Safeway Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Safeway Foundation is headquartered in the Bay Area and gives local and corporate sponsor grants here. Focus areas include health and human services, hunger relief, education, people with disabilities and veterans.

IP TAKE: The best way to get involved with this foundation in the Bay Area is to enlist the volunteer services of a local employee at a nonprofit. Grants supported by a corporate employee are localized to the Bay Area, and all applications require an employee sponsor.

PROFILE: Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, the Safeway Foundation is part of the national Albertsons Companies Foundation. The grocery store chain established a philanthropic foundation that focuses locally on the communities it serves. Grantmaking invests in health and human services, hunger relief, education, people with disabilities and veterans.

The funder’s health and human services grantmaking contributes to medical research and for efforts that improve the lives of people with cancer, especially breast cancer and prostate research cancer research. Safeway’s hunger relief program is an obvious one given the nature of the corporation’s business, and it regularly gives to food banks and feeding programs for those in need. Meanwhile, Safeway’s education program focuses on youth development, after-school programs and physical education programs. Safeway stores also participate in an eScrip program that allows shoppers to donate grocery purchases to a school they choose. Safeway’s disabilities program often supports national organizations like Easter Seals, the Special Olympics, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Safeway’s veteran support focuses on recent veterans for post-September 11th conflicts. In addition to providing grants, the foundation also considers requests to donate food and sponsor events.

Important Grant Details:

Local grants are typically between $2,500 and $10,000 each. Learn more about past grantees on each of the program pages of the funder’s website. The foundation divides its support into local community funds, national funds, and requests brought forth by corporate employees. Many grants are awarded in Alameda County and the Greater Bay Area.

The Safeway Foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from local nonprofits. However, all requests in California must be sponsored by an employee. The funder uses an online application system, reviewing local grants biannually and national/multi-regional grants quarterly. Grantseekers can expect to wait about six weeks to get a response to a grant application. Direct questions about applying for a grant to safeway.foundation@safeway.com or to NorCal representative Wendy Gutshall at wendy.gutshall@safeway.com.  

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