LOUISVILLE, KY, July 20, 2022 — In 2020, Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) made a five-year commitment to invest $100 million inside and outside its business to tackle inequality. Named the Unlocking Opportunity Initiative, the purpose-led effort promotes equity and inclusion, education and entrepreneurship for the Company’s employees, front-line restaurant team members and communities around the world. Today, Yum! announced that it has allocated more than $50 million of that pledge in grants to nearly 30 programs, building on 25 years of investing in its people-first culture. A number of these programs are in partnership with nonprofit organizations that actively support people in the communities where Yum! operates.
These locally relevant, social impact programs are developed through partnerships between Yum!’s four iconic brands, KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill, and its franchisees as well as nonprofit organizations that have the knowledge and on-the-ground experience to enable change across North America, Europe, Africa and Asia, including the South Pacific.
Each program under the Unlocking Opportunity Initiative is rooted in the beliefs that difference should not stand in the way of opportunity (equity and inclusion), that everyone should be able to build a positive future (education) and that entrepreneurship and small businesses are essential to creating resilient communities (entrepreneurship).
Some of these opportunities are listed below as examples, with a full list here.
Equity and Inclusion:
Black L.O.V.E. Philanthropic Partnership | United States
Part of Metro United Way, the Black L.O.V.E. (Live. Own. Vote. Excel.) Philanthropic Partnership pools resources and thought leadership to drive impact and Black-led social change by investing in Louisville, Kentucky nonprofit organizations.
OneTen Coalition | United States
OneTen’s mission is to hire, promote and advance 1 million Black individuals who do not have four-year degrees into family-sustaining careers over the next 10 years. Through this partnership, KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill support restaurant general management and field leadership advancement at company-owned restaurants as well as jobs in U.S.-based corporate offices.
Empowering and Employing Refugee Women | Germany
Organized by socialbee and KFC, this program’s mission is to recruit and empower refugee women living in Germany, who will participate in a qualification program, providing skills and support, to ensure financial stability and long-term employment in KFC restaurants.
Education:
Feeding Minds to Advance Youth Literacy | Egypt
Feeding Minds, part of ProLiteracy and in partnership with KFC, is a three-year program to strengthen core literacy skills for youth aged between 12 and 20, in disadvantaged areas in Cairo, who are illiterate, have low literacy skills or who are out-of-the-school system.
Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence | United States
In partnership with the University of Louisville, the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence, established in 2021, is a global program Center empowering communities to create and sustain generational wealth through franchising. Through education and research, Yum! CGFE seeks to advance the industry by unlocking entrepreneurial opportunities for historically under-represented populations. The Center is the first of its kind to offer online education at the graduate, undergraduate, and non-credit levels, providing access to all.
3X Youth Employability Program | Sri Lanka
The 3X Youth Employability Program has been developed with the Sevalanka Foundation and Pizza Hut, providing personal well-being, soft skills and vocational education to create a pathway to employment and self-sustaining life for people with disabilities and marginalized youth.
Entrepreneurship:
Ambition Accelerator Enabling Young Innovators to Create Positive Change | United States
A product of Ashoka and Taco Bell, the Ambition Accelerator helps young people, aged 16 to 26, tackle society's most pressing issues and make positive changes in their communities and around the world. Participants will gain changemaking skills to thrive in an ever-evolving world and will also serve as an inspiration for other young people to realize their power to impact their communities.
New Founder Programme | United Kingdom
This program by charity Hatch Enterprise and Pizza Hut supports Black, female and underrepresented entrepreneurs by equipping them with the capability, networks and capital needed to start and grow their own business and create jobs in their communities.
Business Education for Entrepreneurs | Canada and United States
KFC, Pizza Hut and Yum! Brands are partnering with the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City to help immigrant, indigenous and entrepreneurs of color in under-resourced communities to build capacity for sustainable growth in revenue, profitability and employment. Entrepreneurs participate in Inner City Capital Connections, a tuition-free executive leadership training program, receiving coaching and mentoring from experts in established businesses, and access to debt, equity and alternative capital resources.
Yum! will continue to update its stakeholders on the Unlocking Opportunity Initiative through its Recipe for Good report and on Yum.com, where more information about the Initiative and its partners can be found.
About Yum! Brands, Inc.
Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, has over 54,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories, operating the Company’s brands – KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell – global leaders of the chicken, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. The Company’s family of brands also includes The Habit Burger Grill, a fast-casual restaurant concept specializing in made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches and more. Yum! Brands was named to the 2021 Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America and was ranked on Newsweek’s list of 2021 America’s Most Responsible Companies. In 2022, Yum! Brands was named to 3BL Media’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens.
