OVERVIEW: The Mars Snacking Foundation, formerly known as the Mars Wrigley Foundation, supports oral health, community wellbeing and social connection in the United States and internationally. Its largest partnerships address school health, literacy and resilience in communities where Mars operates or sources ingredients.
IP TAKE: The Mars Snacking Foundation is an invitation-only corporate funder with a small group of established partners. Its largest grants support Save the Children and Pratham, while local funding supports oral health, food access and community spaces in Mars communities, particularly Chicago and Battle Creek, Michigan.
Cold proposals rarely get traction. Mars develops partnerships proactively and does not accept unsolicited applications. The best route is through a grantee, community foundation, intermediary or other Mars-funded partner. One exception is Healthier Smiles, a partnership with the Chicago Dental Society Foundation. It periodically accepts applications from dentists and dental students partnering with Chicago community organizations.
Smaller groups often benefit through a community foundation, professional association or other intermediary. Organizations without a geographic tie, clear program fit or existing relationship face long odds. Instead of emailing Mars cold, identify grantees, join local coalitions and seek a warm introduction.
The Mars Impact Fund is separate, invitation-only and distinct from the Mars Snacking Foundation.
PROFILE: The Mars Snacking Foundation, formerly known as the Mars Wrigley Foundation, is a private corporate foundation affiliated with Mars Snacking. Some tax filings and legacy materials continue to use the Mars Wrigley name. Mars, Inc. is one of the largest privately held multinational companies in the U.S. and is owned by the grandchildren of its founder, Franklin Clarence Mars.
The foundation seeks to “nurture wellbeing” by strengthening physical health, emotional resilience and social connections. It prioritizes vulnerable populations and critical needs in communities where Mars operates or sources ingredients. Its work is organized around two broad focus areas rather than open application programs: physical resilience and social and emotional resilience.
Grants for Public Health and Global Health
The foundation’s Nurturing Wellbeing Through Physical Resilience focus area supports oral health education and treatment in underserved communities. These grants tend to support direct services, preventive education and improved access to care rather than medical research or health policy advocacy.
- Since 2010, the foundation says it has supported more than 20 oral health programs reaching over 8 million people. Its longstanding partnership with Save the Children encompasses oral health education, dental services, school health, clean water and sanitation, as well as responses to humanitarian crises.
- Other recent oral health and healthcare grantees have included the Chicago Dental Society Foundation and Heartland Alliance Health.
The Chicago Dental Society Foundation administers a limited Mars-funded grant opportunity for oral health projects in Chicagoland. Healthier Smiles grants provide up to $5,000 for projects serving socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in Chicago and Cook, DuPage and Lake counties.
- Eligible applicants are licensed Chicago Dental Society member dentists and second- or third-year dental students. Applicants must work with a community organization, health fair, healthcare facility or similar local partner. Nonprofits generally cannot apply independently but may participate as project partners.
- The 2026 application cycle has closed. The Chicago Dental Society Foundation advises prospective applicants to check back in early 2027 for future funding information.
Grants for Community Development and Global Development
The foundation’s Nurturing Wellbeing Through Social and Emotional Resilience focus area supports community connections, education and quality of life in Mars operating communities and cocoa- and mint-growing regions. Mars says this work has reached more than 1.8 million people since 2013.
- A major partner is Pratham, which works to improve basic literacy and educational outcomes in India. The foundation has supported Pratham for more than a decade, sometimes making grants through international intermediaries such as Myriad USA.
- Other grants have supported community spaces, neighborhood development, food access and essential household needs. This work tends to emphasize tangible community resources and direct implementation rather than stand-alone advocacy, litigation or academic research.
The Community Connection grant program is the foundation’s signature place-based initiative. It supports community organizations working to strengthen social connections and create or restore shared community spaces.
- The program began as a Chicago pilot in 2019. Mars reports that it has since awarded more than $3 million to Chicago community-based organizations, particularly those working in under-resourced neighborhoods.
- Supported projects are intended to produce lasting community assets and opportunities for residents to gather, learn and build relationships.
- Community Connection has also operated internationally. For example, Mars has supported community-space improvements through Safe Spaces in Nairobi, Kenya.
- No general application process or public eligibility guidelines are available. Grants appear to be developed proactively with selected community partners.
Mars announced the Better Community Fund in March 2026. The initiative is intended to support U.S. communities that have contributed to Mars Snacking’s growth and will distribute more than $3.6 million to over 30 projects during 2026.
- Initial investments include $1.7 million for organizations serving Battle Creek and Calhoun County, Michigan:
- $910,000 to United Way of South Central Michigan
- $500,000 to the Battle Creek Community Foundation
- $200,000 to South Michigan Food Bank
- $120,000 to Battle Creek Unlimited
- The Battle Creek grants support food access, essential household needs, community resilience and local entrepreneurs. The community foundation’s award will establish a permanent endowment supporting food security and other basic needs.
- Mars has not published an open application process for the Better Community Fund. Local nonprofits are more likely to benefit through relationships with funded institutions such as community foundations, United Ways, food banks and economic-development organizations than through a direct request to Mars.
Grants for Humanitarian Aid
The foundation responds to crises affecting Mars operating and sourcing communities, but it does not describe this work as a separately accessible rapid-response fund.
- Emergency and resilience funding generally flows through established humanitarian organizations such as Save the Children and the American Red Cross.
- No public emergency-grant application or rapid-response portal was identified.
International Grantmaking Intermediaries
Recent tax filings show substantial grants to Myriad USA and Give2Asia, which facilitate international charitable funding and compliance. These organizations should not be treated as ordinary program grantees when the filing identifies another organization as the intended beneficiary.
- For example, the foundation reported a 2025 grant of approximately $413,000 to Myriad USA for the benefit of Pratham Education Foundation in India. It also awarded Myriad USA more than $1 million in unrestricted support that year.
- A nonprofit should not assume that approaching one of these intermediaries will provide access to Mars funding. They generally administer or process grants after Mars has selected a partner rather than independently recommending unsolicited organizations to the foundation.
Important Grant Details:
The foundation reported 23 grants in 2025. Grants ranged from $5,000 to approximately $1.7 million, with a median grant of $100,000. The median is more informative than the average because a small number of seven-figure awards account for a substantial portion of annual giving.
- Geographic focus: Geographic priorities include Chicago, Battle Creek and selected Mars operating and sourcing communities. International work is concentrated in places connected to cocoa and mint production or longstanding partnerships. Mars does not publish a current list of countries in which grantseekers may apply, and organizations should not assume that every country where the company operates is an active grantmaking market.
The Mars Snacking Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Its website states that it proactively establishes philanthropic partnerships aligned with its strategic priorities. Its latest tax filing also indicates that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- General inquiries may be directed to Mars, Inc. via its corporate contact page. The foundation’s phone number is listed as (800) 839-1754.
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