To qualify, organisations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits serving youths aged 10-18 – either planning to start a new programme or expanding an existing one focused on college readiness, skills building, workforce or leadership development, or mentoring.
Grant applicants will have the choice to apply for a grant amount between $25,000 and $150,000 – to be awarded in early 2023.
The grant application closes on 14 November, and non-profits can apply through the Foundation’s website.
The standouts in 2022
The Foundations 2022 grant partners predominately serve high school and middle school students, aimed to help youths stay in school, graduate high school, attend a post-secondary school or find a long-term career path.
The middle school programmes are focused on strengthening learning skills, enhancing hard and soft skills, and helping children build healthy relationships with trusted adults through mentorship. Other programmes serve students by specialising in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and STEAM (as per STEM plus the arts – humanities, language arts, dance, drama, music, visual arts, design and new media).
“In our inaugural year, we were able to award 17 grants, and we’re excited for this number to grow, thanks in part to the generosity of our guests who round up their Panera orders to support the Give Change for Children programme,” said Debbie Roberts, Foundation Board president, and EVP & COO of Panera Bread.
Dare to dream
The Panera Bread Foundation was formed to work towards a world in which young people can dare to dream – where opportunity and economic mobility are accessible to all.
