The Save Mart Companies CARES Foundation Awards more than $825,000 in Grants in 2025
MODESTO, Calif. (February 11, 2026) – The Save Mart Companies, one of the West Coast’s largest regional full-service grocery chains, and its philanthropic, non-profit CARES Foundation, announced today that more than $825,000 was awarded in 2025 to nonprofit organizations delivering critical services across California and Western Nevada.
Now in its 20th year of giving, the CARES Foundation continues a two-decade commitment to strengthening the communities where The Save Mart Companies operates. Since its inception, the Foundation has invested more than $6.3 million to local organizations focused on access to healthy food, education, the arts, and essential community resources. Each grant reflects a belief that strong communities are built locally, through trusted partners and sustained support.
“At its heart, the CARES Foundation is about caring for our communities together,” said Joan Dobias-Davis, chairperson of the CARES Foundation and senior vice president and chief human resources officer for The Save Mart Companies. “For 20 years, this work has been shaped by strong local relationships and the deep community knowledge shared by our stores, helping inform where CARES Foundation support can make the greatest impact. Through that collective understanding, the Foundation continues to invest in organizations that uplift families, strengthen neighborhoods, and support community well-being in meaningful and lasting ways.”
The CARES Foundation: 2025 Impact
That shared commitment is reflected in the work of the organizations the CARES Foundation supports each year. In 2025, grant funding helped organizations across California and Western Nevada deepen their reach, respond to local needs, and create new opportunities for children and families throughout the region.
“A grant from The Save Mart Companies CARES Foundation has a meaningful and immediate impact on an organization like ours,” shared Andrea Wilson, executive director of the Pleasanton Partnership in Education Foundation in Pleasanton, California. “CARES Foundation support allows us to invest directly in student and teacher grants, giving students access to hands-on learning opportunities that extend beyond standard curricula.”
The CARES Foundation: 20 Years of Impact
The CARES Foundation’s impact is felt across the Foundation’s service area, with cumulative grant investments over the past 20 years totaling:
· Fresno: more than $790,000
· Modesto: more than $1,700,000
· Reno: more than $400,000
· Sacramento: more than $515,000
· San Francisco & San Jose: $80,000
· Stockton: nearly $100,000
The CARES Foundation: What Grantees Are Saying
For organizations addressing food insecurity, CARES Foundation support strengthens the capacity to meet growing community needs.
“The Save Mart Companies CARES Foundation grants have allowed us to support our 110 partner agencies who tirelessly work throughout our community providing healthy, nutritious food to those in need,” said Christina Cleveland, director of development, Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services.
Beyond direct program support, CARES Foundation grants often serve as a catalyst for broader community confidence and collaboration.
“Perhaps the most important benefit is the extra credibility,” noted Roy Stevens, general director of Opera Modesto, “helping other donors to know our organization has been approved by The Save Mart Companies CARES Foundation.”
Health-focused organizations also point to the lasting reach of CARES Foundation investments.
“Support from The Save Mart Companies CARES Foundation has had a lasting and meaningful impact on the Nevada Diabetes Association and the families we serve,” said Alex Schopp, director of development, Nevada Diabetes Association. “CARES Foundation grants help make our diabetes camp programs accessible to children who would not otherwise be unable to attend, providing them with life-changing education, medical support, and a sense of belonging.”
The CARES Foundation: 2026 and Beyond
The CARES Foundation’s philanthropic focus is supporting programs and organizations that provide resources, education, and access to healthy experiences and choices for children and adults. The Foundation’s Board of Directors meets quarterly to award grant funding to IRS-certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations within The Save Mart Companies’ stores geographic areas of operation.
As the CARES Foundation moves forward beyond its 20th year of giving, the commitment remains the same: to invest in local partners, respond to community needs, and help ensure families and neighborhoods continue to thrive.
For more information about the CARES Foundation’s giving guidelines and the grant application process, please visit: www.thesavemartcompanies.com/community.
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About The CARES Foundation
The CARES Foundation’s mission is to build healthy communities through fresh foods, timely access to nutritious food, and supporting programs and organizations that help communities thrive. Since its inception, the CARES Foundation has donated more than $6 million to non-profit community organizations throughout California and Western Nevada. The CARES Foundation operates with a separate board of directors maintaining a dedicated focus on supporting The Save Mart Companies’ principle of giving back to the communities it serves. The Board of Directors meets quarterly to award grant funding to IRS certified 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations within its stores’ geographic regions. The Save Mart Companies operates more than 190 Save Mart, Lucky, and FoodMaxx stores and is proud to be California’s largest regional, full-service grocery chain, the company and its more than 11,000 associates take extra CARES to provide customers with the freshest food for their families at affordable prices. For information on The CARES Foundation, please visit: www.thesavemartcompanies.com/CARES.
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Media contacts: Glodow Nead Communications at TSMCPR@glodownead.com