Whole Foods Market Foundation Announces Nearly $500,000 to Partners Across Seven Countries to Fill Funding Gaps Through Its High Impact Program

AUSTIN, Texas, September 9, 2025 /3BL/ - Whole Foods Market Foundation announces nearly $500,000 in grants to support nine existing partners experiencing unexpected funding gaps through its annual High Impact Program, in partnership with the Kasperick Foundation. 

Since 2013, the Foundation’s High Impact Program has provided over $2.3 million to 32 organizations impacting over 84,000 people in 28 countries around the world. Through carefully selected partnerships with established organizations, this program ensures that vital community projects can continue without interruption. The High Impact Program not only prioritizes meeting partners' current needs but also exemplifies the Foundation’s broader commitment to flexible, responsive funding that can swiftly adapt to their evolving challenges and opportunities. Learn more about each project below:

Action for Ocean | Tanzania

Action for Ocean (AFO) is a nonprofit committed to restoring marine and freshwater ecosystems, promoting environmentally friendly and economically competitive aquaculture, and enhancing sustainable fisheries. The $74,587 funds will enable AFO to continue their Coastal Livelihood Entrepreneurship for Adaptation and Resilience program, ensuring 225 women continue earning income through seaweed farming, accessing microloans, and building business skills.

Camino Verde | Peru

Camino Verde is a nonprofit organization advancing regenerative solutions to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and rural poverty in the Peruvian Amazon. Their $60,000 emergency support will allow Camino Verde to sustain all key operational needs for the Rosewood Farmer Livelihood Program, including essential activities with local farmers and securing the seeds and equipment necessary to sustain their growing programs on the ground.

Fresh Life | Kenya

Fresh Life seeks support to stabilize and strengthen their sanitation service operations in Kisumu, Kenya, where their model provides critical daily services to low-income residents. This $72,000 support will enable Fresh Life to sustain safe, reliable sanitation services for 20,000+ low-income residents in Kisumu, preventing disruptions across over 1,272+ Fresh Life Toilets in Kisumu alone. In addition, the funds will support the expansion of a waste processing and washing station. 

Futuro | Mozambique

Futuro supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individual entrepreneurs in Mozambique, while maintaining a strong focus on low-income individuals and community groups. Their $53,814 funds will be used to establish a new branch of Futuro to maximize outreach in Namialo and Meconta. This brand will be a full infrastructure branch designed to provide a spectrum of financial services. 

Fondo Mas | Mexico

The coffee-growing women of Chiapas, Mexico face structural barriers to accessing productive credit, with high levels of poverty, without formal guarantees, and with limited access to financial information. Their $33,000 funds will help Fondo Mas to reactivate and consolidate access to credit and training for 100 coffee-growing women in four regions, ensuring the continuity of a comprehensive strategy that promotes their financial inclusion. 

HIAS | Ecuador

The Socio-Economic Support Program (SESP) is HIAS’ poverty alleviation initiative, which supports displaced families in achieving self-reliance. Using their $65,000 project funds, HIAS will be able to continue their program supporting displaced families by offering financial support, case management, service referrals, early cash assistance to stabilize basic needs, and ongoing coaching from staff to build sustainable livelihoods. 

Skylight Ventures | United Kingdom

Skylight is a nonprofit organization providing interest-free micro loans to refugee entrepreneurs in the U.K., alongside financial literacy education and support. Their $44,012 project funds will directly replace a disrupted grant, enabling Skylight to set up a sustainable funding pathway and further develop their impact strategy. Skylight will also expand loan products to introduce an interest-bearing loan and offer financial literacy training to 200 refugee entrepreneurs. 

Swahili Honey | Tanzania

Swahili Honey is a social enterprise focused on supporting smallholder beekeepers to produce high quality honey and beeswax for both local and international markets. Their $22,239 funds will enable 300+ smallholder beekeepers to form 15 new Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) groups, enabling informal savings and access to credit, while also improving 3 existing honey collection centers to facilitate timely, fair, and digital payments for farmers. 

Upendo Honey | Tanzania

Upendo Honey is a social impact organic honey company based in Kigoma, Tanzania. The $75,000 support will be used to bridge part of this gap in the budget for their core activities to engage small-scale beekeepers, including organic certification for their products, distribution of buckets and other equipment to beekeepers, training, and technical field support.  

Since 2005, Whole Foods Market Foundation, has invested over $205 million supporting over 16,750 partner organizations and schools in 81countries around the world.

For more information, visit wholefoodsmarketfoundation.org/funding-announcements. 

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ABOUT WHOLE FOODS MARKET FOUNDATION

Whole Foods Market Foundation works to nourish people and the planet by providing access to essential resources to improve nutrition and create opportunities for financial stability. The registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, based in Austin, Texas, encompasses the pillars of Whole Cities, Whole Kids and Whole Planet. For more information on the Foundation's work, visit wholefoodsmarketfoundation.org. For ongoing news and updates, follow Whole Foods Market Foundation on Facebook, Instagram,  or LinkedIn.