The KFC Foundation Makes $500,000 Of Wishes Come True

KFC restaurants nominated non-profits across the country to receive grants to make projects on their wish list come true through the Kentucky Fried Wishes program

The KFC Foundation is honored to award 50 deserving non-profit organizations across the U.S. a combined total of $500,000 in Kentucky Fried Wishes grants to make a project on their wish list come true.

“The vision of the Kentucky Fried Wishes program is to empower KFC restaurant employees to give back to the communities they serve and build lasting relationships with organizations they are passionate about,” said Emma Horn, Executive Director, KFC Foundation. “We’re proud to grant half a million dollars in wishes to 50 non-profits across the country this year.”

KFC’s founder, Colonel Harland Sanders, would have turned 132 years old on September 9. Inspired by the Colonel and his guiding principle to “never pass anybody up,” the KFC Foundation carries on his legacy of philanthropy through its five charitable assistance programs—and celebrates his birthday by awarding Kentucky Fried Wishes to non-profits doing meaningful work.

This year’s non-profit grant recipients span across 25 different states and support various causes and communities, including:

• Family & Children’s Association was nominated by KFC restaurant employees for its long-lasting impact on the youth in Long Island, NY. The Family & Children’s Association works to protect and strengthen Long Island’s most vulnerable children, families, seniors and communities. The Kentucky Fried Wishes grant will be used to fund an outdoor healing garden, designed to improve the mental and physical well-being of the residents.

• Community Bike Works, based in Allentown, PA, connects youth ages 9-18 with adult mentors who teach them life lessons through their Earn a Bike program. While working on their bikes, students practice life skills by working collaboratively, solving problems, learning perseverance and experiencing the satisfaction of turning a broken bike into a functional one. Their Kentucky Fried Wishes grant will help purchase bicycle helmets and the necessary tools for bicycle mechanic training. 

• Live Like Madison was created in memory of Madison Fedak of Laurinburg, a 7-year-old who passed away in December 2019 after a battle with cancer, in an effort to honor her heart for giving back. Madison’s “never give up” attitude inspired the organization’s programs that promote courage and comfort for children who suffer from the disease. The Kentucky Fried Wishes grant will help fund toy chests housed at three children’s hospitals in the Laurinburg, NC, area. 

The full list of Kentucky Fried Wishes recipients is below.

The KFC Foundation supports and empowers KFC restaurant employees to be their best selves by providing pathways to education, hardship assistance, opportunities to give back to their communities and more. The Kentucky Fried Wishes program is one of five charitable programs that the KFC Foundation offers KFC restaurant employees across the U.S. including the REACH Educational Grant Program, Rise with GEDWorks, KFC Family Fund, and MyChange.

Operating independently from KFC Corporation and led by a board including KFC franchisees, the KFC Foundation receives its financial support from Round Up fundraising and its annual donation program, a voluntary program where KFC franchisees elect to contribute a portion of their restaurant sales of Secret Recipe Fries to engage in and support the Foundation’s initiatives.

*To be eligible for Kentucky Fried Wishes and any of the KFC Foundation’s charitable assistance programs, employees must work at a KFC restaurant in the U.S. that is participating in the KFC Foundation’s 2022 annual donation program.

About the KFC Foundation

The KFC Foundation, an independent 501c3 organization, has provided over $25 million to more than 9,000 KFC U.S. restaurant employees and students through education, hardship assistance and personal finance programs, and more. The KFC Foundation’s charitable programs are made possible through the generosity of KFC’s many franchisees, KFC Corporation, vendors, and other individual donors. 

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