Panda Cares

What Panda Cares does

Panda Cares Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization established in 1999 by Andrew and Peggy Cherng as the philanthropic arm of Panda Restaurant Group. The foundation's mission is to provide the building blocks of health and education to underserved youth, and to support disaster relief efforts in communities where Panda Restaurant Group operates. Its core "technology" is a distributed fundraising infrastructure built around in-store donation boxes at 2,600+ Panda Express locations across the United States, supplemented by associate giving campaigns and the annual Panda Cares Charity Golf Invitational. Panda Restaurant Group underwrites 100% of administrative costs, so every dollar raised is directed to charitable programs.

The foundation operates five core programs: the In-Store Donation Program (over $401 million raised since 2010), the Food Donation Program (in which Panda associates volunteer to serve food at community events), the Charity Golf Invitational (over $44 million since 1999), the Associate Giving Campaign (over 361,000 volunteer hours since inception), and the Panda Cares Scholars Program (providing scholarships and college access support). It has also launched the Center of Hope initiative, which has established 42 dedicated spaces within Children's Miracle Network hospitals and Boys & Girls Clubs.

The go-to-market model is community-led and event-driven rather than conventional sales. Funds flow upstream from guest donations at retail, associate payroll contributions, and partner fundraising events; downstream grants are deployed to a concentrated set of nonprofit partners, principally Children's Miracle Network Hospitals ($200M+ since 2003), Boys & Girls Clubs of America ($8.8M single-year grant in 2021), DonorsChoose, Vision To Learn, UNCF, and the American Red Cross for disaster relief. The foundation does not charge for services or generate traditional commercial revenue; its "revenue" is the gross donations it raises and redistributes.

Name

Panda Cares

Legal name

Panda Cares Foundation

Website

https://pandacares.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Panda Cares is the 501(c)(3) philanthropic arm of Panda Restaurant Group, raising funds through in-store donations at 2,600+ Panda Express locations, associate giving, and charity events to support youth health and education programs and disaster relief.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation and Youth Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAE

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYHLAJAKAE

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Global Health & Development Agencies (NGOs/Multilaterals)

SECONDARYBPAGACAD

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGADAK

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

Keywords

• Youth philanthropy programs
• Charitable foundation grants
• Hospital funding initiatives
• Scholarship programs
• Disaster relief donations

Headquarters

HQ city

Riverside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. In-Store Donations: Guest donations collected at Panda Express locations through in-store donation boxes. All donations are allocated equally to support youth education programs and children's health organizations. 100% of guest donations support the cause.
2. Associate Giving Campaign: Panda Restaurant Group associates voluntarily donate a portion of their paychecks to their local Children's Miracle Network hospital through annual giving campaigns.
3. Charity Golf Invitational: Annual golf tournament engaging Panda's family of associates and business partners. Has raised over $44 million since 1999 for youth in need.
4. Corporate Matching: Panda Restaurant Group and the Panda Charitable Family Foundation provide matching gifts for disaster relief and community support efforts.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Panda Cares Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that provides grants, scholarships, food donations, hospital program funding, and disaster relief to underserved youth. It operates programs such as the In-Store Donation Program at Panda Express locations, the Panda Cares Charity Golf Invitational, Associate Giving Campaign, and the Panda Cares Scholars Program. All administrative costs are underwritten by Panda Restaurant Group so that 100% of donations support youth health, education, and disaster relief causes.

Product overview

Panda Cares is the philanthropic arm of Panda Restaurant Group, established in 1999. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID 81-2094929) that focuses on serving the health and education needs of underserved youth. The organization is powered by in-store donation boxes at Panda Express locations, contributions from Panda associates, and valued business partners. Key programs include the In-Store Donation Program (over $401 million raised since 2010), Food Donation Program, Panda Cares Charity Golf Invitational (over $44 million since 1999), Associate Giving Campaign, Panda Cares Scholars Program, and Panda Cares Day (8/8) anniversary celebration. Panda Cares partners with Children's Miracle Network hospitals (over $200 million raised since 2003), Boys & Girls Clubs of America, DonorsChoose, Vision To Learn, UNCF, and American Red Cross. All administrative costs are underwritten by Panda Restaurant Group, so 100% of donations support youth and disaster relief efforts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Center of Hope Safe spaces within Children's Miracle Network hospitals and Boys & Girls Clubs locations where youth can learn, play, and receive guidance and support to become their best selves. Funded through corporate partnerships.
• In-Store Donation Program Donation collection boxes at Panda Express stores where guests contribute. Has raised over $401 million since 2010 to support local children's hospitals, schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, and disaster relief.
• Food Donation Program Program where Panda Cares works with local organizations to support events benefiting health or education needs of underserved youth, with Panda associates volunteering to serve food.
• Panda Cares Charity Golf Invitational Annual golf tournament bringing together Panda's associates and business partners to raise funds for youth in need. Has raised over $44 million since 1999.
• Associate Giving Campaign Annual campaign where Panda associates voluntarily donate a portion of their paycheck to their local Children's Miracle Network hospital.
• Panda Cares Scholars Program Established in 2020 to provide funding, academic support, and leadership development. Expanded in 2024 to support Boys & Girls Clubs members with scholarships including $25,000 Great Futures Scholarships awarded to 15 teens in 2026.
• Panda Cares Day Annual celebration on August 8th (8/8) commemorating Panda Cares' anniversary and celebrating the gift of health and education to youth nationwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• 505,411 students funded through education programs in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• DonorsChooseminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 February 2025DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools, having contributed $1.9 billion to support 3.5 million teacher requests for classroom resources. Panda Express donated $2.2 million towards classroom resources for schools through DonorsChoose in February 2025.
• Los Angeles Dodgers FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2025Partnership to provide free meal vouchers and Panda swag to over 3,900 individuals affected by Southern California wildfires at LA Strong Essentials Distribution event at Dodgers Stadium and Eaton Fire Relief Distribution event at Robinson Park in Pasadena, CA.
• College Advising CorpsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership began in 2017 at 7 California schools to help students pursue higher education through college advising services.
• Children's Miracle NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's Miracle Network is the leading charity impacting children's health, raising funds for children's hospitals across the U.S. and Canada. Panda Cares has raised over $200 million for CMN since 2003 and funds Panda Cares Center of Hope in 42 locations within CMN hospitals to provide programs addressing children's mental, emotional, physical and spiritual needs.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoys & Girls Clubs of America has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow for more than 160 years. Over 5,500 Clubs serve more than 4 million young people. Panda Cares partnered with BGCA starting in 2021 with an $8.8M grant (largest single-year donation in BGCA history) and has invested in 755 youth through the Panda Cares Scholars Program since 2022.
• Vision To LearnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVision To Learn has helped children in over 860 low-income communities in 18 states and the District of Columbia. The program has provided 3.8 million children with eye care and more than 650,000 with glasses at no cost. About 90% of kids served live in poverty and about 85% are children of color.
• UNCFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNCF is one of the nation's largest supporters of higher education, raising more than $6 billion to support students' access to higher education since its founding in 1944. Each year, UNCF supports more than 50,000 students at more than 600 colleges and universities, including 37 UNCF-member HBCUs.
• American Red CrosscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPanda Cares shifts its focus to relief when natural disasters occur. In addition to monetary donations, they provide food to relief workers and displaced individuals. 100% of donations are forwarded to the American Red Cross who provides direct aid. Panda donated $750,000 in 2024 for wildfire relief.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Target Foundation: A large retail-affiliated foundation supporting education, youth development, and disaster relief. Operates broader retail-driven philanthropy at greater scale but with overlapping youth education mission.
• The Coca-Cola Foundation: A much larger beverage-industry corporate foundation funding education, youth development, and disaster relief globally. Broader food/beverage sector incumbent with overlapping programs but a wider portfolio scope.

Direct peers

• Ronald McDonald House Charities: The most analogous corporate-aligned charity model: RMHC is the philanthropic arm of McDonald's, raising funds at restaurant checkout to support children's health and family housing near hospitals. Directly comparable retail-driven donation model and youth-health mission.
• Chick-fil-A Foundation: Philanthropic arm of Chick-fil-A, focused on education and youth development through scholarships and grants. Comparable restaurant-chain-backed foundation model with similar beneficiary demographics.
• Subway Foundation: Philanthropic arm of the Subway restaurant chain supporting youth and community programs. Comparable QSR corporate foundation structure with restaurant-network donation collection.
• The Starbucks Foundation: Starbucks' corporate foundation funding youth literacy, education, and community programs. Comparable large-scale corporate-affiliated 501(c)(3) with retail-driven fundraising and youth education focus.
• The McDonald's Foundation: McDonald's primary corporate giving vehicle, funding youth education and disaster relief. Operates a comparable restaurant-network-driven philanthropy model targeting similar underserved youth outcomes.
• Yum! Brands Foundation: The philanthropic arm of Yum! Brands (KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut), with a flagship hunger-relief and youth education focus. Directly comparable multi-brand restaurant philanthropy model.
• The Wendy's Company Foundation: Wendy's corporate foundation focused on adoption awareness, youth programs, and disaster relief. Comparable QSR-aligned corporate philanthropy with similar retail-driven fundraising approach.
• Domino's Pizza Foundation: QSR-aligned corporate giving vehicle supporting youth, hunger, and community programs. Comparable restaurant-chain-affiliated philanthropy with similar store-level donation infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@pandacares
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/panda-cares

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Panda Cares