About Kroger Co Zero Hunger Zero Waste Foundation
Create a more equitable, waste-free food system through collective action and innovation by improving food security, ending food waste, and supporting nonprofit organizations, social entrepreneurs, and creative thinkers.
Focus Areas
Hunger reliefFood securityFood accessFood waste reductionFood recoveryNutrition educationHealth equitySustainable food systemsCommunity developmentInnovationEnvironmental conservationYouth developmentDisaster relief
About Kroger Co Zero Hunger Zero Waste Foundation
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.
What Kroger Co Zero Hunger Zero Waste Foundation Funds
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.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$6.9M
Total Assets
$21.7M
Total Revenue
$8.5M
Total Expenses
$8.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $57K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$57K
Geographic Reach
National39 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
PATTY LEESEMANN
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