Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer in the U.S., announced Thursday that it has provided a total of $5.2 million in grant funding, spanning 600 organizations, in the second half of 2022. This latest round of grants raised Bayer Fund’s 2022 giving total to more than $13.4 million across 2,700 charitable and nonprofit organizations to help address essential needs in Food and Nutrition, STEM Education, and Health & Wellness.
As part of Bayer’s broader vision of ensuring Health for All, Hunger for None, each Bayer Fund grant goes towards programs that help solve some of the country’s — and world’s — biggest challenges, including access to food and nutrition, STEM education, and health and wellness. Bayer Fund is excited to give back to communities by providing funding that helps strengthen organizations through impactful programs that align with our primary giving priorities,” said Al Mitchell, President of Bayer Fund. “We’re proud to support these organizations and the impactful work they do in our shared communities with these grant awards.”
Three organizations that are being recognized for their philanthropic grant work from Bayer Fund are 412 Food Rescue (Food & Nutrition), Fontbonne University’s Girls in Science Research Programs (STEM Education), and Crossroads4Hope (Health & Wellness).
Food and nutrition
Bayer Fund supports high-quality food and nutrition programs that aim to ensure access to healthy and nutritious foods. These programs support underserved communities, rural communities, and families in need.
Pittsburgh-based 412 Food Rescue was awarded $50,000 in grant funding to support its Good Food Project. The organization’s mission is to prevent food from unnecessarily being wasted, redirecting it to those experiencing food insecurity. Through its programs and partners, 412 Food Rescue hopes to reach 100 cities by 2030.
“Launched in 2019, the Good Food Project, has stabilized over 76,000 pounds of healthy surplus food by creating zero-waste heat-and-eat meals for Allegheny County neighbors in need,” explains Meg Bernard, Vice President of Development for 412 Food Rescue. “To date, the project has distributed more than 63,000 meals. With the Bayer Fund’s generous support, we will be able to achieve kitchen capacity and feed more individuals experiencing food insecurity in Allegheny County.”
STEM
As part of Bayer Fund’s focus on STEM Education, grant funding for STEM programs is provided to organizations with high quality educational programs that empower students and teachers.
Fontbonne University in St. Louis was awarded $20,000 in grant funding for its Girls in Science Research Programs. Each year two-dozen girls from 7th to 9th grade participate in the program. During the experience, the girls work directly with Dr. Kelly Lane-deGraaf, the founder of the program, to learn and practice basic biology skills in fields such as genetics, animal behavior, and even coding.
“Since 2015, Girls in Science has enabled middle school students to explore possible future careers in science and interact with minority and female scientists while in a college setting,” said Dr. Heather Sweeney of Fontbonne University. “Thanks in large part to continued support from Bayer Fund, Girls in Science has doubled in size and scope annually and is now reaching approximately 300 girls every year.”
Health and wellness
Bayer Fund’s Health & Wellness pillar focuses on patients and their families that need assistance with managing cardiovascular disease and cancer. This support includes funding for educational programs, awareness, and support services for their diseases.
Crossroads4Hope, located in Bedminster, New Jersey, was awarded $125,000 in grant funding for its Support4Families program. Through this program Crossroads4Hope provides psychosocial support for families facing cancer, as well as their communities. The support is age specific, offering tailored programming for children and teens.
“We are so grateful to The Bayer Fund for funding the critical work we do through our Support4Families program,” says Katherine Schaible, Senior Director of Program and Impact at Crossroads4Hope. “This grant will help us continue to provide direct support to parents and their children throughout the New Jersey and New York metro area, as well as across the country, as they navigate the impact cancer has on their family unit.”
Since 2017, Bayer Fund has awarded nearly $90 million to nonprofit organizations across the U.S.
