Publix Super Markets Charities
/OVERVIEW: This corporate grocery store chain funder supports efforts related to hunger, homelessness, youth, and education in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Its water stewardship giving is limited to the Florida Everglades.
IP TAKE: As the foundation for a major, regional grocery chain, Publix Charities may make the bulk of its grants in Florida, but it funds organizations in all areas where it’s stores are located.
This is an accessible funder with a competitive giving space, since it does a lot of on-the-ground grassroots grantmaking to organizations that support its focus areas. That said, most of its grantees include established, larger foundations that can give aid quickly. However, several schools, universities and smaller nonprofits make its grantee list every year. While PSMC makes grants at the grassroots level, its grantees are typically affiliates of national organizations.
This accessable funder is worth reaching out to with any questions you may have. Another opportunity for funding here occurs directly through Publix employees and board members, who can sponsor your project by making direct requests to the charity themselves. Don’t hesitate to network closely with a Publix employee that can go to bat for your cause - so long as it’s focused on related focus areas.
PROFILE: Publix is largest employee-owned grocery store in the U.S., which operates in the Southeast U.S. Publix Super Markets Charities is the company's private philanthropic arm that is based in Lakeland, Florida. It seeks to “endeavor to meet the needs of the people in [the] community.” The supermarket’s founder, George W. Jenkins, established this foundation in 1966. The grocery store chain was founded on a people-centered culture, which also translates to its philanthropy. Publix’s funding priorities include hunger relief, youth, education, and alleviating homelessness, as well as indirect funding for disaster relief.
Nonprofit organizations in the Southeast can ask for support from Publix Super Markets Charities via online request. To be eligible, grant seekers must operate in or serve people in one of the Southeast states listed above. It takes about eight weeks for the foundation to review and process grant requests. Overall, this funder considers requests for donations, gift cards, sponsorships, giveaways, and program ads. It donates around $25 million to charitable groups each year.
Grants for Food Insecurity and Disaster Relief
Rooted in its desire to support local communities as a major, regional grocery chain, Publix makes grants for nutrition and hunger through its Alleviating Hunger program. It also provides related giving through its annual Hunger Summit.
Lately, a significant portion of the yearly funding budget supports hunger causes. The foundation also committed $5 million to Feeding America food banks, with funds supporting each of the states it operates in. PSMC has also funded mobile pantries, food insecurity, school food banks, and food relief after natural disasters occur, especially during hurricane season in a region where hurricanes and tornadoes are prominent.
At least in its food security grants giving, Publix lists recent grantees, organized by state.
Grants for K-12 Education, Higher Education and Youth
PSMC commonly grants for youth wellness and enrichment, which includes support for youth camps, school food banks, educational opportunities, after-school enrichment activities, youth wellness programs, youth mentoring, and community outreach programs. The foundation also considers requests from school clubs and teams, as well as sponsorships for events. However, it does not support for-profit businesses, booster clubs, PTAs, or nonprofits outside its seven-state operating area.
Publix also makes grants for education that range from pre-K to higher education. However, it gives only a select few grants to these organizations, while also providing funds for higher education scholarships.
In 2022, a total of three colleges and universities in Florida received higher education scholarships. The trio includes Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, and the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Other higher ed grantees include Benedict College in Columbia, SC; Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA; Morehouse College in Atlanta; Savannah State University in Savannah, GA; Spelman College in Atlanta, GA; Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN; and Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA. Recent educations grantees also include Cobbs Schools Foundation and various universities and colleges across the Southeast.
Publix Charities has also collaborated with the United Negro College Fund to provide provide $100,000 in scholarships to 50 minority students attending the selected schools. In addition to funding made directly to education projects and initiatives, Publix gives to various universities and colleges’ food pantries to support students’ basic needs.
PSMC also offers the George W. Jenkins Scholarship program, funded by Publix Charities, which rewards high school graduates who have overcome significant hardships in their lives at select universities in the Southeast.
Grants for Housing and Homelessness
All of this funder’s grants for housing and homelessness center on transitional support, client service programs, and financial support for housing. This focus area has grown in the last decade and is a more recent addition to grantmaking. In this area of giving, Publix Charities receives backing from the Condo Foundation, among others.
Publix Super Markets Charities (PSMC) has donated over $5 million to support more than 240 nonprofit housing programs throughout the Southeast, including 126 Habitat for Humanity affiliates, in 2022. Since 2014, PSMC has donated more than $33 million to housing programs, strengthening Southeastern communities and “giving hope by building homes and supporting programs such as emergency shelters and transitional housing for individuals in need.”
Previous housing grantees include Habitat for Humanity, a major grantee in this area of giving, as well as the Salvation Army. While Publix Charities gives to a small handful of housing grantees, it predominately supports affiliates of Habitat for Humanity.
Grants for Marine and Water
PSMC makes grants for water stewardship in the Florida Everglades. While this giving is laser-focused on Florida for now, this may evolve in the future. Concerned with its environmental footprint in the state of Florida, PSMC is committed to “helping protect, conserve, and restore this precious ecosystem as well as other major water resources in our footprint.”
Past water stewardship grantees include the Arbor Day Foundation in Florida, as well as the the National Audubon Society in the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in the western Everglades, and the National Park Foundation to restore the saline glades in the Everglades National Park.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range from about $5,000 to as much as several million dollars. Many Publix grants support youth causes in the Southeast. Food banks are a major cause with this funder too, especially after hurricanes and other natural disasters. Deadlines vary by program area, and range between March to August of every year.
Geographically, the foundation supports groups in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. There are approximately 1,155 Publix store locations in the Southeast, with the largest numbers in Florida, followed by Georgia.
Keep up with Publix's grants and interests through its news page. All grant-related correspondence is done online and through the official request process.
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