The Papa John’s Foundation focuses overwhelmingly on youth development through major support for the Boys & Girls Clubs network, supplemented by targeted higher-education scholarship funding for Black students. Their giving is highly concentrated and issue-specific—large, institutional gifts to a national youth organization and a substantial scholarship award—indicating a strategic commitment to out-of-school youth programming and college access rather than broad, diversified philanthropy.
A $1 million grant to Boys & Girls Clubs of America set the tone for The Papa John's Foundation Inc.'s recent giving: large, repeated support for youth-serving institutions, especially through formal memoranda of understanding. Across 2023 to 2025, the foundation kept returning to the Boys & Girls Clubs network with six-figure awards tied to national partnership work and a club-specific grant for the Shaquille O'Neal Club Boys & Girls Club of Henry County. That youth emphasis is paired with a second clear thread: college access and emergency student aid for Black students through the United Negro College Fund Inc. The foundation also funds local and national food-security work, including food recovery, community food banks, and meal-related partners, while its active programs show that part of its giving is organized through the Building Community Fund, franchise-owner nominations, and a food-donation harvest program. Recent grants also include support for disaster relief and emergency funds tied to the company’s team members and community partners. The pattern is focused rather than broad, with a small set of recurring institutions receiving much of the attention.
Youth development is the clearest lane in the foundation’s recent grantmaking. It gave $50,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley I for a College and Career Readiness Program across all chapters, and $25,000 to Junior Achievement USA for a Case Challenge for 10th grade students at Osborne High School. Food security is another recurring theme. The foundation awarded $50,000 to Farmlink Project for general and unrestricted support, $25,000 to Atlanta Community Food Bank Inc. for continued operation and expansion of service at the Marietta Community Food Center, and $25,000 to Concrete Jungle Inc. for the Produce Buyers Club and Adventure Picks programs. It also supports student aid and higher education. One grant of $250,000 to United Negro College Fund Inc. funded scholarship support and emergency-student aid, while a later $115,000 award to the same organization was tied to a 2024 Mission of Understanding. Smaller awards to University of Louisville Foundation Inc. supported the CAPS program within the College of Business and general operations.
$2.6M
$1.1M
$3.4M
$2.7M
Most grants fall between $5K and $10K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in FL.
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Highly concentrated: a small number of large grants (six grants to one national organization) indicating multi-grant or multi-year commitments to a core youth-development partner, with a single sizable one-off scholarship grant.
Notable grantees: Boys & Girls Clubs of America, United Negro College Fund, Local Boys & Girls Clubs affiliates (implied by multiple grants/MOU with national body)
Typical grants are small by count, with a p25 of $5,000, a median of $7,500, and a p75 of $10,000. Even so, the recent grant list shows occasional six- and seven-figure awards, which means the distribution is tilted toward a few large institutional commitments alongside many smaller awards. The pattern is concentrated across a limited set of repeat recipients: Boys & Girls Clubs of America appears multiple times from 2023 through 2025, and United Negro College Fund Inc. also receives recurring support. The foundation is a private foundation, and its active programs indicate two main grantmaking routes: the Building Community Fund, where franchise owners and partners nominate local nonprofits, and the Shaq-a-Roni Campaign, which channels sales-based fundraising into the same fund. It also funds individuals.
Grantmaking is regional, but the recipient footprint is overwhelmingly domestic: every listed grant goes to a U.S. organization. Georgia is the top state by grant count, with Atlanta appearing repeatedly across the recent grants list, along with Columbus and nearby Henry County. Louisville, Kentucky is another visible hub, with multiple grants to organizations there, including food-security and university partners. Washington, DC also appears often among grantees, especially for national organizations. The data shows 0% of grants to recipients in Delaware, even though the foundation is headquartered in Wilmington.
Its recent grants are centered on youth development, college access, and food security. The largest recurring recipient is Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the foundation also funds organizations such as United Negro College Fund Inc., Atlanta Community Food Bank Inc., Food Recovery Network Inc., and related local partners.
The typical grant size is modest: p25 is $5,000, median is $7,500, and p75 is $10,000. The recent list also includes much larger awards, including six-figure and seven-figure grants to a small number of recurring institutions.
Yes. Recent examples include $50,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley I for a College and Career Readiness Program across all chapters and $25,000 to Junior Achievement USA for a Case Challenge for 10th grade students at Osborne High School. It also funds scholarship and emergency-student aid through United Negro College Fund Inc.
Its active programs show two main routes: the Building Community Fund, where franchise owners and partners nominate local nonprofits, and the Shaq-a-Roni Campaign, which channels a portion of pizza sales into the Foundation’s grantmaking. The Harvest Program is in-kind food donation activity rather than monetary grants.
Yes. Georgia is the top state by grant count, with Atlanta appearing frequently among recipients. Louisville, Kentucky and Washington, DC also show up often in the recent grants list. Every listed recipient is in the United States.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA | ATLANTA, GA | $382,500 | 2025 | 2024 Memorandum of Understanding and Building Community Fund |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA | ATLANTA, GA | $362,500 | 2025 | 2024 Memorandum of Understanding |
| UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $115,000 | 2025 | 2024 Mission of Understanding |
| FOOD RECOVERY NETWORK INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE FOUNDATION INC | LOUISVILLE, KY | $30,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| DARE TO CARE INC | LOUISVILLE, KY | $30,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| SECOND HELPINGS ATLANTA INC | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2025 | To sustain and strengthen the organization's Food Resource Network |
| KENTUCKY HARVEST INC | LOUISVILLE, KY | $25,000 | 2025 | Operational Support and Give for Good Match |
| PAPA JOHNS TEAM MEMBER EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND INC | LOUISVILLE, KY | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT USA | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2025 | In support of a Case Challenge for 10th grade students at Osborne High School |
| CONCRETE JUNGLE INC | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2025 | Produce Buyers Club and Adventure Picks programs |
| ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK INC | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2025 | Support for the continued operation and expansion of service at the Marietta Community Food Center |
| PAPA JOHNS DISASTER RELIEF FUND INC | LOUISVILLE, KY | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| GREATER LOUISVILLE FOUNDATION INC | LOUISVILLE, KY | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MID-SOUTH FOOD BANK | MEMPHIS, TN | $15,000 | 2025 | Feed the Need |
| FOOD BANK OF NORTHEAST LOUISIANA INC | MONROE, LA | $15,000 | 2025 | Backpack Program |
| GREATER BATON ROUGE FOOD BANK INC | BATON ROUGE, LA | $15,000 | 2025 | Farm Fresh Healthy Food Initiative |
| THE FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA INC | ALEXANDRIA, LA | $15,000 | 2025 | Feeding Families in Central Louisiana |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF KENTUCKIANA INC | LOUISVILLE, KY | $15,000 | 2025 | Biztown storefront support |
| SOUTHEAST TEXAS FOOD BANK | BEAUMONT, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | Food Purchasing |
| SECOND HARVEST INLAND NORTHWEST | SPOKANE, WA | $15,000 | 2025 | Feeding Communities |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA | ATLANTA, GA | $13,500 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| REGIONAL EAST TEXAS FOOD BANK | TYLER, TX | $12,500 | 2025 | Food Distribution |
| KIDS MEALS INC | HOUSTON, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | 2024 Healthy Meal Delivery Program |
| CLEAN MEMPHIS ORGANIZATION | MEMPHIS, TN | $10,000 | 2025 | Project Green Fork |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN INCORPORATED | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | Hurricane Helene disaster relief |
| SHARE OUR STRENGTH | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | No Kid Hungry |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS INC | HOUSTON, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | Finance Park |
| GIRL SCOUT COUNCIL OF COLONIAL COAST | CHESAPEAKE, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | Breaking Barriers: Girl Scout Community Troops |
| FT MYERS LEE COUNTY POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE INC | FORT MYERS, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | Loving Hands |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF METRO ATLANTA INC | CHAMBLEE, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | BGCMA 2024 Youth of the Year program |
| NACOGDOCHES HOPE | NACOGDOCHES, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | Fully Stocked Pantry |
| KENT STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | KENT, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | Flashes Fighting Hunger |
| COVENANT HOUSE NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | Covenant House New York's Youth Ambassadors Program |
| THREE SQUARE | LAS VEGAS, NV | $7,500 | 2025 | Food Bank Operations |
| EASTERN ILLINOIS FOODBANK | URBANA, IL | $7,500 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| UNITED FOOD BANK | MESA, AZ | $7,500 | 2025 | Reducing Hunger by Reducing Food Waste |
| MY POSSIBILITIES | PLANO, TX | $7,500 | 2025 | My Possibilities |
| FOOD RECOVERY NETWORK INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $7,500 | 2025 | Food Recovery Network - University of Utah Student Chapter |
| MONTANA FOOD BANK NETWORK INC | MISSOULA, MT | $7,500 | 2025 | Feed Montana 2024 |
| YOUTH VOLUNTEER CORPS OF HAMPTON ROADS INC | NEWPORT NEWS, VA | $7,500 | 2025 | YVCHR Program Support |
| OZARKS FOOD HARVEST INC | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $7,500 | 2025 | Transforming Hunger into Hope |
| MEALS ON WHEELS OF CHESAPEAKE INC | CHESAPEAKE, VA | $7,500 | 2025 | More Than A Meal: Increasing Food Security and Quality of Life for High-need Seniors |
| PACE CENTER FOR GIRLS INC | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $7,500 | 2025 | PaceWorks Broward |
| GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION INC | ATLANTA, GA | $7,500 | 2025 | Panther's Pantry |
| FOODBANK OF SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA | NORFOLK, VA | $7,500 | 2025 | Hunger Action Month |
| HOOSIER HILLS FOOD BANK INC | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $7,500 | 2025 | Supplemental Food Purchasing |
| FOODBANK FOR THE HEARTLAND | OMAHA, NE | $7,500 | 2025 | Addressing Food Insecurity in Nebraska and Western Iowa through the Mobile Pantry Program |
| LOWCOUNTRY FOOD BANK INC | CHARLESTON, SC | $7,500 | 2025 | School Markets - Creating Food Security for Children |
| THE SHEPHERDS TABLE INC | SILVER SPRING, MD | $7,500 | 2025 | Shepherd's Table Meals Program |
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA
$382,5002024 Memorandum of Understanding and Building Community Fund
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA
$362,5002024 Memorandum of Understanding
General Support
To sustain and strengthen the organization's Food Resource Network
KENTUCKY HARVEST INC
$25,000Operational Support and Give for Good Match
PAPA JOHNS TEAM MEMBER EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND INC
$25,000General & Unrestricted
In support of a Case Challenge for 10th grade students at Osborne High School
Support for the continued operation and expansion of service at the Marietta Community Food Center
PAPA JOHNS DISASTER RELIEF FUND INC
$25,000General & Unrestricted
GREATER LOUISVILLE FOUNDATION INC
$25,000General & Unrestricted
Feeding Families in Central Louisiana
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF KENTUCKIANA INC
$15,000Biztown storefront support
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA
$13,500General & Unrestricted
CLEAN MEMPHIS ORGANIZATION
$10,000Project Green Fork
Breaking Barriers: Girl Scout Community Troops
FT MYERS LEE COUNTY POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE INC
$10,000Loving Hands
NACOGDOCHES HOPE
$10,000Fully Stocked Pantry
Food Recovery Network - University of Utah Student Chapter
YOUTH VOLUNTEER CORPS OF HAMPTON ROADS INC
$7,500YVCHR Program Support
MEALS ON WHEELS OF CHESAPEAKE INC
$7,500More Than A Meal: Increasing Food Security and Quality of Life for High-need Seniors
Addressing Food Insecurity in Nebraska and Western Iowa through the Mobile Pantry Program
School Markets - Creating Food Security for Children