Subway Cares Foundation

What Subway Cares Foundation does

Subway Cares Foundation Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 325 Sub Way, Milford, Connecticut, launched in May 2022 as the formalized philanthropic vehicle of the Subway restaurant brand. The foundation operates two core programs: the Grants Program, which funds nonprofit partners working in hunger relief and education (by invitation only), and the Fresh Start Scholarship Program, established in 2016 to provide tuition assistance to Subway restaurant employees pursuing postsecondary education at colleges, universities, or vocational-technical schools. As of 2024, Fresh Start Scholarships had disbursed over $5 million to approximately 2,000 employees worldwide. Foundation activities span three thematic pillars: Hunger Relief, Tuition Assistance, and Supporting Tomorrow's Leaders (coaching, mentoring, and leadership development).

The foundation is funded entirely by donations from Subway corporate, vendor and supplier partners, franchisees, Subway employees, and restaurant guests, accepted via website, events, payroll deduction, mail, credit/debit cards, and electronic platforms such as Venmo and PayPal. Its grantmaking reach extends globally through anchor partners such as World Central Kitchen, Action Against Hunger, Folds of Honor, Food Banks of Canada, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and regional food banks across at least 11 countries. The foundation is governed by a Board comprising Subway executives, supply-chain partners (PepsiCo, Independent Purchasing Cooperative), multi-unit franchisees, and external leaders, with day-to-day operations run by an Executive Director who concurrently serves as Senior Director of External Affairs at Subway. The organization holds no proprietary technology products; operations rely on standard donation platforms and outsourced scholarship administration through Scholarship America.

Name

Subway Cares Foundation

Legal name

Subway Cares Foundation Inc.

Website

https://subwaycares.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation / Nonprofit Hunger Relief and Education

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Hunger relief grants
• Tuition assistance scholarships
• Nonprofit charitable foundation
• Youth education support
• Corporate philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Milford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations: The foundation is funded through donations from Subway, vendor and supplier partners, franchisees, Subway employees, and guests. Donations are accepted via the website, events, payroll deduction, mailing, credit/debit cards, and electronic platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Subway Cares Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs two programs: the Fresh Start Scholarship Program (tuition assistance for Subway restaurant employees pursuing higher education) and a Grants Program (funding nonprofit organizations working on hunger relief and scholarships). The Foundation collects donations from Subway corporate, franchisees, vendors, employees, and guests, and channels those funds into grants to hunger-relief and scholarship nonprofits and directly to employee scholarship recipients worldwide.

Product overview

Subway Cares Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates two core programs: the Fresh Start Scholarship Program (providing tuition assistance to Subway restaurant employees) and the Grants Program (funding non-profit organizations focused on hunger relief and scholarships). The foundation was established in 2022 to expand upon the Subway brand legacy of giving and make a significant global impact. Funding comes from donations by Subway, vendor and supplier partners, franchisees, employees, and guests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fresh Start Scholarships: Tuition assistance program for Subway restaurant employees continuing their education at colleges, universities, or vocational-technical schools. Established in 2016, over $5 million in scholarships have been awarded to 2,000 employees worldwide.

Products and services

• Fresh Start Scholarship Program Tuition assistance scholarship program for Subway restaurant employees pursuing higher education at colleges, universities, or vocational-technical schools. Applications are administered through Scholarship America and accepted March-April annually. Since 2016, over $5 million has been awarded to 2,000 Subway restaurant employees worldwide.
• Grants Program Grant program funding nonprofit organizations that work toward hunger relief and scholarships. Grants are awarded by invitation only to world-class charitable organizations aligned with the Foundation's mission of nourishing brighter futures. Supported partners include World Central Kitchen, Action Against Hunger, Folds of Honor, Food Banks of Canada, The Farmlink Project, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, as well as regional food banks in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Philippines, UAE, Mexico, and Colombia.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $5 million awarded to 2,000 Subway restaurant employees through Fresh Start Scholarships since 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Boys & Girls Clubs of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2022Promotes safe, positive and inclusive environment for all that supports youth and teens in reaching their full potential. Received inaugural grant of $300,000.
• World Central KitchencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen is a nonprofit that is first to the frontlines providing fresh meals in response to crises. Has served more than 350 million nourishing meals around the world.
• The Farmlink ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent-founded 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to connect surplus produce to communities in need, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and empower next generation changemakers.
• Action Against HungercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal movement ending hunger in our lifetimes, innovating solutions, advocating for change, reaching 25 million people annually with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs across 50 countries.
• Food Banks of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated After the Bell program to address food insecurity over summer months, delivering nutrient dense food packs to school children in Canada experiencing food insecurity.
• Folds of HonorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2007, has awarded over 35,000 educational scholarships to families of military men and women who have fallen or been disabled while on active duty in the United States armed forces.
• Scholarship AmericacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerManages the Fresh Start Scholarship application process for Subway restaurant employees applying to continue their education at college, university, or vocational-technical school.
• Feeding AmericasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner in the United States supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
• CT FoodsharesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner in Connecticut supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
• Feeding South FloridasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner in South Florida supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
• Fareshare UKsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner in the United Kingdom supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
• Tafel GermanysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner in Germany supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
• Foodbank AustraliasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner in Australia supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
• Musubie JapansupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner in Japan supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
• Bancos de Alimentos MexicosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner in Mexico supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
• Asociacion de Bancos Alimentos de ColombiasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner in Colombia supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
• Voedselbanken NederlandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner in the Netherlands supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
• Food Bank PhilippinessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner in the Philippines supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
• UAE FoodbanksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner in the UAE supported by Subway Cares Foundation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: Largest US hunger-relief nonprofit and an actual grantee of Subway Cares. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in one of Subway Cares' two program pillars; a strategic partner now but operationally much larger.

Others

• Scholarship America: National nonprofit that administers corporate-funded scholarship programs; currently the implementation partner managing Fresh Start Scholarship applications for Subway Cares. Comparable as both an operational model (managed corporate scholarship administration) and a peer in the employee-tuition-aid segment.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Major youth-development nonprofit and a 2022 inaugural grant recipient of Subway Cares. Comparable as both a downstream beneficiary grantee and a parallel youth-leadership/education nonprofit with corporate-affiliated funding sources from the same QSR/corporate donor pool.

Direct peers

• Wendy's Foundation: Corporate-affiliated foundation of a major burger QSR. Comparable as a brand-tied grantmaker focused on adoption, youth and family services—parallel operating model and channel reach to Subway Cares.
• Chick-fil-A Foundation: Corporate foundation of a major US QSR chain. Comparable as a brand-affiliated grantmaker funding education and youth programs through restaurant-network-amplified fundraising; both are invite-driven grantmakers connected to a chain with thousands of operator-owned locations.
• Taco Bell Foundation (Live Más Scholarship): Yum! Brands-owned foundation running an employee scholarship program conceptually identical to Subway Cares' Fresh Start Scholarships (tuition aid for chain employees). Most direct functional comparable for the foundation's signature program.
• Yum! Brands Foundation (World Hunger Relief): The Yum! Brands corporate hunger-relief initiative covering KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Habit Burger. Closest direct comparable in mission (hunger relief + education), funding model, and global QSR-affiliated scale.
• Domino's Pizza Foundation: QSR-affiliated nonprofit supporting hunger relief, education and disaster response; same brand-tied charitable structure and reliance on franchise/employee giving as Subway Cares.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities / McDonald's Foundation: The flagship QSR-affiliated global foundation. Directly comparable: brand-tied public charity funding children's health, education and family welfare through grants and direct programs; same funding model (corporate + franchisee + guest donations) and same global reach ambition as Subway Cares.
• Wendy's Wonderful Support / Wendy's National Adoption Day: Other Wendy's-affiliated philanthropic programs; included to round out QSR-foundation peer set given identical donor base (QSR guests, franchisees, employees) and identical fundraising mechanic (register/point-of-sale donations).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/subway
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/subway

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Subway Cares Foundation