Mars, Incorporated has launched the Mars Impact Fund, a new global philanthropic initiative designed to support community resilience, scientific research and companion animal welfare.
The company announced the fund on 26 February 2026. Mars will allocate $85 million between 2025 and 2027, with plans to increase annual funding to $50 million from 2028 onward.
The fund aims to expand long-term partnerships and investments that support people, animals and agricultural communities connected to Mars’ global operations.
The Mars Impact Fund will focus on three main priorities aligned with the company’s food and pet care businesses.
The first priority supports community resilience, particularly among farming communities that supply agricultural ingredients such as cocoa.
The second priority aims to expand opportunities for young scientists, especially in fields linked to food systems, agriculture and animal health.
The third priority focuses on improving access to veterinary care for companion animals in underserved communities.
Mars said the fund will also help coordinate the company’s response to major disasters affecting its employees, operations and local communities.
The first grants from the Mars Impact Fund have already been allocated through partnerships with international organisations.
A $3 million grant has been approved for Save the Children to expand community resilience programmes in cocoa-growing regions of Indonesia over the next three years.
The programme will support Village Savings and Loan Associations in 115 villages, helping families strengthen financial stability and community support systems.
Another $726,000 grant has been awarded to Humane World for Animals to expand veterinary care and training programmes in selected communities in India and Mexico.
Mars said these early projects demonstrate the fund’s goal of working with established partners that have strong local expertise.
The company said the new fund builds on decades of investment in communities connected to its supply chains and operations.
Mars operates as a family-owned company with more than 150,000 employees worldwide and generates more than $50 billion in annual sales across snacks, food and pet care.
Its portfolio includes globally recognised brands such as M&M’s, Snickers, Ben’s Original, Pedigree, Whiskas and Royal Canin, products widely distributed through supermarkets and grocery retailers worldwide.
Through the Mars Impact Fund, the company aims to strengthen partnerships with organisations working in agriculture, food science and animal health while supporting long-term social and environmental progress in the regions where it operates.
