GiftAMeal, an innovative cause-marketing program that turns restaurant photos into meals for local families in need, announced it has been selected as the grand prize winner of Amazon’s 2023 Business Grant. GiftAMeal was named first among 15 semifinalist candidates, garnering a $25,000 grand prize win for its hunger-fighting program.
GiftAMeal’s ranking as the top business out of over 35,000 applicants cements the company as one of the most innovative and disruptive businesses across the country. The grand prize funds will be used to invest in scaling strategies to expand into new states across the US. More specifically, the funding will go towards performing market research on restaurants in new cities, funding conference attendance to network with restaurant personnel, implementing advanced marketing initiatives, and investing in modern technology to better be able to serve partner restaurants and food banks.
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. GiftAMeal currently works with over 700 restaurants in 35 states, and has provided over 1.4 million meals to families in need.
“We are extremely grateful to be named the winner of Amazon’s Business Grant this year. We plan to use these funds to support our mission to get GiftAMeal in as many states as possible,” says Andrew Glantz, Founder & CEO of GiftAMeal. “This accomplishment is immensely important to our company, and it would not have been possible without the support and dedication of our wonderful team.”
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.
