Subway Cares Foundation
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersMilford, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Subway Cares Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Subway Cares Foundation industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Subway Cares Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milford
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Subway Cares Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- 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
Subway Cares Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Subway Cares Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Subway Cares Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Subway Cares Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of AmericacorePromotes 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 KitchencoreFounded 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 ProjectcoreStudent-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 HungercoreGlobal 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 CanadacoreCreated 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 HonorcoreSince 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 AmericacoreManages the Fresh Start Scholarship application process for Subway restaurant employees applying to continue their education at college, university, or vocational-technical school.
- Feeding AmericasupportingRegional food bank partner in the United States supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
- CT FoodsharesupportingRegional food bank partner in Connecticut supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
- Feeding South FloridasupportingRegional food bank partner in South Florida supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
- Fareshare UKsupportingRegional food bank partner in the United Kingdom supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
- Tafel GermanysupportingRegional food bank partner in Germany supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
- Foodbank AustraliasupportingRegional food bank partner in Australia supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
- Musubie JapansupportingRegional food bank partner in Japan supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
- Bancos de Alimentos MexicosupportingRegional food bank partner in Mexico supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
- Asociacion de Bancos Alimentos de ColombiasupportingRegional food bank partner in Colombia supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
- Voedselbanken NederlandsupportingRegional food bank partner in the Netherlands supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
- Food Bank PhilippinessupportingRegional food bank partner in the Philippines supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
- UAE FoodbanksupportingRegional food bank partner in the UAE supported by Subway Cares Foundation.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Subway Cares Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
Subway Cares Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceSubway Cares Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Subway Cares Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Subway Cares Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Subway Cares Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Subway Cares Foundation
What does Subway Cares Foundation do?
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.
Is Subway Cares Foundation a public or private company?
Subway Cares Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Subway Cares Foundation founded?
Subway Cares Foundation was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Subway Cares Foundation based?
Subway Cares Foundation is headquartered in Milford, United States, in the North America region.
How does Subway Cares Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations.
Who are Subway Cares Foundation's main competitors?
Feeding America is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are Scholarship America and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Direct peers are Wendy's Foundation, Chick-fil-A Foundation, Taco Bell Foundation (Live Más Scholarship), Yum! Brands Foundation (World Hunger Relief), Domino's Pizza Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities / McDonald's Foundation and Wendy's Wonderful Support / Wendy's National Adoption Day.
Does Subway Cares Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Subway Cares Foundation.
What industry is Subway Cares Foundation in?
Subway Cares Foundation's product category is Charitable Foundation / Nonprofit Hunger Relief and Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAK, Education Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.