Each year, the Taco Bell Foundation awards Community Grants within the neighborhoods where Taco Bell team members work and live, supporting the work of charities championing youth academic success. 2024 marked a significant milestone for the Taco Bell Foundation as it donated a record-breaking amount in grants – nearly $23 million. Grant recipients include organizations that are passionate about advancing academic achievement, mentorship, career readiness, financial literacy and social-emotional wellbeing. Read on to discover a few of the incredible recipients paving the way for change.
Cultivating Futures at Jones Valley Teaching Farm:
Received $35,000 in 2024
Photo Credit: Jones Valley Teaching Farm
At the intersection of food and academic achievement, Jones Valley Teaching Farm (JVTF) has a 20-year history of serving students in the Birmingham community, using food as a foundation so that young people can lead, create, and grow a healthy future for themselves and their community. Through food-based, cross-curricular experiential lessons, students use food, farming, and the culinary arts as a foundation for academic exploration and environmental stewardship.
Empowering Youth at Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio:
Received $300,000 in 2024
Photo Credit: Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Ohio
The Taco Bell Foundation extends its support to numerous Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio (BGCNEO), which is dedicated to inspiring and enabling youth to reach their full potential. The Clubs provide young people with a safe place to learn after school and in the summer, the riskiest times for vulnerable youth. With over 40 Clubs in Northeast Ohio, BGCNEO members participate in programs to support their academic success, healthy lifestyles, social-emotional growth, and career readiness.
Producing Dreams with Notes for Notes:
Received $300,000 in 2024
Photo Credit: Notes For Notes
Notes for Notes (N4N) offers young people a gateway to contemporary music-making, providing access to musical equipment and instruction completely free of charge. Starting with just one studio in Santa Barbara in 2006, N4N now has 27 studios serving over 8,000 young artists per year. These studios are not just filled with instruments; they’re designed to nurture artistic and emotional growth in thousands of young individuals every year, guided by encouraging relationships with mentors.
Fostering Female Leaders with HomeWorks Trenton:
Received $25,000 in 2024
Photo Credit: David Kelly Crow
The Taco Bell Foundation’s Journey with HomeWorks Trenton ignited through Ambition Accelerator and has since flourished, with the organization now proudly recognized as a Community Grant recipient. Founded in 2016, HomeWorks operates a free, after-school residential program for marginalized high school girls that provides academic and leadership enrichment. HomeWorks’ residential environments empower young women to reach their full potential and make transformative impact.
The Taco Bell Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity. For more information visit www.tacobellfoundation.org