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What is Community Action?

Community Action is the name we give to all that General Mills, its employees and retirees do to nourish communities.

Elements of Community Action include the General Mills Foundation, Brand Partnerships, Employee and Retiree Gift Matching, International Giving, Volunteerism, Product Donations to Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest) and Disaster Relief. At General Mills Community Action, we work to nourish lives in our communities with breakthrough ideas, championship people and financial resources.

Our focus is to support innovative nonprofit organizations and programs that improve our headquarters and manufacturing communities, with a concentration on youth nutrition and fitness, education, arts and culture & social services.

What are the focus areas for Foundation grant-making?

The General Mills Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations that serve people in need and improve the quality of life in General Mills communities. The primary areas of focus are youth nutrition and fitness, social services, education, and arts and culture.

  • Youth Nutrition and Fitness – supporting innovative programs that help improve youth nutrition and fitness behaviors.
  • Social Services – supporting programs that strengthen families and promote a safe, nurturing environment for children and youth.
  • Education – supporting efforts that emphasize student academic achievement, particularly at the K-12 level.
  • Arts and Culture – supporting organizations that provide innovative performing arts and cultural programs as evidenced through innovation, program quality and contribution to their community.

Where does the Foundation focus its grant-making?

The Foundation’s grant-making is geographically focused in our headquarters and manufacturing facility communities in the United States. Our headquarters community encompasses the Twin Cities Seven-County Metro Area in Minnesota. Internationally, we focus our grant-making in Malawi & Tanzania Africa and in communities where we have General Mills business operations and employees.

General Mills operates plants and mills in communities nationwide. At these locations, our employees serve on Community Action Councils. The work of Council members encompasses three main objectives: to understand community needs; to encourage employees to volunteer their time and expertise; and to review requests from local nonprofit organizations for resources.

Our Community Action Councils help to review requests from nonprofit organizations in and around (within a 50 mile radius) the following communities:

CALIFORNIA
Bakersfield
Esa Galindo
6800 McDivitt Drive
Bakersfield, CA 93313
661-837-8461 Ext 225
Esa.Galindo@GenMills.com
Carson
Pedro Labayen & Adam Page
1055 E. Sandhill Avenue
Carson, CA 90746
310-605-6109
310-605-6411
Pedro.Labayen2@GenMills.com
Adam.Page@GenMills.com

Lodi
Mary Luna
Box 3002
Lodi, CA 95241-1906
209-334-7305
Mary.Luna@GenMills.com
Los Angeles
Pedro Labayen & Adam Page
5469 Ferguson Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90022
323-721-2522 Ext 116
310-605-6411
Pedro.Labayen2@GenMills.com
Adam.Page@GenMills.com
GEORGIA
Covington
Katrina Young
15200 Industrial Park Blvd. NE
Covington, GA 30209-2662
770-784-7818
Katrina.Young@GenMills.com
ILLINOIS
Belvidere
Al Watts
915 E. Pleasant Street
Belvidere, IL 61008
815-544-7324
Al.Watts@genmills.com
West Chicago
Rose Marie Pilipowski
704 W. Washington Street
West Chicago, IL 60185
630-876-4193
RoseMarie.Pilipowski@GenMills.com
INDIANA
New Albany
Danielle Graham
707 Pillsbury Ln
New Albany, IN 47150
812-941-4220
danielle.graham@genmills.com
IOWA
Carlisle
Diane Clark
6101 SE 52nd Street
Carlisle, IA 50047
515-262-9353 Ext 10
Diane.Clark@GenMills.com
Cedar Rapids
John Burgess
PO Box 3007
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406
319-390-2161
John.Burgess@GenMills.com
MARYLAND
Federalsburg
Wanda Dowdell
300 Reliance Avenue
Federalsburg, MD 21632
410-754-2137
Wanda.Dowdell@GenMills.com
MASSACHUSETTS
Methuen
Carrie Lane
35 Danton Drive
Methuen, MA 01844
978-689-1339
Carrie.Lane@GenMills.com
MICHIGAN
Reed City
Valerie Barnes & Cindy Koepnick
128 E. Slosson Avenue
PO Box 33
Reed City, MI 49677
231-832-6244 / 231-832-6201
Valerie.Barnes@GenMills.com
Cindy.Koepnick@GenMills.com
MINNESOTA
Duluth
Doug Christiansen
200 Garfield Avenue
Duluth, MN 55802
218-722-7759
Doug.Christiansen@GenMills.com
MISSOURI
Hannibal
Josh Gower
One Red Devil Road
Hannibal, MO 63401
573-231-3518
Josh.Gower@GenMills.com
Joplin
Cindy Crayne
3007 Stephens Avenue
Joplin, MO 64801
417-782-0300 x243
Cindy.Crayne@GenMills.com

Kansas City
Bill Harp
2917 Guinotte
Kansas City, MO 64120
816-245-4765
Bill.Harp@GenMills.com
MONTANA
Great Falls
Jeff Shapiro
2500 9th Avenue N
Great Falls, MT 59401
406-455-9222
Jeff.Shapiro@GenMills.com
NEW JERSEY
Vineland
Diane Berni
500 West Elmer Road
Vineland, NJ 08360
856-691-1565 Ext 147
Diane.Berni@GenMills.com
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
Joe Lotz
3501 Paseo del Norte
Albuquerque, NM 87113
505-897-5572
Joe.Lotz@GenMills.com
NEW YORK
Buffalo
Sandy Knight
54 South Michigan Avenue
PO Box 1145
Buffalo, NY 14203
716-857-3709
Sandy.Knight@GenMills.com
OHIO
Cincinnati
Mark Staggs
11301 Mosteller Road
Cincinnati, OH 45241
513-612-5557
Mark.Staggs@GenMills.com
Martel
Amanda Jacobs
4136 Main Street
Martel, OH 43335
419-845-3751 Ext 255
Amanda.Jacobs@GenMills.com
Wellston
Marsha Bryan
2403 S. Pennsylvania Avenue
Wellston, OH 45692
740-286-9279
Marsha.Bryan@GenMills.com
OKLAHOMA
Vinita
Cheryl Thompson
1157 Doughboy Drive
Vinita, OK 74301
918-256-5757
Cheryl.Thompson@GenMills.com
PENNSYLVANIA
Hazelton
Lisa Mayshock
2 Chestnut Hill Drive
Hazelton, PA 18201
570-384-7413
Lisa.Mayshock@GenMills.com
TENNESSEE
Murfreesboro
Joyce McGee-Gardner & Gail Flynn
200 Butler Road PO Box 129
Murfreesboro, TN 37127
615-849-1519 / 615-225-1343
Joyce.McGee-Gardner@GenMills.com
Gail.Flynn@GenMills.com
WASHINGTON
Sedro-Woolley<BR> Small Planet Foods
Lorry D’Arienzo
719 Metcalf Street
Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
360-855-2735
Lorry.DArienzo@GenMills.com
WISCONSIN
Milwaukee
Jami Burrell
4625 S. Sixth Street
PO Box 210740
Milwaukee, WI 53221
414-978-1116
Jami.Burrell@GenMills.com

When does the Foundation accept grant applications?

General Mills Foundation Grants:

Celebrating Communities of Color Grants Program

Online applications for the Celebrating Communities of Color program will be posted online by April 15 and are due August 1. This program is available to nonprofits that are located in the Twin Cities Seven-County Metro Area and serve diverse communities.

Champions for Healthy Kids Program

Online applications for the Champions for Healthy Kids program will be posted by November 14 are due January 15. The Champions for Healthy Kids program is a national grants program open to nonprofits throughout the United States.

Community Action Council Grants

Applications from nonprofits located in communities with General Mills manufacturing and mill facilities should submit applications directly to their local Community Action Council between June 1 and February 1 of each year.

Twin Cities Grants

General Mills Foundation grant applications from applicants serving the Twin Cities Metro Area in Minnesota are accepted on an on-going basis between June 1 and April 1 of each year.

Why does the Foundation direct so much support to the Twin Cities?

The General Mills Foundation is based in Minneapolis at the General Mills World Headquarters. About 5,000 General Mills employees live and work here, and we are able to leverage our financial contributions with the personal involvement of our employees, 78 percent of who volunteer in hundreds of local organizations. The Foundation also provides support to nonprofits in our manufacturing communities through recommendations from local Community Action Councils.

Will the Foundation donate food/snacks to my local school/church/nonprofit for their event?

No. The Foundation does not maintain product inventory for donation requests. Nonprofit organizations looking to request product can go directly to their local Feeding America (formerly named America's Second Harvest) Food Bank.

General Mills directs product donations to our donor partner, Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger relief organization. The Feeding America network is made up of more than 200 food banks that support over 50,000 agencies across the United States. General Mills has had a strong partnership with this organization for nearly 30 years.

The 501(c)(3) status is pending for my organization; am I eligible for a foundation grant?

No. The General Mills Foundation does not fund organizations with a pending 501(c)(3) status. Only organizations that are verified with a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status are eligible to receive foundation grants.

Where can I get a grant application?

Twin Cities Applicants

The Foundation grant application moved to an online grant application process effective December 3, 2008. To apply for a Twin Cities Grant please click here. As of 1/1/09, the Foundation will no longer accept paper applications from grant applicants serving the Twin Cities Metro Area. Please review the eligibility requirements, giving priorities and geographic focus areas prior to applying for a Foundation grant.

Community Action Council Applicants

The Community Action Council grant application is posted on the Community Action Council web page in .doc format. To access an application, click here.

How can I contact the General Mills Foundation?

If you have additional questions after reviewing our web site please contact us at:

E-mail: CommunityActionQA@genmills.com

Please include the name of your request in the subject line of the e-mail.

Phone: 763-764-2211

Fax: 763-764-4114