Amid the consumption — and overconsumption — that is especially prevalent during the holiday season, many in the United States are unsure if and how they’ll be able to afford their next meal.
A recent USDA report found that 13% of U.S. households were food insecure in 2022, a significant increase from previous years. Black families, single mother-led households and Hispanic households experienced disproportionately high rates of food insecurity.
At this NYC company, team members are making concerted efforts to minimize this reality. Grubhub gives back through a multipronged approach that engages not only its employees but also its customers, ensuring its culture of giving extends beyond internal affairs.
But this culture of giving isn’t just a seasonal occurrence — it’s ingrained in their company ethos and executed year-round.
Mary Outcalt, learning solutions associate and member of the culture and community team at Grubhub shared how their company culture facilitates and celebrates charitable initiatives and what that looks like in practice.
Grubhub is a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery platform with an extensive network of over 115,000 associated restaurants across over 4,000 U.S. cities and a commitment to community engagement, including charitable giving and support for various causes.
How does Grubhub embrace the spirit of giving during the holidays — and make it an integral part of company culture?
Giving back to our communities is a big part of Grubhub’s culture. November is Giveback Month when we support our local communities. Employees can participate in off-site volunteer events, host coat and canned food drives in their offices, create cards for hospitalized kids and more.
Our employees are located across the country and not all report to offices. This year, our goal was to broaden our impact and provide all Grubhub employees with an opportunity to support their local food pantry, soup kitchen or other food-focused nonprofits. Employees can log their volunteer hours during November and are entered for the chance to have an additional $500 grant donated to the organization of their choosing. This is just one way we encourage all employees to get involved in their communities.
Lastly, throughout the year, Grubhub offers a charity donation matching program under which the company will match charitable donations of up to $2,000 annually. It gets employees excited about giving back to their community.
How does your company utilize its resources and expertise to give back to your local community or causes you care about? What initiatives or programs excite you the most?
One of the ways we make the biggest impact in our communities is through the Grubhub Community Fund. Customers can contribute to the fund by rounding up their order totals with our Donate the Change feature. Grubhub matches all donations made by our Grubhub+ customers, which doubles the impact.
Since 2020, the Grubhub Community Fund has donated more than $60 million to nonprofit organizations, representing a network of more than 400 organizations. This program excites me the most because our employees and our customer base can use this feature, and it is a program that runs throughout the year.
Being in the restaurant business, we know how important it is to support local communities, and we’ve embedded this mindset into our culture.”
What are the benefits of fostering a culture of giving during the holiday season? How does it contribute to employee engagement, community relationships or company reputation?
Being in the restaurant business, we know how important it is to support local communities, and we’ve embedded this mindset into our culture. From a benefits perspective, when we come together as employees to volunteer our time at a food bank or spend time organizing a food drive, it brings an opportunity to connect and learn about why we individually are passionate about giving back to the community. This connection outside of the workplace or away from our desks boosts engagement and, in turn, fosters greater connection and easier collaboration within our organization.
