Grubhub Community Fund Grants $2 Million to American Heart Association Social Impact Funds to Tackle Health Equity

The American Heart Association Social Impact Funds has been bolstered by a significant $2 million grant from the Grubhub Community Fund, marking a pivotal step towards addressing critical social drivers of health in Chicago and New York City. This funding is set to empower up to 12 organizations dedicated to combating food insecurity, fostering technology innovation, and enhancing economic resiliency, with four organizations already earmarked for support.

Among the beneficiaries, CareYaya stands out for its innovative approach to connecting families with pre-health students for affordable in-home care, while Farm Generations Corporation leverages its GrownBy e-commerce platform to promote agricultural sustainability. In Chicago, Nectar's mission to deliver food as medicine and RiseKit's software platform aimed at bridging the gap between untapped talent and employment opportunities highlight the diverse strategies being employed to address health equity.

Dr. Regina Benjamin, chair of the Social Impact Funds Impact Investment Committee, underscores the critical role of addressing social determinants of health, pointing to research that reveals stark disparities in life expectancy based on geographic and socioeconomic factors. The American Heart Association's initiative, supported by Grubhub's commitment, seeks to mitigate these disparities by investing in organizations that align with its mission of fostering health equity.

Since its inception in 2018, the Social Impact Funds program has made significant strides, distributing $21.5 million to over 130 local enterprises and impacting nearly 5 million lives. Brianna Morris of Grubhub emphasizes the company's dedication to driving meaningful change in its key markets, highlighting the Grubhub Community Fund's role in dismantling systemic barriers to health and economic opportunity. This collaboration represents a beacon of hope for communities grappling with the intertwined challenges of health disparities and economic inequality, offering a model for how corporate and non-profit partnerships can effect tangible social change.