Mars Opens Submissions to the 2026 Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant

Dedicated to Funding Chocolate History Research, Scholarship, and Educational Programming

NEWARK, N.J., Aug. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars and AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate announced today that they are currently accepting submissions for the 2026 Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant through October 26, 2025. The grant provides funding to organizations, individuals, and schools for innovation in the areas of chocolate history research, cocoa science, scholarship, and education.

Launched in 2013, the Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant has provided over $600,000 in grant funding to 32 institutions for 63 grant projects. Last year, a total of $58,9000 in grant funding was awarded to five organizations. The winners were:

• Historic Philadelphia/Betsy Ross House (Philadelphia, PA)
• University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
• Tampa Bay Times Newspaper in Education (Tampa Bay, FL)
• Conner Prairie Museum (Fishers, IN)
• The Lovett School (Atlanta, GA) for the first Classroom Resource Grant

The Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant is dedicated to uncovering and sharing the vital role of chocolate in culture, science, and education. Funding will be awarded for projects that investigate and/or educate on the history of chocolate, the chocolate-making process, or cocoa science, with an emphasis on anticipated audience reach. Teachers of K-12 students are also encouraged to apply for a classroom resource grant.

"Every year we are impressed by the depth and breadth of grant applications and the projects proposed," said Kelly Lynch, Marketing Director, Mars Wrigley Premium Brands. "There is no shortage of exciting and educational chocolate-based research and programming to share with the world. Mars and AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate are honored to support these inspiring initiatives."

Awards for this competitive scholarship will be made based on merit as judged by a panel of experts. The educational impact will highly influence the decision process, as will attention to equity, inclusion, and diversity in the proposal.

Grant submissions can be made on the AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate website at https://www.americanheritagechocolate.com/grants/grant-application/.

Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant winners will be announced at the annual meeting of the Heritage Chocolate Society scheduled for February 18-19, 2026, in Washington, DC. The Heritage Chocolate Society was founded by Forrest E. Mars, Jr. in 2003 to explore the diverse history of chocolate in the Americas as well as its impact on society and culture. What started as a gathering of 15 attendees has evolved into an annual meeting of more than 150 history and educational leaders dedicated to exploring new ideas and concepts that would benefit their historic sites and museums.

About AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate
The AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate brand was developed in 2006 by Mars Chocolate North America (now Mars Wrigley) and is the only chocolate brand solely dedicated to sharing the history of chocolate through products inspired by authentic recipes from the 18th century. Backed by research and fueled by legacy, the brand calls itself "The Chocolate History People" for a reason! By offering unique, immersive products that both educate and entertain, AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate brings the rich and diverse story of chocolate to life. Rainforest Alliance Certified™ and made with no preservatives, AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate currently comes in four formats: Tasting Squares, Tablet Bars, Grated Chocolate for baking/drinking and Gourmet Hot Cocoa. AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate is sold at fine gift shops at historic sites, museums, and historic inns across the USA. The brand can also be found on Amazon.com, at Ethel M Chocolates stores around Las Vegas, Nevada, and on ethelm.com.

Learn more about AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate at www.Facebook.com/AmericanHeritageChocolate, on Instagram at @AmericanHeritageChocolate, and on Pinterest @Chochistory.

ABOUT MARS, INCORPORATED
Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a $50bn+ family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services support pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world's best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M's®, SNICKERS® and BEN'S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles—Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom—inspire our 150,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet. For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

SOURCE Mars