When you think about Papa Johns, one may think about the “Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza,” covered with pepperoni, delivered hot and fresh with their signature garlic dipping sauce. Or perhaps it’s their “Barbecue Chicken Pizza” or the famed “Philly Cheesesteak Pizza.” But the dollars spent at Papa Johns don’t just go toward delicious, cheesy dough—they are also helping give back to the Omaha community.
Since 2019, the Papa Johns Foundation for Building Community has been handing out grants to organizations in local communities, resulting in Papa Johns awarding over $1.4 million to 270 organizations across 40 states.
In Omaha, the Papa Johns Foundation for Building Community awarded $27,500 to five nonprofit organizations in 2024. Local recipients of the grant included Food Bank for the Heartland, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands, Junior League of Omaha, Completely Kids, and Banisters Leadership Academy. The goals of the grant are to promote hunger relief, food recovery that helps reduce food waste, and youth leadership.
Papa Johns franchises nominate local organizations who then apply for the grant, whose review committee then selects the recipients. The grant is annual, and organizations can apply each year. To receive the grant, organizations write an outline specifying what they will do with the money and highlighting how the programs are aligned with Papa Johns’ focus.
“This program creates an impact nationwide for our franchises and it’s part of Papa Johns as a Global Brand,” said Jenn Garner, senior director of corporate affairs and sustainability at Papa Johns. “The program reflects our core values, which are: people first, do the right thing, and everyone belongs.”
Garner added that they couldn’t do this great work without the help of the franchisees. “The ‘zees’ are really the leaders in our communities. It’s been an honor for us to help support the work that they are doing to improve the lives in their local communities,” she said. “It’s great to see the impact of the funding. We get letters and photos telling us what they were able to achieve with the grant.”
Local Papa Johns franchise owner Eric Murphy and his team have been one of the larger participants in the Building Community Fund. Murphy owns and operates Papa Johns in Omaha and other markets. Murphy and his team also received the Building Community Award for their community engagement. Murphy’s team volunteered, participated in helping to direct grant funds, and delivered pizza donations. “We consider it a great privilege to be able to contribute to all of these deserving organizations—the work they do in our communities is tremendous, and we are thrilled to have been able to help in this way,” said Eric Murphy.
The Food Bank for the Heartland was awarded $7,500 from the grant. Every dollar the organization receives can provide three meals. With the Papa Johns Foundation grant, it was able to purchase 30,000 meals.
The Food Bank utilized the grant for their school-based mobile pantries, which are run by schools and distribute from school parking lots. Parents drive up, and volunteers load their cars loaded with fresh produce, canned goods, beans, soup, pasta, and fresh bread and baked goods. The families who receive pantry items have children attending the school and are comfortable with the people giving them the food, so it is a win-win for the community.
Stephanie Sullivan, assistant director of marketing and communications for the Foodbank for the Heartland, described the grant as a “game-changer” for the community. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to help so many families access food at their school,” she said.
“What this program really does is allow families to stretch their budget so they can have money to pay for other things like rent, utilities, and medications,” she added. “It allows them access to healthy food that they might not have access to.”
Grant funds allocated to the Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands were used to support Keystone Club for our teen members. Keystone Club is a premier leadership experience where Club members ages 14 to 18 participate in activities that champion academic achievement, career preparation, and community service. Last August, six teens who participated in Keystone Club traveled to Minneapolis, where they were able to attend a Twins baseball game and visit Mall of America, the Valleyfair Amusement Park, and a local Boys & Girls Club.
“Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands has greatly benefitted from community support, like the grant we received from Papa Johns. The Clubs rely on the generosity of our community to ensure kids have a safe, fun place to go during out of school time. We certainly couldn’t do what we do without support like that from Papa Johns,” said Richard Webb, Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands President & CEO.
Papa Johns is proud to be able to help nurture these organizations through these grants. “The work of organizations that build and empower the next generation of leaders, fight hunger, and reduce food waste is critical to our world’s future. We are proud to partner with franchise owners such as Papa Johns of Omaha to support our shared goals of building healthier, stronger communities and creating new opportunities for the people who live in them,” said Rob Lynch, president and CEO of Papa Johns.
For more information, go to www.papajohns.com/foundation/#
This article originally appeared in the June/July 2024 issue of B2B Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
