The KFC Foundation is awarding $1 million in grants to 100 community-based non-profit organizations to make a project on their wish list come true. The KFC Foundation’s Kentucky Fried Wishes program supports communities by funding community development projects on the wish lists of non-profit organizations.

“We’re so inspired by the work of these incredible non-profits and honored to help serve joy by positively impacting hundreds of communities across the country with this funding,” said Emma Horn, Executive Director of the KFC Foundation. “With our Kentucky Fried Wishes program in its third year, we’re proud to double last year’s donation amount and help fund more community projects than ever before.”

Since 2021, the KFC Foundation’s Kentucky Fried Wishes program has invested over $1.6 million to support over 160 local non-profit organizations.

This year’s grant recipients represent a mix of nominations by local KFC restaurant teams and non-profit self-nominations, spanning over 35 different states and supporting a variety of causes and communities, including:

• Anson County Partnership for Children, located in Wadesboro, NC, works to make the county a better place for the youth by raising the quality of early care and education, supporting families, advancing child health, and expanding literacy. Several local KFC restaurant employees have volunteered their time helping Anson County Partnership for Children with events and programming. The Kentucky Fried Wishes grant will help the organization purchase and stock a book vending machine for one year in the waiting room of the local health department.
• Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO), located in Macedonia, OH, works to build courage, confidence, and character in young girls. Local KFC Franchisee and previous Girl Scout, Sandra Rapp, serves on the GSNEO STEM Advisory and STEM Center Capital Campaign Committees and referred the organization to the Kentucky Fried Wishes program. The Kentucky Fried Wishes grant will help the non-profit build an ADA-accessible StarLab Dome to provide STEM-oriented educational experiences to girls and boys across its 18-county GSNEO region.
• Peer 1 on 1, located in Cypress, CA, creates a supportive and inclusive community that empowers youth and teens on the autism spectrum through personalized one-on-one interactions to enhance their social and communication skills. The local KFC generously offers meals to the children to support the organization’s activities and the store manager introduced the organization to the grant program. The Kentucky Fried Wishes grant will provide funding for the organization’s “quiet space,” a construction project that will create a stress-relieving environment, aiding in faster relaxation and increased focus and productivity.
• Runway to Hope, based in Orlando, FL, provides direct support and aid to families fighting pediatric cancer. Jessica Phillips, KFC Corporate Field People & Culture Business Partner, referred the non-profit to the Kentucky Fried Wishes program because her family was a recipient of the organization’s Family Assistance Program in 2018 & 2019. Runway to Hope provided Phillips’ family with direct emergency financial assistance during that time. The Kentucky Fried Wishes grant will help fund toiletry kits prepared for pediatric cancer families to make patients as comfortable as possible while receiving treatment.

Kentucky Fried Wishes recipients are listed below by state.

Alabama 
Birmingham Education Foundation Birmingham

Alaska 
Catholic Social Services Anchorage 
Family Promise Mat-Su Wasilla

Arizona 
Angel Heart Pajama Project Tucson 
Arizona Autism United Phoenix 
Donkey Dreams Littlefield

California 
ABC Hopes Corona 
Life Learning Academy San Francisco 
LMWS, Inc. (dba: Pacific Lifeline) Upland 
Peer 1 on 1 Cypress 
Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center Riverside 
Special Needs Network, Inc. Los Angeles 
StreetCode Academy East Palo Alto

Colorado 
Housing Resources of Western Colorado Grand Junction 
StableStrides Elbert

Connecticut 
Connecticut Institute for the Blind d/b/a Oak Hill Hartford

Florida 
Arc Broward Plantation 
Friends of Manatee Lagoon West Palm Beach 
Grand Avenue Economic Community Development Corp Orlando 
New Life Mission Melbourne 
Resilient Retreat, Inc. Sarasota 
Runway to Hope Orlando 
Save Our Seabirds, Inc. Sarasota 
Seniors on a Mission, Inc. Jacksonville 
St Francis Society Tampa 
The Arc of Volusia County Daytona Beach 
The McKenzie Project, Inc. Miami 
The NASCAR Foundation Daytona Beach

Georgia 
Called to Care, Inc. Tifton 
Southwest Christian Care Union City Idaho 
Bingham Health Care Foundation Blackfoot 
RISE, Inc. Boise 
Sleep in Heavenly Peace Twin Falls

Idaho 
Bingham Health Care Foundation Blackfoot 
RISE, Inc. Boise 
Sleep in Heavenly Peace Twin Falls

Illinois 
United Way of Central Illinois Springfield

Indiana 
Genesis House Corydon 
Indiana Canine Assistant Network Inc. Zionsville 
Southeastern Church of Christ Indianapolis

Kentucky 
Hardin County Schools Elizabethtown 
Hazel Green Elementary School East Bernstadt 
Inspire 1 Louisville 
Louisville Ballet Louisville 
Miniature Buddies, Inc. Walton 
Pennyroyal Mental Health/Trace Industries Hopkinsville

Louisiana 
Lowlander Center Many

Maine 
Maine Discovery Museum Bangor

Massachusetts 
Boys and Girls Club of Greater New Bedford New Bedford

Michigan 
Flint STRIVE Flint 
Life Remodeled Detroit 
Pegasus Springs TRC National City 
SLD Read Grand Rapids 
Yad Ezra Berkley

Mississippi 
Mississippians Against Human Trafficking Jackson 
Stewpot Community Services, Inc. Jackson 
We Will Go Jackson

Montana 
Wild Souls Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Blue Springs

Nevada 
CARE Chest Las Vegas

New York 
Adaptive Sports Foundation Windham 
Catholic Charities of Herkimer Domestic Violence Program of Herkimer County Ilion 
Girls Inc. of New York City New York 
Latina Sisters Support Commack 
Massena Fire Department Massena

North Carolina 
Anson County Partnership for Children Wadesboro 
Irene Wortham Center Asheville 
Simply Girls, Inc. Dunn 
Unbroken Spirit Arden

North Dakota 
Abused Adult Resource Center Bismarck

Ohio 
Family Violence Prevention Center Xenia 
Girl Scouts of North East Ohio Macedonia 
Lutheran Community Services Bellefontaine 
RTC Services Bellefontaine

Oregon 
Chintimini Wildlife Center Corvallis 
Circle of Friends Eugene 
Evans Creek Retreat Stayton

Pennsylvania 
Community Action Lehigh Valley Bethlehem 
Crime Victim Center of Erie County Inc. Erie 
Joyful Readers Philadelphia 
Pittsburgh Zoo Pittsburgh 
The Salvation Army Lock Haven 
WPSU – Penn State University Park

Rhode Island 
Jonnycake Center of Westerly Westerly

South Carolina 
Dickerson Children’s Advocacy Center Lexington 
Dorchester Paws Summerville 
North Myrtle Beach Rescue North Myrtle Beach 
Project Cool Breeze Charleston 
The Children’s Museum of the Upstate Greenville 
Walt’s Waltz Greenville

South Dakota 
Children’s Care Hospital & School dba LifeScape Sioux Falls

Tennessee 
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley Knoxville 
KELCURT Foundation Soddy-Daisy 
Samaritan House Family Ministries of Carson-Newman Jefferson City

Texas 
Children’s Museum of Brownsville Brownsville 
Mesita PTA El Paso

Utah 
The Christmas Box International Salt Lake City

Virginia 
Beyond Boundaries Richmond 
La Cocina VA DBA Kitchen of Purpose Arlington 
The Heart Leaf Center Fairfax

Vermont 
Bennington County Coalition for the Homeless Bennington

West Virginia 
Jeremiah Tree Foundation Ona 
Youth Services System, Inc. Wheeling

Wisconsin 
The Milwaukee LGBT Community Center Milwaukee

Operating independently from KFC Corporation and led by a board including KFC franchisees, the KFC Foundation receives its financial support from the Franchise Donation Program, in which a portion of every case of Secret Recipe Fries sold at participating restaurants goes directly to the KFC Foundation.

KFC team members also help raise money for the KFC Foundation by inviting customers to Round Up their orders during designated Round Up windows. KFC customers can participate in this year’s Round Up fundraising program at participating restaurants from Sept. 10 – Nov. 12, to help contribute to next year’s Kentucky Fried Wishes non-profit grant recipients.

Kentucky Fried Wishes is just one way the KFC Foundation supports, empowers and serves joy to KFC restaurant employees and communities. The KFC Foundation also provides programs focused on education accessibility and financial assistance for KFC restaurant employees.

About the KFC Foundation

The KFC Foundation, an independent 501c3 organization, has provided over $31 million to support, empower and serve joy to more than 9,300 students, KFC restaurant employees and non-profits. The KFC Foundation’s charitable programs include GED achievement, college scholarships, tuition coverage, community giving, savings matching and financial hardship assistance, all made possible by Round Up donations, purchases of KFC’s Secret Recipe Fries and other donations. For more information, visit kfcfoundation.org.

_{*References to “KFC” “KFC Family” “we” and “our” refer to KFC’s corporately owned restaurants and independently owned and operated franchises. Franchisees are the exclusive employer of their employees and as such are solely responsible for all employment related matters, including wage setting and benefits, in their restaurants.}

Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, and its subsidiaries franchise or operate a system of over 60,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories under the company’s concepts – Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill. The Company's Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut brands are global leaders of the Mexican-inspired food, chicken and pizza categories, respectively. Habit Burger & Grill is a fast casual restaurant concept specializing in made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches and more. In 2024, Yum! was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America, Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, USA Today’s America’s Climate Leaders and 3BL’s list of 100 Best Corporate Citizens. In 2025, the Company was recognized among TIME magazine’s list of Best Companies for Future Leaders. In addition, Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut brands were ranked in the top 25 of Entrepreneur’s Top Global Franchises Ranking for 2025, with Taco Bell securing the No. 1 spot for the fifth consecutive year.

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