling Partnership, Food Lifeline, Sunshine Division, Matriark Foods, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. It also does not accept unsolicited applications.
The grant footprint is national, with all recipient-country records in the United States. Ohio is the top state by grant count, and 16% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent awards reach organizations in Chicago, Portland, Washington, DC, Seattle, Houston, New York, and Cincinnati, showing both local and national distribution. The city list also includes Grove City, Dayton, and Longwood among recent recipients.
It supports nonprofit organizations, social entrepreneurs, and creative thinkers working on food security, food waste reduction, food recovery and redistribution, a more equitable food system, disaster relief, and food as medicine. Recent grants also show support for charitable food distribution, capacity building, and national collaborations.
No. The foundation's grant programs listed in the data are marked as not accepting unsolicited applications.
Its grant-size distribution centers on smaller awards, with a p25 of $10,000, a median of $20,000, and a p75 of $57,430. The recent grants list also includes much larger awards, including several in the hundreds of thousands and two $1,000,000 grants in 2024.
No. Ohio is the top state by grant count, but the foundation's geographic scope is national. Recent grants went to recipients in Chicago, Portland, Washington, DC, Seattle, Houston, New York, and Cincinnati, among other U.S. locations.
Feeding America reflects food access and distribution capacity, The Farmlink Project reflects food recovery and redistribution, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center reflects food as medicine and health equity. These recurring or strategic grants align closely with the foundation's stated priorities.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FEEDING AMERICA | CHICAGO, IL | $432,910 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| WORLD WILDLIFE FUND INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $390,932 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| THE MILKEN INSTITUTE | SANTA MONICA, CA | $300,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER | CINCINNATI, OH | $250,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| THE RECYCLING PARTNERSHIP INC | COLLEGE PARK, GA | $250,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| US HUNGER | LONGWOOD, FL | $200,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| SUNSHINE DIVISION | PORTLAND, OR | $170,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| CENTER FOR CIRCULAR ECONOMY LLC | NEW YORK, NY | $167,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| FOOD BANK OF THE ROCKIES | DENVER, CO | $152,637 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| MRELIEF | CHICAGO, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| FOOD LIFELINE | SEATTLE, WA | $150,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| OREGON FOOD BANK | PORTLAND, OR | $150,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| ALPENGLOW IMPACT | BERKELEY, CA | $149,625 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK | ATLANTA, GA | $147,456 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| EQUITABLE FOOD INITIATIVE | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| REPLATE | BEAVERTON, OR | $100,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION INC | KENNESAW, GA | $100,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| NORTH TEXAS FOOD BANK | PLANO, TX | $85,673 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK | FORT WORTH, TX | $85,673 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| MID-OHIO FOOD COLLECTIVE | GROVE CITY, OH | $85,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY | CHICAGO, IL | $81,966 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOOD BANK | GENEVA, IL | $77,836 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS | WASHINGTON, DC | $67,031 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOOD BANK | GENEVA, IL | $63,794 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| FEEDING SAN DIEGO | SAN DIEGO, CA | $60,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| PROJECT ANGEL FOOD | LOS ANGELES, CA | $60,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| UNITED FOOD BANK | MESA, AZ | $60,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| FEEDING AMERICA | CHICAGO, IL | $60,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| EAST TEXAS FOOD BANK | TYLER, TX | $57,573 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| SUNSHINE DIVISION | PORTLAND, OR | $57,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| FOOD BANK OF NORTHWEST LOUISIANA | SHREVEPORT, LA | $56,887 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| THE FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA INC | ALEXANDRIA, LA | $56,887 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| UNITED FOOD BANK | MESA, AZ | $55,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| FOOD BANK OF THE ROCKIES | DENVER, CO | $50,855 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| WORLD WILDLIFE FUND INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| IDAHO FOODBANK WAREHOUSE INC | MERIDIAN, ID | $50,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION | LINCOLN, NE | $50,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | DUBLIN, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK LOUISVILLE CHAPTER | LOUISVILLE, KY | $50,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| DIOCESAN COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL DIOCESE OF PHOENIX | PHOENIX, AZ | $42,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS FOUNDATION | DENTON, TX | $41,875 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| STORE TO DOOR | PORTLAND, OR | $40,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| CARE AND SHARE FOOD BANK | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $39,035 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| COMMUNITY FOOD BANK INC | TUCSON, AZ | $38,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| FOOD LIFELINE | SEATTLE, WA | $35,500 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| ST MARY'S FOOD BANK | PHOENIX, AZ | $35,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| COMMUNITY FOOD SHARE | LOUISVILLE, CO | $33,822 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| GLEANERS FOOD BANK OF INDIANA | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $31,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF NORTHEAST TENNESSEE | KINGSPORT, TN | $30,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| FIGHTER COUNTRY FOUNDATION | GLENDALE, AZ | $30,000 | 2025 | ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE
ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE
SUNSHINE DIVISION
$170,000ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE
CENTER FOR CIRCULAR ECONOMY LLC
$167,000ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE
ALPENGLOW IMPACT
$149,625ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE
SUNSHINE DIVISION
$57,000ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE
ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE
ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE
ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE