Pearl Milling Company Continues to Invest in Community Impact with P.E.A.R.L. Pledge - 2023 Grant Applications Now Open

With more than 30 grants awarded to date, the pancake mix and syrup brand is awarding a total of $1 million this year to help nonprofits making a P.E.A.R.L. impact in their communities.

CHICAGO, May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pearl Milling Company, the pancake mix and syrup brand that has been creating memorable breakfast moments for over 130 years, continues its mission to uplift Black women and girls across the U.S. with P.E.A.R.L. Pledge, a multi-year community funding initiative that launched in 2021. Starting today through June 14, eligible nonprofit organizations can apply for a chance to receive a grant of up to $100,000 to develop and grow meaningful programming in their communities. People can also nominate organizations through June 7 to participate in the application process. Grant recipients will be announced in the fall.

P.E.A.R.L. Pledge was established in 2021 as part of Pearl Milling Company's commitment to support the Black community and PepsiCo's broader Racial Equality Journey initiative. With the goal of championing the success of Black women and girls in the U.S., the program focuses on five key pillars: Prosperity, Empowerment, Access, Representation, and Leadership.

"Helping our communities to not only address fundamental needs but also thrive goes hand in hand with Pearl Milling Company's purpose of bringing families to the table," said Kristin Kroepfl, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Quaker. "Going into year three of P.E.A.R.L. Pledge, we're excited to see the impact the grant recipients are making on the lives of Black women and girls, and we're more energized than ever to keep moving our mission forward."

Since P.E.A.R.L. Pledge's inception, more than 30 grants have been awarded to nonprofit organizations dedicated to creating opportunities for the Black community across the country. You can see a full list of the P.E.A.R.L. Pledge 2021 and 2022 grant recipients at pearlmillingcompany.com.

How to Nominate and Apply
To apply for a P.E.A.R.L. Pledge grant this year, organizations must meet the following criteria:

• Based in the U.S., serving communities within the country
• Categorized as a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) Public Charity status
• Offer programming serving Black women and/or girls
• Aligns with P.E.A.R.L. Pledge mission and pillars

Grants will be awarded based on several factors, including how the chosen organizations will use the funding. People are also encouraged to get involved by nominating organizations that align with the P.E.A.R.L. Pledge program and criteria to apply for a grant. Starting today, both nominations and applications can be submitted at www.pearlmillingcompany.com/pearlpledge. Nominations will close by 6p.m. EST on June 7, 2023, and applications will close by 6p.m. EST on June 14, 2023.

Pearl Milling Company will be selecting this year's grant recipients with the help of its P.E.A.R.L. Pledge Advisory Council, which is comprised of Jasmine Crowe-Houston, award-winning social entrepreneur, children's book author and founder of Goodr; Eunique Jones Gibson, founder of Because of Them We Can, CEO of Culture Brands and The Happy Hues; and Codie Elaine Oliver, CEO and co-founder of Black Love Inc. The Advisory Council will also act as program mentors by offering support and advice to 2023 grant recipients.

For more information about P.E.A.R.L. Pledge, visit www.pearlmillingcompany.com/pearlpledge and follow Pearl Milling Company on social media at www.facebook.com/pearlmillingcompany and www.instagram.com/pearlmillingcompany/ for updates on the program.

About Pearl Milling Company
Pearl Milling Company, owned by The Quaker Oats Company, a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., provides great-tasting pancake mixes, syrups, cornmeal, flour and grits products that have been helping families create memorable breakfast moments for over a century. Founded in 1888, Pearl Milling Company began as a small mill in St. Joseph, Missouri producing flour, cornmeal and, beginning in 1889, the famous self-rising pancake mix that would go on to be known as Aunt Jemima. Its pancake mix varieties include Original, Buttermilk, Whole Wheat, Cap'n Crunch's Berrytastic Pancake Mix, as well as its Pancake On The Go products in Chocolate Chip, Buttermilk & Maple, Double Chocolate and Blueberry. Syrup varieties include Original, Lite, Butter Rich, Butter Lite, and Country Rich, in addition to several cornmeal, cornmeal mix and grits offerings. For more information, please visit www.pearlmillingcompany.com, www.facebook.com/pearlmillingcompany or follow us on Instagram @pearlmillingcompany.

About The Quaker Oats Company
The Quaker Oats Company, headquartered in Chicago, is a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., one of the world's largest consumer packaged goods companies. For more than 140 years, Quaker's brands have served as symbols of quality, great taste and nutrition. Quaker® Oats, Quaker® Rice Cakes and Quaker Chewy® Granola Bars are consumer favorites. For more information, please visit www.QuakerOats.com, www.Facebook.com/Quaker or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @Quaker.

About PepsiCo 
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo. 

SOURCE The Quaker Oats Company