Chick-fil-A Foundation Announces 2020 Priorities to Address Education, Homelessness, Hunger

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Nov 18, 2019, 10:30 ET

ATLANTA, Nov. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting in 2020, the Chick-fil-A Foundation is introducing a more focused giving approach to provide additional clarity and impact with the causes it supports. Staying true to its goal of nourishing the potential in every child, the Chick-fil-A Foundation will deepen its giving to a smaller number of organizations working exclusively in the areas of education, homelessness and hunger.

Today, the Chick-fil-A Foundation has announced a $9 million commitment to the following initiatives for 2020:

Education: To support education, the Foundation is expanding its partnership with Junior Achievement USA (JA). JA offers kindergarten to 12th grade programs that foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, and use experiential learning to inspire students to dream big and reach their potential. The organization reaches nearly 5 million students annually.
Homelessness: To address youth homelessness, the Foundation is expanding its partnership with Covenant House International. For more than four decades, Covenant House has helped transform and save the lives of more than a million homeless, runaway and trafficked young people – reaching 70,000 youth each year.
Hunger: To fight hunger, the Foundation will support more than 120 communities by dedicating $25,000 to a local food bank at each new Chick-fil-A opening.

"We are incredibly excited to be Chick-fil-A Foundation's education partner and to make a positive difference in the lives of countless young people as a result of this initiative," said Jack E. Kosakowski, president and CEO of JA USA. "Chick-fil-A has been a dedicated supporter of JA programs for many years, and we look forward to working together to reach even more kids through this latest commitment."

"Millions of children and youth face homelessness each year, including kids who have endured traumatic and adverse childhood experiences," said Kevin Ryan, president and CEO of Covenant House International. "The young people we serve are usually disconnected from their families and other social support, and we are committed to helping them all overcome hunger and homelessness. We welcome Chick-fil-A's support of our work across America to house, feed and uplift the dignity of children and youth. We also welcome the efforts of local Chick-fil-A operators to hire and train young people as they overcome homelessness and cross that bridge from despair to hope." 

"Chick-fil-A has been a tremendous partner in our efforts to end hunger in Atlanta, and I'm thrilled the Chick-fil-A Foundation will increase its focus on addressing this critical issue in 2020," said Kyle Waide, president and CEO of Atlanta Community Food Bank. "By donating $25,000 to a nearby food bank at every new Chick-fil-A restaurant opening, the Foundation will be able provide up to 100,000 meals to local kids, families and seniors in need – helping to create stronger communities where none of our neighbors go hungry and we all have the opportunity for a healthy future."

Since the beginning of the Chick-fil-A Foundation, more than $52 million has been donated to support education, entrepreneurship and leadership development. The Foundation has made these changes to create more clarity and to better address three critical needs facing children across the communities Chick-fil-A, Inc. serves.

Additionally, the Foundation will no longer make multiyear commitments and will reassess its philanthropic partnerships annually to allow maximum impact. These partners could include faith-based and non-faith-based charities.

Going forward, Chick-fil-A Inc. will continue to fund scholarships to Team Members each year and support local organizations through the True Inspiration Awards. The company will also continue to invest in its hometown through community revitalization efforts in the historic Westside of Atlanta. Through these initiatives, Chick-fil-A Inc. and the Foundation will provide approximately $32 million in total cash gifts in 2020.

To learn more about the Chick-fil-A Foundation's previous partnerships, view a copy of its 2018 IRS 990 form (which discloses all donations to organizations it supported in 2018) or preview the Foundation's 2019 donations to date and its 2020 giving approach, visit chick-fil-afoundation.org.

About the Chick-fil-A® Foundation
The Chick-fil-A® Foundation is the corporate foundation of Chick-fil-A, Inc. A not-for-profit organization, the Foundation's purpose is to lead the company's commitment to support organizations dedicated to the issues of youth hunger, homelessness and education. To date the Chick-fil-A Foundation has donated $52 million to organizations impacting the local communities Chick-fil-A serves. For more information, visit www.chick-fil-afoundation.org.

About Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately held restaurant company founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy. Devoted to serving the local communities in which its franchised restaurants operate, and known for its original chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A serves freshly prepared food in more than 2,400 restaurants in 47 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada.

Chick-fil-A reported more than $10 billion in revenue in 2018, which marks 51 consecutive years of sales growth. A leader in customer service satisfaction, consumers voted Chick-fil-A, Inc. No. 4 in Harris Poll's annual corporate reputation survey, ranking the company 4^th out of 100 in 2018. Chick-fil-A, Inc. was also recognized for customer experience again in the 2018 Temkin Experience Ratings survey, was named "Best Franchise Brand" in 2018 by Airport Revenue News and was named one of the top 100 best places to work by Glassdoor in 2017. More information on Chick-fil-A is available at www.chick-fil-a.com.

SOURCE Chick-fil-A, Inc.