Fighting hunger with hospitality

Q: Do I need to be a Toast customer to apply?

No; all U.S.-based restaurants, cafes, food trucks, and bars/lounges that meet the eligibility requirements are welcome to apply. For a full list of eligibility requirements, please visit the Terms and Conditions .

Q: Do my efforts to address food insecurity need to have been in place for a certain amount of time to be considered for a grant?

While we don't specify a minimum duration for your food insecurity efforts, we are looking for established, active community work that demonstrates a commitment to addressing hunger in your community.

Q: How will you measure success?

We will track impact through metrics such as number of meals provided, pounds of food donated, number of people served, and other measurable outcomes. Recipients will be asked to provide updates on their impact at 3-month and 6-month intervals.

Q: I have a question that was not answered above. Where can I find more information?

Please visit https://helloalice.com/grants/toast/ for more information about the program, including additional frequently asked questions and answers. You can also email grants@helloalice.com directly.

Restaurants show us hospitality doesn't stop at the table. The Toast Changemakers Program awards $10,000 grants to 15 U.S. restaurants fighting hunger in their communities. (As always, terms apply.)

Applications due October 1, 2026 | Open to all U.S. restaurants | Application length: 1 to 2 hours

Apply now

Awarding $150,000 in grants

15 U.S. restaurants will each get $10,000 to support their community impact efforts.

Open to all U.S. restaurants

All U.S. restaurants are eligible to apply, not just Toast customers. For more info, click here.

Addressing hunger

Awarded to restaurants with a track record of addressing food insecurity, with plans for more.

We're hungry to help

Toast Changemakers celebrates U.S. restaurants making a difference in the fight against hunger. They bring the same relentless work ethic that gets them through a Friday rush to solving problems in their own communities. When they spot a gap — a shuttered soup kitchen, a family running short, an underfunded school program — they don't look away. They turn on the burners. This industry was built to feed and nourish people. And restaurants have shown up time and again to feed not only their customers, but community members in need. That's why we built this program — $5 million, five-year commitment to fighting hunger.

Read about our Changemakers from 2025

How it works

Submit an application

Toast has partnered with Hello Alice to bring the Changemakers Program to life. Apply for the grant via Hello Alice here; make sure to set aside one to two hours to complete your application.

Application review

Representatives from Toast and our program partners Hello Alice and Global Entrepreneurship Network will review applications to select 15 restaurants to receive a grant.

Grant notification

Applicants will be informed via email about the status of their application in November, then Toast Changemakers Program funds will be distributed by the Global Entrepreneurship Network.

Are you a U.S. restaurant fighting food insecurity?

Don’t miss this opportunity to be recognized for the incredible work you’re doing.

Apply via Hello Alice

Frequently asked questions

How are recipients selected?

All eligible applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Demonstrated track record of addressing food insecurity in your local community.
Clarity, feasibility, and anticipated impact of the plan for the proposed use of funds.
Creative or unique approach to addressing food insecurity.
Efforts that address the specific needs of their community in a measurable way.

Recipients will be selected after two rounds of reviews and scoring will be conducted by a panel of judges consisting of Toast, Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), Hello Alice, and/or their designees. For tips on crafting a strong application, please refer to these Hello Alice resources: Write a Winning Grant Application (guide) and Pro-Tips Workshop (video).

Do I need to be a Toast customer to apply?

What are some examples of efforts to address food insecurity?

We recognize that food insecurity looks different in every community, just as every business has a unique model, and there’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution. Some examples of the types of community efforts we expect to see among successful applicants include:

Donation of food (fresh ingredients, prepared meals, surplus/excess food) to local organizations serving food-insecure populations.
Conducting on-site fundraising to support local organizations addressing food insecurity.
Offering a “pay-it-forward” model where guests can choose to pay for the meal of a future guest in need.
Implementing a “pay-what-you-can” or sliding scale model to accommodate guests who may not have the means to afford standard pricing.
Opening your restaurant or cafe on a day it’s otherwise closed to the public to serve free or reduced-price food or meals to community members in need.

Do my efforts to address food insecurity need to have been in place for a certain amount of time to be considered for a grant?

How will you measure success?

I have a question that was not answered above. Where can I find more information?

This page was last updated on: September 10, 2026

Eligible independent US businesses in operation for 6+ months with revenues of $3M or less per location apply by Oct 1, 2026. 15 $10k grants to be rewarded. Sponsor = HelloAlice and GEN. Full terms and conditions here.