Conagra Brands Foundation Invests $350,000 in Local Communities Through 2026 Nourish Our Community Grants
CHICAGO, Sept. 29, 2026
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Conagra Brands Foundation Invests $350,000 in Local Communities Through 2026 Nourish Our Community Grants
PR Newswire
CHICAGO, Sept. 29, 2026
Funding will support nonprofit organizations working to expand access to nutritious food, nutrition education, healthy lifestyles and urban agriculture programs.
CHICAGO, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Conagra Brands Foundation today announced the recipients of its 2026 Nourish Our Community grants, awarding $350,000 to 21 nonprofit organizations across 12 states. Unveiled during Hunger Action Month, the grants support programs that expand access to nutritious food, promote healthy lifestyles, provide nutrition education and cooking skills, and strengthen communities where Conagra employees live and work.
For more than 30 years, the Nourish Our Community program has empowered employees to help shape the Foundation’s community investments by nominating organizations making a meaningful difference at the local level. Grant applications are reviewed by a cross-functional employee committee that evaluates submissions and selects the nonprofit recipients each year.
“Nourish Our Community is a powerful example of how employee engagement and philanthropy come together to create meaningful impact,” said Robert Rizzo, Senior Director of the Conagra Brands Foundation. “Each year, employees help identify organizations that are addressing critical community needs, and we’re proud to support their work through these grants. The program not only strengthens local communities, but also helps raise awareness of the ongoing challenges many families face.”
Hunger Action Month, a nationwide initiative led by Feeding America, encourages individuals and organizations to take action in support of hunger relief efforts. The Conagra Brands Foundation has maintained a longstanding partnership with Feeding America, combining employee volunteerism, food donations, and financial contributions to help address hunger across the country.
Beyond its local grantmaking efforts, the Foundation supports programs that expand access to nutritious and culturally relevant food, strengthen hunger-relief organizations, and advance long-term solutions to food insecurity. Conagra also donates substantial amounts of food annually through Feeding America’s network of food banks, helping provide meals to people and families in communities nationwide. Conagra employees actively lend their support as well by volunteering their time throughout the year to support food banks, community pantries, urban farms and many other essential nonprofit partners who serve the unique needs of our communities.
More information about each of the “Nourish Our Community” grant recipients can be found below:
AREA NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTER INC. (MN)
Project: Food Security in Waseca County
Area Neighborhood Service Center’s food shelf provides food assistance to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity in the Waseca area. Support from the Conagra Brands Foundation will help purchase nutritious staples, including protein, dairy products, and other high-demand foods, ensuring the food shelf can meet growing community needs while promoting healthy meal choices.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Thalia S. –Waseca, MN
BACK PACK BLESSINGS (GA)
Project: Fighting Childhood Hunger One BackPack at a Time
Back Pack Blessings provides backpacks filled with meals and snacks to approximately 600 children each week during the academic year. Funding from the Conagra Brands Foundation will support food purchases, helping ensure students facing food insecurity have access to nutritious meals over the weekend.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Stacy R. – Atlanta, GA
CARE FOR FRIENDS (IL)
Project: Growing Our Services
The Conagra Brands Foundation grant supports Care for Friends’ mission to address food insecurity among individuals and families in Chicago experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Through nutritious hot meals, a well-stocked pantry, and grocery deliveries to low-income households, Care for Friends helps ensure consistent access to food, while expanding services to meet growing community needs and increasing demand across its programs.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Madison S. – Chicago, IL
CITY SPROUTS (NE)
Project: Community Greenhouse
Funding from the Conagra Brands Foundation will support the City Sprouts Community Greenhouse, expanding year-round food production and increasing access to fresh produce for families experiencing food insecurity while creating hands-on learning opportunities in sustainable food growing and nutrition.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Randy V. – Omaha, NE
COMMUNITY SERVICES COUNCIL INC. OF FORT MADISON IOWA (IA)
Project: Purchase Food
Community Services Council, Inc. of Fort Madison, Iowa, operates the Fort Madison Food Pantry, which helps address food insecurity by providing nutritious food to individuals and families in the community. Funding from the Conagra Brands Foundation will support the purchase of pantry staples and fresh produce, ensuring residents have reliable access to healthy food.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Lori G. – Fort Madison, IA
CONSCIOUS ALLIANCE (CO)
Project: Feed Kids, Not Landfills
Funding from the Conagra Brands Foundation supports Conscious Alliance in rescuing and redistributing nutritious meals and snacks to children in the Denver metro area. By reducing food waste and ensuring that healthy food reaches those in need, the organization enhances both the physical and emotional well-being of local children.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Kimmee H. – Denver, CO
EASTERN NEBRASKA COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP (NE)
Project: Bellevue Food Pantry: Fresh Food Access
Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership operates the Bellevue Food Pantry, providing nutritious food and supportive services to approximately 1,500 to 1,700 individuals each month. Funding from the Conagra Brands Foundation will support the purchase of fresh foods such as milk, eggs, fruits, and vegetables, helping ensure community members have consistent access to nutritious options.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Raymond T. – Omaha, NE
FEEDING OUR COMMUNITIES PARTNERS (MN)
Project: Nourishing the Next Generation
Feeding Our Communities Partners works to combat food insecurity among K-12 students by providing weekend, summer, and school-break meals to more than 1,200 food-insecure youth through a continuum of programs. Support from the Conagra Brands Foundation will help provide nutritious food to students year-round, ensuring children have reliable access to meals that support their health, well-being, and academic success.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Lisa H. – Waterloo, IA
GIRLS INC. OF WASHINGTON COUNTY (MD)
Project: Kids Café
Girls Inc. of Washington County provides programs that give girls access to nutritious meals and snacks while encouraging healthy eating habits. Support from the Conagra Brands Foundation will help fund the Kids Café, which offers daily snacks and dinners and gives participants hands-on experience with menu planning, budgeting, and using produce grown in the organization’s garden.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Zach Z. – Hagerstown, MD
KEOKUK HOMELESS ALLIANCE (IA)
Project: Food Center
Keokuk Homeless Alliance helps individuals experiencing homelessness access nutritious meals while working toward recovery and self-sufficiency. Funding from the Conagra Brands Foundation will support the meals it serves to residents as well as some necessary kitchen equipment and food storage resources.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Lori G. – Fort Madison, IA
MACOMB COUNTY ROTATING EMERGENCY SHELTER TEAM (MI)
Project: MCREST Meals
Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team provides emergency shelter, meals, and supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Macomb County. Funding from the Conagra Brands Foundation will help provide meals that meet guests’ immediate needs while they work toward stable housing, employment, and long-term independence.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Krystal K. – Macomb, MI
MARIE WILKINSON FOOD PANTRY (IL)
Project: Food Insecurity
Support from the Conagra Brands Foundation helps expand food distribution programs that provide nutritious food to individuals, families, and older adults across the community. Through walk-in and drive-through distributions, school-based food access, senior outreach, and home delivery services, the organization increases access to food while meeting growing demand and reaching more neighbors in need.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Brenda J. – Chicago, IL
NOURISH MEALS ON WHEELS (CO)
Project: More Than a Meal: Nourishing Health, Independence & Connection
Funds from the Conagra Brands Foundation will provide approximately 5,000 meals to 50 low-income older adults. Nourish Meals on Wheels enriches the lives of older adults and homebound individuals in South Metro Denver by delivering nutritious meals, wellness checks, and social connections that support health, independence, and quality of life.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Shirley E. – Chicago, IL
OMAHA FORUS (NE)
Project: Pride Pantry
Omaha ForUs addresses the disproportionate effects of poverty and food insecurity on LGBTQ+ individuals and families throughout Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa by creating an inclusive and equitable space. Support from the Conagra Brands Foundation will strengthen the organization’s food pantry, increase access to nutritious food, and provide urban gardening and kitchen skills education.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Jason H. – Omaha, NE
RIVER VALLEY FOOD 4 KIDS (AR)
Project: Fresh 4 Kids
River Valley Food 4 Kids provides food assistance to children experiencing food insecurity throughout the Arkansas River Valley. This grant from the Conagra Brands Foundation will support the Fresh 4 Kids initiative, providing fresh fruits and vegetables to children and families through year-round food distribution programs.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Tim A. – Russellville, AR
SAVING GRACE PERISHABLE FOOD RESCUE (NE)
Project: Nourishing People, Nurturing the Planet
Saving Grace addresses food insecurity and environmental sustainability by rescuing surplus perishable food and delivering it to individuals and families in need. Funding from the Conagra Brands Foundation will help expand food recovery and distribution efforts, increasing access to nutritious food while reducing food waste across the Omaha-Council Bluffs region.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Brittani B. – Omaha, NE
THRIVING TITANS (NE)
Project: Food Pantry
Support from the Conagra Brands Foundation helps strengthen the Food Pantry program at Lewis Central Community Schools, which provides bi-monthly food boxes to approximately 25 to 30 families and distributes more than 700 boxes annually. Each box contains nonperishable items and donated bread, with grant funding helping to provide meat, milk, eggs, and other healthy food options, ensuring students and families have access to nutritious foods that support their health and well-being.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Jana S. – Omaha, NE
THE BRIDGE FOOD & DIAPER BANK (WI)
Project: Nutritious Food Distribution
The Bridge Food & Diaper Bank addresses food insecurity by providing nutritious food and essential products to individuals and families throughout Walworth County. Funding from the Conagra Brands Foundation will support food purchases and distribution efforts, helping ensure neighbors have reliable access to healthy food and other necessities.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Charles N. – Darien, WI
TIME OUT YOUTH (NC)
Project: The Center Table: Food Security, Belonging, and Stability
Funds from the Conagra Brands Foundation will support Time Out Youth’s Center Table program, which provides nutritious meals, snacks, pantry access, and take-home groceries to LGBTQ+ youth and allies ages 13 to 24 in the Charlotte region. This program helps address food insecurity by expanding access to healthy and consistent meals within a trusted and affirming environment, while also connecting LGBTQ+ young people to additional resources within Time Out Youth that promote long-term stability and well-being.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Jeff S. – Charlotte, NC
WEST SUBURBAN COMMUNITY PANTRY (IL)
Project: Nourishing Our Neighbors in Need
West Suburban Community Pantry provides access to nutritious food for neighbors experiencing food insecurity through its in-person pantry, online market, and home delivery programs. Support from the Conagra Brands Foundation will help purchase essential items such as meat, dairy, and fresh produce while supporting food distribution efforts that serve approximately 17,000 individuals annually, helping ensure families have reliable access to healthy food.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Gisela S. – Chicago, IL
YOU FEED THEM MISSIONAL FOOD PANTRY (IN)
Project: Food Pantry
You Feed Them Missional Food Pantry works to alleviate food insecurity by providing nutritious food and supportive services to underserved communities. Support from the Conagra Brands Foundation will help strengthen its client-choice pantry model, increasing access to healthy food for individuals and families facing economic hardship.
Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Tim K. – Indianapolis, IN
About Conagra Brands
Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), is one of North America’s leading branded food companies. We combine a 100-year history of making quality food with agility and a relentless focus on collaboration and innovation. The company’s portfolio is continuously evolving to satisfy consumers’ ever-changing food preferences. Conagra’s brands include Birds Eye®, Duncan Hines®, Healthy Choice®, Marie Callender’s®, Reddi-wip®, Slim Jim®, Angie’s® BOOMCHICKAPOP®, and many more. As a corporate citizen, we aim to do what’s right for our business, our employees, our communities and the world. Headquartered in Chicago, Conagra Brands generated fiscal 2026 net sales of over $11 billion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com.
About Conagra Brands Foundation
Conagra Brands Foundation believes everyone has a right to healthy and nutritious food knowing that food insecurity exists in every U.S. county. The Foundation partners with exceptional national and local nonprofits with high-impact programs located in the communities where we live and work. By focusing our efforts within five areas: Direct Food Access, Cooking Skills, Nutrition Education, Healthy and Active Lifestyles and Urban Agriculture, we are able to be a leader in the fight against food insecurity in North America.
For all media inquiries, please contact:
media@conagra.com
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