Mars, Incorporated has announced the latest phase of grant funding through the Mars Impact Fund, allocating more than $13 million (£9.9 million) across six strategic non-profit partnerships.
The multi-year grants will support initiatives across Côte d’Ivoire, India, the United States, and Thailand. The funding targets three operational pillars: building resilience in agricultural sourcing communities, supporting youth scientific education, and advancing companion animal welfare.
Commenting on the rollout, Michelle Grogg, Executive Director of the Mars Impact Fund, stated: “The Mars Impact Fund aims to develop long-term partnerships that deliver sustained impact over time. We are confident that these multi-year investments in Elucid, WVS, National 4-H, Tanager, Pratham Education Foundation and PANI will improve farmer livelihoods, increase opportunities for youth and improve the health of people and pets in our communities.”
The allocations are structured across three primary focus areas:
Agricultural Community Resilience
- Côte d’Ivoire: A $2.07 million grant to social enterprise Elucid—complemented by approximately $2 million in matching funds from global health partnership Gavi—will provide healthcare access to 12,750 cocoa-farming households while expanding vaccination services to 200,000 community members.
- India: The fund is allocating $5.6 million to support mint-farming regions in Uttar Pradesh. This includes a partnership with Tanager to assist 20,000 farming families in diversifying crop yields into potato, mustard, and rice. Additional planned initiatives include working with Pratham Education Foundation on early childhood education for 3,000 children in Barabanki, and partnering with People’s Action for National Integration (PANI) to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure in rural schools.
Scientific Education
- United States: A $3 million commitment to the National 4-H Council will support hands-on learning, career exploration, and leadership development in food, agriculture, and veterinary sciences for up to 200,000 young people, including funding scholarships and local program grants.
Animal Wellbeing
- Thailand: A $3 million grant to the Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) will support rabies elimination programs targeting free-roaming dog populations, expanding integrated disease surveillance, and building public health capacity through the WVS International Training Centre in Chiang Mai.
The funding builds on previous Mars Impact Fund deployments in 2026, which included relief contributions to World Central Kitchen, research fellowships through the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, child protection programs with Save the Children in Indonesia, and veterinary access grants with Humane World for Animals.
