NEW BERLIN, N.Y. — Chobani announced the recipients of its fifth annual Chobani Community Impact Fund Grant – providing $200,000 to help address poverty, promote entrepreneurship, and expand educational and economic opportunities in Idaho and New York.
Since the program debuted in 2018, Chobani’s employee selection committee has awarded a total of nearly $1.5 million in Chobani Impact Fund grants to 31 organizations.
For more than 15 years, Chobani has been a leader and advocate of giving back to local communities. As an expansion of its efforts, Chobani established a Community Impact Fund with the strategic goal of strengthening the regions where Chobani employees live and work. Over the past five years, Chobani has supported entrepreneurs, development organizations and small business, all of which help to create jobs and strengthen local economies.
“Giving back to our local community is part of Chobani’s DNA,” said Mark Broadhurst, Senior Vice President, Impact & Communications at Chobani. “Everyone who works here is bonded by our mission to care for our communities and no one is more excited to celebrate the fifth anniversary of this program than the employees who review applications each year and select our grantees. Their passion for giving back to our hometowns has made a difference, empowering 31 local organizations over the past five years to make an impactful difference in Central New York and the Magic Valley of Idaho.”
Through its partnership with the Idaho Community Foundation and the Community Foundation for South Central New York, Chobani’s Community Impact Fund provides grants to organizations, programs and projects that seek to address poverty, promote entrepreneurship and expand educational and economic opportunity.
“We are proud to partner with Chobani and maximize the effectiveness of their generosity. Over the past five years they have demonstrated a deep commitment to their employees and residents all across the Magic Valley. We congratulate them on this milestone,” said Lisa Bearg, Idaho Community Foundation, Senior Philanthropic Advisor.
“For the past five years, we have partnered with Chobani in meeting critical needs through impactful grant making. This year’s award recipients will continue that legacy by providing much needed economic and social support in their communities,” said Diane Brown, Executive Director, Community Foundation for South Central New York.
Organizations that have received prior grants include Jannus Economic Opportunity, College of South Idaho Foundation, Magic Valley Youth Foundation, the Idaho Educational Services for Deaf and Blind, The Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship, Unadilla Community Farm Education Center, HALos, Inc., Clear Path for Veterans, and Salt City Harvest Farm, among many others.
This year’s grants were distributed to seven Magic Valley organizations and five Central New York organizations.
The 2022 Chobani Community Impact Fund recipients are:
Central New York
- Community Cupboard of Edmeston (Grant: $22,950)
- The Cooperstown Food Pantry (Grant: $11,200)
- Greater Afton Chamber of Commerce (Grant: $22,950)
- Cullman Child Development Center (Grant: $22,950)
- Bainbridge-Guilford Central School District (Grant: $19,950)
Magic Valley, Idaho
- Clothes Helpers (Grant: $12,000)
- Twin Falls Optimist Youth House (Grant: $20,000)
- La Posada, Inc. (Grant: $15,000)
- Voices Against Violence (VAV) (Grant: $20,000)
- CSI Refugee Programs (Grant: $20,000)
- Everybody House (Grant: $10,000)
- Kimberly Senior Center (Grant: $3,000)
Through its impact work, Chobani focuses on many areas of need – especially related to ending child hunger – including advocacy for free school lunches and anti-lunch shaming, donations to food banks, and the company’s national Food Access In Reach (FAIR) program, which was announced at the historic 2022 White House Conference on Hunger.
Chobani is continuously focused on leaving the planet a better place – and that includes donating millions of dollars to its hometowns in New York and Idaho. Since 2018, the company has invested nearly $1.5 million to its Chobani Community Impact Fund which addresses poverty, economic opportunity, and entrepreneurship. By 2027, Chobani will have invested more than $1.4 million into its legacy Chobani Scholars program, which aims to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in food and agriculture. In 2022, Chobani partnered with an HBCU to develop a scholarship program supporting students majoring in food and nutritional science, agribusiness and biological engineering.
During the pandemic Chobani donated and delivered 10.5 million products to schools, hospitals, first responders, and food banks across 30 states.
Chobani is committed to hiring refugees and immigrants – and is proud to support America’s military families through an ongoing partnership that has raised more than $3 million for Operation Homefront.
ABOUT CHOBANI
Chobani is a food maker with a mission of making high-quality and nutritious food accessible to more people, while elevating our communities and making the world a healthier place. In short: making good food for all. In support of this mission, we are a values-driven, people-first, food-and-wellness-focused company, and have been since Hamdi Ulukaya, an immigrant to the U.S., founded the company in 2005. We produce yogurt, oatmilk, dairy- and plant-based creamers, ready-to-drink coffee and plant-based probiotic drinks. Chobani yogurt is America’s No.1 yogurt brand, and it’s made with only natural ingredients without artificial preservatives.
Chobani uses food as a force for good in the world – putting humanity first in everything we do. Our philanthropic efforts prioritize giving back to our communities and beyond: working to eradicate child hunger, supporting immigrants, refugees and underrepresented people, honoring veterans, and protecting the planet. We manufacture our products in New York, Idaho, and Australia. Chobani products are available throughout North America and distributed in Australia and other select markets. For more information, please visit www.chobani.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
ABOUT IDAHO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
The Idaho Community Foundation connects Idahoans to a generous statewide network through the power of collective giving. Our grantmaking, community impact work and relationships with local philanthropists have strengthened nonprofits, schools, and communities in every Idaho county for more than 30 years. We believe that shared philanthropy is more powerful than giving alone. For more information, visit: www.idahocf.org.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEW YORK
The Community Foundation for South Central New York, a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in Johnson City, encourages and facilitates personal and institutional philanthropy throughout the region by managing 143 funds within the Foundation’s endowment that are established by donors to achieve specific charitable goals. From these funds, the Foundation has awarded over $23 million in grants to the area’s nonprofits to help address community concerns and improve the quality of life in the region. The Community Foundation serves donors and nonprofits in five New York counties: Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Tioga. More information about the Foundation can be found on its website at www.donorswhocare.org.
