Panda Cares
/OVERVIEW: Panda Cares is the philanthropic vehicle of the Panda Restaurant Group. The organization supports pediatric hospitals and education. Funding is mainly limited to the U.S.
IP TAKE: This youth-focused funder strives “to make a difference in the communities in which we operate.” A significant portion of funding supports signature programs, Panda Cares Centers of Hope and the Panda Cares Scholars program. Other big winners here are children’s hospitals and national organizations involved in education and academic enrichment, many of which receive ongoing support. Panda Cares does not run a grant application program, but does accept applications for its scholarship and food donation programs. Reach out via the contact page with general questions or speak to management at a local Panda Express or Hibachi-San restaurant to get on this funder’s radar.
PROFILE: Established in 1999, Panda Cares is the philanthropic vehicle of the Panda Restaurant Group, the parent company of the Panda Inn, Panda Express and Hibachi-San restaurant chains. Based in Las Vegas, the foundation’s mission is “to serve the Health and Education needs of underserved youth and to foster the spirit of giving.” Through grants, employee and in-store donation programs and an annual golf invitational, this funder supports public health, K-12 education, higher education, racial justice and equity and disaster relief. It prioritizes the geographic areas where its parent company operates restaurants, namely the states of California, Florida, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Utah. In addition to its philanthropic activities, Panda Cares runs an extensive food donation program.
Grants for Public Health
Since 2003, Panda Cares has given more than $85 million to over 100 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in the U.S. and Canada. It has also bankrolled the establishment of Panda Cares Centers of Hope at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera, California and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, which received a $20 million grant in 2020. Panda Cares Centers of Hope aim “to inspire hope and promote healing by providing specially curated programs that address each child’s entire well-being.” It appears that this funder’s giving for public health goes to only a handful of grantees with which it has partnered for several years.
Grants for K-12 Education and Higher Education
Panda Cares’ education funding prioritizes character education, academic success and college readiness and access programs, partnering with national organizations to bring programs to public and charter schools in 38 states. Recent funding has gone to the national program Leader in Me, which prepares K-12 students “with college, career, and life-readiness skills that are necessary to thrive in today’s ever-changing, fast-paced environment.” Panda Cares has also partnered with Reading is Fundamental, Reading Partners and the College Advising Corps to bring quality programs and enrichments to schools across the country.
Giving for higher education is conducted mainly through the Panda Cares Scholars Program, which provides scholarships to high performing students involved in campus leadership and/or community service. The program currently runs three awards programs:
Panda Cares UNCF Scholars provided financial support and “professional development services aimed at strengthening their candidacy for early career success.” Although listed on the organization’s webpage, this program no longer accepts applications.
Panda Cares First-Year Scholars supports “graduating high school seniors entering their first year of college.” Applicants must demonstrate financial need, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and have plans to enroll full-time in an accredited institution of higher education in the U.S. Information about the current year’s application is not provided at this time, but prospective applicants may email the organization for information.
Panda Cares Scholars aims to support “outstanding students” who face financial barriers to college completion. In addition to financial support, the program provides recipients with leadership and career development opportunities. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and commit to 20 hours of community service annually. Application is limited to residents of certain states and territories of the U.S. It is unclear if this program is currently accepting applications.
Grants for Racial Justice and Equity
Panda Cares broadly supports racial justice and equity in the U.S. via the Panda Cares Scholars program, which prioritizes students and communities of color. Grantees include UNCF and the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
Grants for Disaster Relief
Panda Cares has made donations of money, food and protective gear in response to several recent disasters, including the COVID-19 crisis of 2020. Recipients of disaster relief funding include Feeding America, the American Red Cross and the Tzu Chi Foundation, a Taiwanese humanitarian organization.
Important Grant Details:
The Panda Cares Foundation made about $51 million in grants and scholarships in a recent year. Grants mainly range from $5 to $350,000, with only a few organizations receiving sums of over $1 million.
This funder generally provides ongoing support to well-known children’s hospitals and large national organizations, including the signature Panda Cares Centers of Hope at participating children’s hospitals.
Panda Cares does not name specific geographic priorities but tends to give in areas where it maintains operations.
For additional information about its grantee-partners, see Panda Cares partners page.
Panda Cares appears to accept applications for its scholars programs, although guidelines on the website are currently out of date. The organization also accepts requests for food donations via its website. Applications for other types of funding are accepted by invitation only. General inquiries may be directed to Panda Cares’ staff via the organization’s online contact page.
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