Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation

What Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation does

The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation established in 2018 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, operating as the philanthropic arm of The Kroger Co. The foundation's stated mission is to create communities free of hunger and waste, and since inception it has directed more than $66M in cumulative funding across hunger relief and food-waste-reduction initiatives, including a 2023 single-year deployment of $7.4M via 82 grants.

The foundation runs two principal grant mechanisms: a portfolio of programmatic grants to national and operational partners (Feeding America, WWF, No Kid Hungry, ReFed, Farmlink Project) addressing fresh food access and food rescue, and a venture-style Innovation Fund that has disbursed $6.6M to 17 early-stage companies and social innovators across two open calls, in collaboration with Village Capital for accelerator programming. Individual giving is channeled through a OneCause-powered digital donation infrastructure with tiered contribution levels ranging from $10 to $500.

The organization's economics are those of a traditional private foundation: it relies primarily on contributions from its corporate parent and individual donors, and reports that approximately 94 cents of every dollar flows to programs. Governance is overseen by a board including Denise Osterhues (President & Director) and Keith Dailey (Vice President), with executive leadership currently held by Sunny Reelhorn Parr (Executive Director) and Patty Leesemann (Interim Treasurer & Executive Director).

Name

Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation

Legal name

The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger Zero Waste Foundation

Website

https://thekrogercozerohungerzerowastefoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2018 that directs grants and Innovation Fund investments to hunger-relief and food-waste-reduction organizations, nonprofits, and startups across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation / Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH), Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)

Keywords

• Hunger relief grants
• Food waste reduction
• Nonprofit philanthropy
• Community grantmaking
• Innovation funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grants and Donations: The foundation receives charitable contributions and directs grant funding to organizations aligned with its mission. Contributions are tax-deductible under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Ohio nonprofit that directs charitable grants to nonprofit organizations, community partners, and social entrepreneurs working to improve food security and reduce food waste. Its primary grantmaking vehicles are the quarterly community grant program (accessed via the CommunityGifts portal) and the Innovation Fund, which supports innovators with solutions to hunger and waste challenges.

Product overview

The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is a charitable foundation (an Ohio nonprofit corporation under Section 501(c)(3)) focused on creating communities free of hunger and waste. The foundation operates as a unified grant-making organization with its primary vehicle being the Innovation Fund, which provides strategic grant funding to entrepreneurs and organizations addressing food security and food waste challenges. The portfolio includes grantees working on food redistribution technology, SNAP enrollment assistance, upcycled food products, and AI-powered kitchen waste measurement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Innovation Fund: Strategic grant funding program designed to provide solutions to end hunger and waste at national and local levels, supporting entrepreneurs with creative ideas to reduce food loss and waste in the food system.

Products and services

• Innovation Fund A strategic grant funding program operated by the foundation that supports entrepreneurs, social innovators, and creative thinkers with solutions to improve food security and reduce food loss and waste. The fund has conducted two open calls for proposals and directed $6.6 million in grant funding to 17 companies across the U.S.
• Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Community Grants Program A quarterly grant application program that directs funding to nonprofit organizations and community groups working on hunger relief and food waste reduction, accessed via the CommunityGifts portal and reviewed on a quarterly basis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Since 2018, directed more than $66 million to mission-aligned organizations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaborator supporting Feeding America's network operations and programs, helping to direct more food to families in need in Kroger's communities. Featured as a Champion Spotlight on the foundation's About page.
• No Kid HungrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured as a Champion Spotlight partner. Foundation supports No Kid Hungry in providing funds, training, and technical assistance to test and expand School-Based Health Centers model.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic collaborator in Zero Hunger | Zero Waste journey. Foundation recently directed two grants to WWF to support regenerative agriculture systems and protecting native grasslands.
• ReFedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an Impact Champion collaborator. ReFed focuses on reducing food waste through data, insights, and supply chain solutions.
• The Farmlink ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured as a Champion Spotlight. Connects surplus produce to communities in need and reduces carbon emissions while empowering young changemakers.
• Village CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMost recently worked with Village Capital to explore ways to expand access to fresh, nutritious food and improve health equity in communities. Part of Innovation Fund expansion efforts.
• OneCauseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party donation processing platform used for accepting and processing donor contributions. Website links to OneCause for donation transactions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Village Capital: Impact-investment platform and Innovation Fund collaborator, focused on early-stage ventures in food, agriculture, and health equity. Operates adjacent to the foundation's Innovation Fund by supporting entrepreneurs with capital and capability-building.

Broad incumbents

• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Major environmental NGO and named core strategic partner. Foundation has directed grants to WWF for regenerative agriculture and native grasslands, operating at the intersection of sustainability and food systems—a strong peer in the food-and-climate grantmaking space.
• Walmart Foundation: Largest U.S. retailer's corporate philanthropy arm, funding workforce, opportunity, and food-security programs at similar scale. Comparable as a corporate foundation tackling community-level food access and hunger, though with a broader social mandate beyond food waste.

Direct peers

• No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength): Named Impact Champion partner and grantee recipient of the foundation. Direct counterpart in the child-hunger and school-meal space, distributing grants and technical assistance that overlap significantly with the foundation's food-security pillar.
• ReFED: Named Impact Champion collaborator and a leading U.S. non-profit focused on food-waste reduction through data, insights, and supply-chain solutions. Operates in the same food-waste policy and innovation space the foundation's Innovation Fund targets.
• General Mills Foundation: Corporate foundation of a major U.S. food manufacturer, with a focused hunger-relief and nutrition grantmaking program. Directly comparable as a food-industry foundation addressing nutrition, food access, and equitable food systems.
• Conagra Brands Foundation: Corporate foundation of a major U.S. packaged-food company, focused on childhood nutrition, hunger relief, and food-waste reduction. Closely mirrors the foundation's dual hunger-plus-waste mandate within food-industry philanthropy.
• Feeding America: National hunger-relief network and named Impact Champion partner of the foundation. Feeding America operates the largest U.S. domestic hunger-relief distribution system; many of the foundation's grantees (Farmlink, mRelief, US Hunger) extend or complement Feeding America's reach.
• Tyson Foundation: Corporate foundation of one of the largest U.S. protein producers, funding hunger relief and workforce initiatives. Comparable as a food-industry corporate foundation with parallel food-security and community-impact mandates.

Others

• The Kroger Co. Foundation (The Kroger Company Foundation): Sibling corporate foundation under the same Kroger parent, focused on broader community giving (education, health, diversity). Operates alongside the ZHZW Foundation under Kroger's umbrella and serves as the closest internal counterpart for board, governance, and co-funding synergies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments4 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation