The Coca-Cola Foundation has announced grants totaling $35 million for COVID-19 relief efforts and in support of local environmental and community-based organizations.

Announced to honor the hundred and thirty-fifth anniversary of the Coca-Cola Company, the commitments include a $20 million fund in support of nonprofits working to distribute COVID vaccines, provide personal protective equipment to frontline workers, and raise public awareness of vaccine efficacy. The foundation has awarded more than $6.6 million in grants through the fund to date, including $2 million to Project Last Mile in support of vaccine rollouts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana, Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania; $3.6 million to United Way of Mumbai for vaccine distribution and public awareness initiatives; and $500,000 via a Global Citizen campaign in support of COVAX AMC, a global initiative aimed at ensuring equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The remaining $15 million will support environmental and community organizations in Atlanta, where the Coca-Cola Company is based, as well as across the United States and Canada. Grant recipients include the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, in support of planned green infrastructure; the National Park Foundation, in support of waste reduction, recycling, resilience, and sustainability projects; and the United Services Organization, in support of service members and their families.

"We know the COVID-19 crisis is far from over," said Coca-Cola Foundation president and chair Bea Perez. "Last year, during the initial outbreak phase, we channeled over $56 million of relief funds to organizations positioned to mobilize quickly and provide aid and supplies to healthcare workers and populations. Now, as COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, this new fund will allow the foundation to focus on supporting charities working to stop the spread of the virus."

(Photo credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)