Mars Impact Fund: Supporting Local Communities

Mars is a global leader in snacking, pet care and food, driven by the belief that business should be a force for good.

Its Sustainable in a Generation plan focuses on making sure the planet is healthy, people and pets are thriving and society is inclusive.

Mars has announced the launch of the Mars Impact Fund, which aims to accelerate meaningful impact in the communities where it operates.

About the Impact Fund

The Mars Impact Fund is designed to complement the company’s existing sustainability efforts with strategic, long-term investments.

The company pledges to contribute US$85m between 2025 and 2027 through the Fund.

From 2028 onward, it plans to distribute at least US$50m annually in additional capital.

It will offer grants to companies and organisations that can make a lasting impact to local communities, through initiatives, products, services and solutions.

Michelle Grogg, Executive Director of the Mars Impact Fund, says: “Change starts with listening, learning and working alongside the communities we serve.

“Through the Mars Impact Fund, we’re partnering with organisations that bring deep expertise and local insight so that, together, we can expand opportunity, strengthen resilience and improve lives for people and pets around the world.”

The initial recipients of the grants

Mars has selected the first organisations to benefit from its Impact Fund.

Among the recipients is Save the Children, which is working on developing community resilience programmes in cocoa-growing areas of Indonesia.

The Fund has approved a three-year, US$3m grant to Save the Children to help strengthen these programmes and expand Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs).

Janti Soeripto, President and CEO of Save the Children US, says: “We’re grateful for our long-standing partnership with Mars, grounded in our shared commitment to children and communities.

“As we enter this next phase of our collaboration in Indonesia, the Mars Impact Fund will help us reach 115 villages over the next three years.

“Together, we’re supporting families to build financial stability, strengthen child protection systems and advance community-led resilience across cocoa growing areas – delivering lasting change for women, children and families.

The Mars Impact Fund will also help Humane World for Animals with a US$726,000 grant.

This will be used to help expand equitable access to veterinary care and training in select communities in India and Mexico.

Kitty Block, President and CEO of Humane World for Animals, says: “What excites me about our partnership with Mars is that together we’re removing one of the biggest barriers to better health and welfare outcomes for companion animals: access to quality veterinary care.

“Our programmes reaching street dogs and pets in underserved communities are doing more than just improving the lives of animals, too.

“They’re creating lasting solutions for healthier and safer communities around the world.”

How does this build upon Mars’s sustainability goals?

The Mars Impact Fund will focus on three main priorities which are aligned with the company’s values:

• Boost sourcing community resiliency
• Grow and diversify the pipeline of scientists
• Improve companion animal wellbeing

Andy Pharoah, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Mars, says: “The Mars Impact Fund builds on decades of partnership and investment in the communities where we operate, strengthening and scaling the work already underway.

“It is designed to complement our broader impact agenda to benefit people, pets and the planet and help us deepen relationships with organisations working to create lasting impact.”

The Fund will support farming families and communities around the world, helping to improve livelihoods and wellbeing.

This can directly impact the quality and resilience of Mars’s supply chain by improving the communities and farms that provide ingredients for the company’s products.

It can also help increase access to veterinary care and support for pets in under-resourced homes and communities, helping to build animal health and wellbeing in its areas of operation.