The Coca-Cola Foundation has announced first-quarter grants totaling $26 million to community-based organizations around the globe.

In the first quarter, the company-sponsored foundation awarded a total of $9.7 million for water stewardship efforts, $3.6 million for fitness and nutrition initiatives, $7.4 million for education, and $4.9 million for community recycling and other local priorities, including HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, malaria-prevention efforts, youth development activities, and civic initiatives.

Grants include $600,000 to the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation - Citihope International Inc. for an initiative to distribute pharmaceuticals and medical supplies in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, and Morocco; $500,000 to the California State University, Long Beach Foundation for scholarships for first-generation college students; $500,000 to the International Sport and Culture Association for its +100m Campaign for Sport and Physical Activity; and $300,000 to the Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development in Dodecanese, Greece, in support of its Rainwater Harvesting Program.

"We measure the success of our commitments by the impact these grants will have in people's lives, in their neighborhoods, and in their communities all over the world," said Coca-Cola Foundation board chair Ingrid Saunders Jones. "Seeing the tangible results of partnership and innovation inspires our continued investment to help build sustainable communities around the world."