How Albertsons Companies Foundation transformed traditional corporate giving into a catalyst for community change

Company overview 

Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States, operating more than 2,200 stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia. The Albertsons Companies Foundation advances the company’s mission by working to reduce food insecurity and strengthen the communities it serves. 

Their purpose-driven initiative, Nourishing Neighbors (established in 2014), approaches hunger with a comprehensive "Today, Tomorrow, and Forever" approach. Albertsons Companies Foundation goes beyond giving; it brings people together. By connecting more than 267,000 associates, hunger relief partners and community members, the Foundation fosters collaboration and shared purpose to achieve one goal: ending hunger in our communities.

The challenge 

Hunger remains a critical issue in the United States. More than 47 million people, including one in five children, face limited access to nutritious food. Albertsons Companies Foundation recognized that while immediate food access is vital, breaking the cycle of hunger requires long-term, sustainable solutions. 

The Foundation needed to balance two demanding priorities:

1. Managing high-volume local needs: Ensuring that funds raised in each community stayed local meant administering thousands of grants tailored to the unique needs of the neighborhoods served by over 2,200 stores.
2. Advancing systemic, long-term solutions: They also sought to launch multi-year, high-level strategic initiatives to address the root causes of hunger, including financial instability and limited access to sustainable economic opportunities.

Managing a program that was simultaneously broad with thousands of local grants and deep, strategic investments required an enterprise-grade platform that could simplify administration and empower strategy.

The solution 

To manage a dynamic, dual-track grantmaking strategy with ease, Albertsons Companies Foundation leverages Benevity’s Grants Management Platform which enables the Foundation to:  

1. Streamline hyper-local giving: The platform streamlines the processing of thousands of grants, ensuring funds support tailored local initiatives such as regional SNAP enhancements and other local hunger-relief efforts.

2. Identify community gaps and opportunities: Through quarterly listening sessions with partners including Feeding America and No Kid Hungry, Albertsons Companies Foundation uses platform data insights and partner feedback to identify community needs and develop actionable solutions.
3. Fuel innovation and long-term solutions: The Grants Management platform enables complex, multi-year projects like the Innovation Spark Grants, a $20 million investment into transformative ideas, such as career coaching for single mothers to break the cycle of poverty.
4. Prioritize trust-based philanthropy: Guided by a commitment to “Do No Harm,” Albertsons Companies Foundation embraced trust-based philanthropy, simplifying grant applications and removing budget report requirements to reduce barriers for nonprofit partners. Benevity’s configurable workflows allow the Foundation to streamline processes, save time and place trust in nonprofits to use funds where they’re needed most.

The results

By shifting from transactional giving to a strategic, trust-centered, data-informed approach, Albertsons Companies Foundation has redefined what modern corporate philanthropy can achieve. Their approach earned the Foundation recognition as the 202 Goodie Awards winner in the Community Hero category.

Key Impact Outcomes

• 1 billion meals enabled: Over the past decade, the Foundation has provided $297 million in grants, enabling 1 billion meals and 78 million breakfasts for children.
• US$20 million invested in Innovation Spark Grants: Funding 12 bold, multi-year projects designed to break the poverty cycle.
• US$380 million contributed to hunger relief: Since the program began, more than 10,000 grants managed through Benevity and nearly US$52 million awarded in 2025 through Nourishing Neighbors.

Albertsons Companies Foundation didn’t just increase grant volume, they reshaped how impact is created and sustained.

• Digital infrastructure, real-world impact: The Summer EBT Collaborative funded a website that received 396,000 visits, helping over 250,000 families complete eligibility screeners to access vital federal assistance during the summer months, transforming corporate funding into life-changing federal support.‍
• From food support to economic mobility: The strategic approach created a ripple effect, enabling nonprofits, government agencies and corporate teams to work together toward scalable solutions.

Partnership highlights

Albertsons Companies Foundation continues to expand its community impact with Benevity, leveraging Grants Management’s powerful capabilities to deepen collaboration, sharpen reporting and boost program visibility. They’re scaling the Innovation Spark Grants, using data to strengthen nonprofit partnerships and evolving the Nourishing Neighbors program to meet the next wave of hunger challenges.

Together, Albertsons Companies Foundation and Benevity are helping to redefine what corporate citizenship looks like at scale, proving that when business is driven by purpose, communities flourish and companies grow stronger.