Growing Together to Create Lasting Change
At Whole Foods Market Foundation, we know that collective impact requires partnerships and collaboration. Our community partners bring deep local knowledge and innovative solutions. Whole Foods Market Team Members contribute their passion and generosity. Like-minded brands amplify our reach. Together, we're building pathways to health and prosperity that help our local and global communities thrive. This is the power of collective action in service of a shared mission: to nourish people by advancing food security, improving nutrition, and strengthening resilient food systems.
2025 has been a year of growth and learning. Both personally as a first year Executive Director and as a team in our second year as a unified foundation, I'm energized by how our integrated approach is creating new possibilities for greater impact. Integrating our three focus areas has allowed us to think more holistically about the challenges people face around food access, nutrition and financial inclusion, and the interconnected solutions that can address them.
This past year, we also marked a significant milestone: our 20th Anniversary! Over the last two decades, we've supported over a million smallholder farmers and microentrepreneurs with economic opportunities, assisted hundreds of community organizations expand healthy fresh food access, and helped transform millions of children's relationship with food to improve nutrition. We’ve witnessed the power of our unified approach to create deeper, more meaningful, lasting change through strategic partnerships. This was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our collective impact with valued supporters, reflect on our community-led approach, and envision the next 20 years.
As we move forward, community remains at the heart of our work. The team is energized by the opportunities ahead to collaborate with our stakeholders. Together, we are creating pathways for innovative approaches that help smallholder farmers prosper, advance children's nutrition, and foster thriving community health. I am deeply proud of our team and honored to lead such a remarkable group of passionate, intelligent, caring, and driven changemakers.
Community Partners Leading the Way
This year, our community partners demonstrated the transformative power of sustained commitment and local leadership. Here are just a few of the stories that inspired us in 2025.
Acceso
Acceso targets rural women in Colombia’s post-conflict areas, that have farming skills and entrepreneurial drive but lack startup capital to buy seeds and fertilizer, as well as markets to sell their products. Acceso’s strategy is to level the playing-field by bridging the gap between smallholder farmers and commercial buyers.
Chef Ann Foundation
The Chef Ann Foundation works to ensure that school food professionals have the resources, funding, and support they need to provide fresh, delicious, cooked-from-scratch meals that support the health of children and our planet. Meet the kids at Cleveland Metro School District
Restorative Farms
Restorative Farms works to empower individuals with the skills they need to break the cycle of poverty and contribute to a healthier, more resilient community by developing a sustainable, community-driven urban farming network in Dallas, Texas.
Donor Impact That Goes Further
We're deeply grateful to all our donors—individuals, customers, Team Members, corporate and supplier donors—whose generosity makes our work possible. Your contribution translates directly into community impact because Whole Foods Market covers 100% of our operational costs. Meaning, every dollar you give reaches the organizations and communities working on the front lines of food access, nutrition education and financial inclusion. Each contribution strengthens the work of community partners building healthier, more resilient neighborhoods. Thank you for your partnership in creating lasting change!
