GiftAMeal, an innovative cause-marketing program that turns restaurant photos into meals for local families in need, announced they have been selected as one of 15 semifinalists for Amazon Business Small Business Grants. The voting period, starting June 15 and ending June 25, will take place online. To vote, log on to your Amazon Business account. After logging in, the vote form will appear on amazon.com/smallbusinessgrants above the “Frequently Asked Questions” section.

In collaboration with Entrepreneur, the 15 shortlisted candidates will have the chance to win the $25,000 Grand Prize. Four finalists will receive a $20,000 prize, and the remaining 10 semifinalists will receive a $15,000 prize.

GiftAMeal’s ranking inside the top 15 has positioned the company to receive ample funds as they invest in scaling strategies to expand into new states across the US. GiftAMeal currently works with over 600 restaurants in 32 states, and has provided over 1.4 million meals to families in need. 

The program is free for restaurant patrons and is funded by restaurants as a mix of marketing and giving back. For every photo shared from a partner restaurant, GiftAMeal donates to a local food bank to help provide a meal to a family in need. Using the power of technology and social media, GiftAMeal has created a new way for individuals to get involved in the community in a simple and effective way.

“We are incredibly grateful to be a semifinalist. We are excited to use these funds, no matter which tier we are awarded, to support our mission to get GiftAMeal in as many states as possible,” says Andrew Glantz, Founder & CEO of GiftAMeal. “More specifically, the funding will enable us to hire team members to perform market research on restaurants in new cities, fund conference attendance to network with restaurant personnel, implement advanced marketing initiatives, and invest in modern technology to better be able to serve our partner restaurants and food banks”.

To vote, log on to your Amazon Business account. After logging in, the vote form will appear on amazon.com/smallbusinessgrants above the “Frequently asked questions” section. The voting form will not be visible if you are not logged in or do not have an Amazon Business account. Please be aware that if you are a new Amazon Business customer, it could take up to 48 hours for the voting form to display.

The Amazon Business Small Business Grants program is part of Amazon Business’ efforts to empower small businesses and their communities. The program was initially launched in September 2020 in response to the economic challenges faced by small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a deep understanding of the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, Amazon created this program to provide financial assistance and resources to help small businesses thrive.