4 minute read
KFC Foundation
KENTUCKY FRIED WISHES
By Emma Horn, KFC Foundation Managing Director
One thing we’ve learned over the last yearand-a-half is that KFC restaurant employees care deeply about the communities around them. Almost daily, you can find a post on KFC Strong showing teams donating food or giving back in some way.
At the KFC Foundation, we want to help keep that spirit alive — and we’ve tweaked our Kentucky Fried Wishes program to do exactly that!
The goal of Kentucky Fried Wishes is to empower your restaurant teams to give back to their favorite, local non-profit organization by nominating them to have a wish come true. The KFC Foundation will award up to 11 grants of up to $10,000 to organizations recommended by your teams.
It’s simple: Each restaurant can nominate a local 501(c)(3) organization for a Kentucky Fried Wish to fund a project on their wish list that also would provide an actionable volunteer opportunity for the restaurant team. We want each Kentucky Fried Wish to make a tangible impact on the local community and the people who live there. For example, what if the school around the corner needs a new playground and the restaurant team wants to help fund and build it? Or what if a senior center where a beloved regular customer lives needs fresh landscaping? Or a nearby community center wants to create a library in their building? We’re looking for projects that make it easy for restaurant teams to volunteer with that organization. This also will help strengthen relationships with difference-making organizations across your community, which is always time well spent!
How does it work?
1. Restaurant teams decide on a local non-profit organization to nominate for a Kentucky Fried Wish.
2. Restaurant appoints a Wish Captain from their team to lead the charge on contacting the organization, finding out a project they could use a $10,000 grant for, and completing the nomination form.
3. Wish Captain fills out a short nomination form between July 12 and July 23. The nomination form will be accessible via kfcfoundation.org.
4. KFC Foundation will email nominated organizations on July 27, prompting them to complete a grant application by August 10.
5. A committee will review and score the grant applications based on a rubric, and up to 11 non-profit organizations will be selected to receive a Kentucky Fried Wish! Winners will be announced on September 9, in honor of the Colonel’s birthday.
We encourage you to partner with your restaurant teams to help them choose a non-profit in their community that’s meaningful to them and complete their nomination form by the July 23 deadline.
We would not be able to grant 11 Wishes this year without the support of each of the Regional AKFCF Boards. Your generosity allowed the KFC Foundation to double the reach of Kentucky Fried Wishes this year! Our Board of Directors and staff extend a heartfelt thank you for your support.
FAQs What projects will be considered for funding?
A wide variety of projects could fit the parameters, but preference will be given to ideas that:
• Include the opportunity for restaurant employees to participate in a volunteer project related to the grant application.
• Make a significant impact on the community in which the restaurant is located.
• Inspire a sense of community by uniting people around a common project.
• Support underserved neighbors in the community.
• Present a realistic and achievable plan to accomplish the project within a six-month timeframe.
• Are feasible to accomplish with the $10,000 grant OR are supported with matching resources (including donated goods, services, money, or volunteer time) to ensure that the project is attainable.
What are examples of potential Kentucky Fried Wishes projects?
The options are endless, but here are a few ideas:
• Building a community garden with a women and family center.
• Beautifying common space at an addiction or recovery center.
• Stocking a mobile children’s library that travels from school to school.
• Purchasing coding and STEM equipment for an after-school program.
• Creating or improving a nearby hiking trail.
• Planting trees in a public park to allow for more shaded areas for children to play.
• Updating basketball courts or soccer fields at a community center.
• Building a new playground at a local elementary school or community park.
• Stocking and organizing supplies at a food pantry. We would not be able to grant 11 Wishes this year without the support of each of the Regional AKFCF Boards. Your generosity allowed the KFC Foundation to double the reach of Kentucky Fried Wishes this year!
What is the timeline for all of this?
July 12 – July 23: Restaurant teams go to kfcfoundation.org to nominate a local non-profit for Kentucky Fried Wishes.
July 27 – August 10: Nominated non-profits complete grant application.
September 9: Kentucky Fried Wishes announced. n
