11 Big Food Companies That Give Millions Of Dollars Away (Slideshow)

Campbell’s

The Campbell's Soup Foundation has been providing "financial support to local champions that inspire positive change in communities throughout the United States where Campbell Soup Company employees live and work" since 1953. Every year, they donate about $1 million to "a variety of organizations that focus on community wellbeing, youth empowerment and economic sustainability programming which support the development of a healthy community," with an emphasis on their hometown in Camden, NJ. 

Ben and Jerry’s

In 1985, Ben & Jerry's board of directors agreed to set aside 7.5 percent of the company's pretax profits to philanthropy, and even after their 2000 acquisition by Unilever they still keep that promise. In 2013, this amounted to $2.5 million donated by the Ben & Jerry's Foundation. 

Hormel

The Hormel Foundation donates to Austin-area nonprofits and institutions including Austin Public Schools and the YMCA, and in 2014 $6.1 million has been set aside to donate to 28 different organizations. 

In-N-Out

Since 1984, In-N-Out Burger has been quietly helping abused and neglected children through its Child Abuse Foundation. They raise a fair amount through donor contributions, but they also shoulder the cost of running the foundation, making sure that every penny raised goes towards the children. They donate more than $1 million every year, and in the past 11 years have raised $15.2 million.

McDonald’s

The Ronald McDonald House, "a home away from home for sick children and their families," was founded in 1974, and in 2011 the fast food chain donated $34 million in cash and in-kind donations like burgers and fries to the organization and other charities, combined with the more than $50 million the organization raised via its donation boxes. 

Tyson Foods

Tyson invests in community projects and non-profits through a grant process, and since 2009 they've given away $44.6 million in food given to community charities and $13.4 million in cash donated. 

Chick-Fil-A

Chick-Fil-A has donated to more than 700 educational and charitable contributions over the past three years, to the tune of a whopping $68 million. They've also donated millions of dollars' worth of food across the country. 

Cargill

This food-processing mega-company has a substantial charitable giving arm, donating $69 million toward building "vibrant and stable communities where we live and work" in 2013 alone. Their donations are focused on food security, education, environmental stewardship, and schools in the communities in which they have a business presence. 

Coca-Cola

Since 1984, Coca-Cola has donated hundreds of millions of dollars through its Coca-Cola Foundation and 19 local and regional foundations worldwide.  Their goal is to "give back at least 1 percent of our operating income annually to improve the living standards of people around the world," and in 2011 alone they donated $123.5 million, 21 percent more than in 2010. Between 2002 and 2011 their total charitable giving has totaled more than $812 million.

General Mills

It's been 60 years since the General Mills Foundation was founded in 1954, and they've donated more than a half-billion dollars to local nonprofits since then. Their charity programs include everything from the popular Box Tops for Education to wellness initiatives like Champions for Healthy Kids and product donations to Feeding America, and in 2013 they donated more than $153 million to charitable causes. 

Pepsi

Since 2005, the PepsiCo Foundation has donated more than $600 million in cash and products to nonprofit agencies in in the environmental, educational, civic, arts, and health and human services fields. Initiatives donated to include Diplomas now (which helps inner-city students get the resources they need to graduate), an "Edible Teaching Garden" in Los Angeles, and The Earth Institute's Columbia Water Center, which helps the underserved get safe water.