Mars Impact Fund Awards $3 Million to National 4-H Council

• Mars Impact Fund is providing $3 million over three years to support National 4-H Council's Beyond Ready program, designed to give youth the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
• The partnership will support up to 200,000 young people across the United States in pursuing career paths in food, agriculture and veterinary sciences.

MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars, Incorporated, a global leader in snacking, food, and pet products and services, has announced a $3 million partnership with National 4-H Council, the nation's largest youth development organization. The grant is made through the Mars Impact Fund, the company's enterprise-level philanthropic entity designed to drive meaningful and lasting impact in the communities where Mars operates.

The grant is designed to inspire up to 200,000 young people across the country to pursue opportunities in science by creating on-ramps to food, agriculture and veterinary science careers. The program will support National 4-H Council's existing Beyond Ready program, a national initiative designed to give 10 million young people the skills, confidence and character they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world by 2030.

"As a family-owned business for 115 years, Mars thinks in generations, prioritizing innovation and inspiring youth to pursue careers in science," said Michelle Grogg, Executive Director of the Mars Impact Fund. "Demand for skilled talent in food science, agriculture and veterinary medicine continues to grow and we want to be sure that young people have the opportunity to explore those careers. We are proud to partner with the National 4-H Council to advance that goal, and help equip the next generation with education, experiences and mentorship."

Phased over three years, the donation will tap into 4-H's Cooperative Extension network – a community of more than 100 public universities that provides experiences where youth learn by doing. Individual grants will be deployed through six university partnerships with tailored programming based on the interests and needs in the community:

• University of California — California 4-H will develop a mobile veterinary education lab that brings hands-on small-animal veterinary science and career exploration directly to teens in Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties.
• Florida A&M University — Florida 4-H will provide teens in North Florida with hands-on experiences across food science, agricultural sciences, livestock production, entomology and emerging agricultural technologies through pop-up AgriSTEM workshops and monthly academies. 
• University of Georgia — Georgia 4-H Career Connections will create a statewide agriculture and food science career-readiness pathway that helps teens move from initial career awareness to hands-on experience, skill development, professional connections and informed next steps.
• University of Illinois — Illinois 4-H will engage teens in experiential career exploration and workforce development opportunities in food science, agricultural sciences and veterinary sciences, and help them develop practical skills and connect with professionals in these fields.
• Michigan State University — Michigan 4-H will engage teens in career exploration and preparation in agricultural sciences and veterinary sciences, with an emphasis on companion animal health, food systems, food security and food science.
• University of Tennessee — Tennessee 4-H will implement a year-round veterinary science program focused primarily on small and companion animal medicine. The initiative will engage youth statewide through a monthly Virtual Vet Science Project Group, field trips and partnerships with university and industry professionals.

Additionally, each year 20 teens will receive full scholarships to participate in National 4-H Council's Ignite program, an annual teen summit that brings together youth to explore career paths, build leadership skills and connect with peers.

"Young people are curious about science, and seeing themselves in these careers starts with having the opportunity to experience them firsthand," said Heather Elliott, Chief Development & Marketing Officer, National 4-H Council. "Through the Beyond Ready initiative, we're helping 10 million young people develop the problem-solving, communication and technical skills they need to succeed in work and life, including pursuing careers in food, agriculture and veterinary science. Working with Mars allows us to connect those career-ready skills to real pathways and help more young people see where their interests can take them."

This grant expands the Mars Impact Fund's growing global portfolio of partnerships, which has committed more than $20M since its launch earlier this year.

More on Mars presence in the U.S can be found on Mars.com, and across its corporate brand social channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. 

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. Based on combined Mars and Kellanova 2025 net sales, we are a $65bn+ family-owned business with 170,000 Associates, our diverse portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services serve pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products delights millions of people every day. We produce some of the world's best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, EXTRA®, Pringles®, Cheez-It® and BEN'S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ deliver high quality veterinary care and ANTECH ™ offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on  Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.  

About Mars Impact Fund

The Mars Impact Fund is the enterprise-level philanthropic entity of Mars, Incorporated, a global leader in snacking, pet care and food. Launched in February of 2026, the Mars Impact Fund was designed to accelerate meaningful and lasting impact in the communities where Mars operates. The Fund focuses on three key priorities: boosting sourcing community resilience, growing and diversifying the pipeline of scientists and improving companion animal wellbeing. For more information about the Mars Impact Fund, its priorities and active grant partnerships, please visit www.mars.com/mars-impact-fund.    

About National 4-H Council

4-H, the nation's largest youth development organization, grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for careers tomorrow. 4-H programs empower nearly six million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills. Through Beyond Ready, 4-H will increase that number to ten million youth annually. 4-H is the youth development program of our nation's Cooperative Extension System and USDA and serves every county and parish in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3,000 local Extension offices. Globally, 4-H collaborates with independent programs to empower one million youth in 50 countries. The research-backed 4-H experience grows young people who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to make healthier choices; two times more likely to be civically active; and two times more likely to participate in STEM programs.

Learn more about 4-H at 4-H.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Mars, Incorporated