OVERVIEW: The Mars Wrigley Foundation funds makes grants for oral health education, the environment and global development in cocoa and mint growing regions around the world.
IP TAKE: This corporate funder maintains ongoing commitments to several large, global NGOs working in development and health. In the U.S., it gives to a much broad range of organizations, but these grants tend to be smaller. This is not an accessible funder; it does not review unsolicited proposals. However, if your organization works in oral health education or environmental education, it might be worthwhile to reach out with an introduction.
PROFILE: The Mars Wrigley Foundation is the philanthropic entity of Mars, Inc., a global manufacturer of confections, pet food, drinks and other food products. 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 create “better communities and happier, healthier smiles by giving people opportunities to flourish.” It makes grants in the areas of oral health education, pollution prevention, vibrant communities and “improv[ing] lives in mint and cocoa growing regions.” Grantmaking focuses on 16 countries where Mars does business: Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.
Grants for Public Health and Global Health
The Mars Wrigley Foundation’s Healthier Smiles grantmaking program focuses on “promoting oral health so people can enjoy happier, healthier smiles.” The program was launched in 2010 and, according to the foundation’s webpage, has reached “more than 6.5 million individuals.” The foundation’s main global partner in this work is Save the Children. Other grantees include the Chicago Dental Society, the Irish Dental Association, the New Zealand Dental Association and the Union Française pour la Santé Bucco-Dentaire.
Grants for Global Development
The foundation’s Shared Smiles program prioritizes “improving lives in mint- and cocoa-growing communities and the local communities in which Mars Wrigley operates.” The program claims to have “provided greater opportunities for future success” to more than one million children from “1,800 mint-farming villages in India.” The foundation’s main partner in this global work is Pratham USA, an NGO that improves education in India through “innovative interventions to address gaps in the education system.” Other global development grants have gone to Give2Asia, Save the Children Federation and Myriad USA.
Grants for Environment
A third initiative, Proud Smiles, maintains the goal of “[p]reventing litter to create a vibrant environment in which we can all take pride.” This program has, according to the foundation’s webpage, reached millions of students in 35 countries and taught them “how to decrease litter in their communities.” In this work, the foundation has partnered with the Foundation for Environmental Education, which runs educational programs that “empower young people to create an environmentally conscious world through a solutions-based approach.” Other grantees include Keep America Beautiful, Friends of the Chicago River and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Grants for Community Development
Mars Wrigley articulates a commitment to “create vibrant communities” in the places where its parent company maintains a presence. The foundation does not articulate specific areas of interest for this giving. A significant number of grants have gone to community organizations in the Chicago area, where it has supported Keep Chicago Beautiful, the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Casa Central, Junior Achievement of Chicago and Heartland Alliance Health. Elsewhere, the foundation has made grants to the Charities Aid Foundation of America, New York City’s Local Initiatives Support Corporation, City Year of Boston and the Greater Hall Chamber Foundation of Gainesville, Georgia.
Grants for Disaster Relief and COVID-19
Mars Wrigley does not name disaster relief as an area of priority, but made many grants and donations in this area, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. It committed $3 million to “provide emergency grants to local NGOs meeting the basic needs of local site communities around the world,” prioritizing “the most vulnerable populations and most critical needs.” The foundation’s giving in this area included an emergency grant to the Hubei Red Cross Foundation in partnership with Give2Asia for protective gear for frontline healthcare workers in Wuhan, China.
Important Grantmaking Details:
Mars Wrigley grants mainly range from $25,000 to $500,000.
This funder’s largest grants go to large global NGOs, which usually receive ongoing support from the foundation.
Grants have gone to organizations of all sizes in the U.S.
The foundation names Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam as “markets with active programs.” Chicago appears to be an area of priority in the U.S.
This funder does not run an application program or encourage grant seekers to get in touch.
For information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s recent tax filings.
General inquiries may be directed to Mars, Inc. via its contact page.
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