Coca-Cola Foundation - Plastic Waste Grants

Enriched Corporate · Found: 2026-03-11 13:12

Major grant-maker for plastic waste management: $15M to UNDP for Bangladesh/Bhutan/Cambodia, $10M to IUCN for island nations, $1M for Caribbean recycling, $350K to PYXERA for Ghana zero plastic waste, $120K to OceanHub Africa. Direct grants to NGOs.

Source: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/social-impact/coca-cola-foundation

Funding Details

Funder

The Coca-Cola Foundation

Funding Goal

The Coca-Cola Foundation invests in transformative ideas and institutions to address complex global challenges including plastic waste and recycling value chains, sustainable water access, watershed conservation, disaster preparedness, and economic prosperity. Its recycling focus aims to reduce plastic waste leakage into the environment, strengthen livelihoods for informal waste workers, and catalyze innovation in recycling infrastructure — particularly for Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Nations.

Funding Amount

No stated grant range on the page. Historical examples include $120K (OceanHub Africa), $350K (PYXERA/Ghana), $1M (Caribbean recycling), $10M (IUCN), $15M (UNDP). The Foundation awards 200+ grants per year from a total annual budget averaging ~$42M based on $1.7B over 40 years. (120.000 € – 15.000.000 €)

How to Apply

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Existing or invited partners can access the Community Partner Portal at coca-cola.smartsimple.com/s_Login.jsp. New applicants must build a relationship with the Foundation or apply through a larger institutional partner.

Target Region

Global, with emphasis on developing regions, Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Nations, and communities where Coca-Cola operates. Historic grants span Africa, South/Southeast Asia, Caribbean, and Pacific islands.

Contact

Community Partner Portal: https://coca-cola.smartsimple.com/s_Login.jsp | General contact: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/about-us/contact-us

Last Checked

2026-03-11 15:57

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Organization must be invited or approached — the Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals
• Applicant must operate in communities where Coca-Cola operates or where Coca-Cola employees live and work

Project Scope

• Project must align with one of the Foundation's focus areas: water access, watershed conservation, recycling value chains, disaster preparedness, economic prosperity, or Atlanta hometown initiatives
• Recycling/plastic projects should address waste leakage reduction, informal waste worker livelihoods, or recycling infrastructure in Small Island Developing States or Least Developed Nations

Required Documents

• Access the Community Partner Portal (coca-cola.smartsimple.com) if already in relationship with the Foundation
• Review the 2024 People and Communities Progress Report and 990 Tax Form for grantmaking patterns and priorities before pursuing a relationship

Constraints

• Grant proposals cannot be submitted directly — partnership or referral pathway required
• No specific open calls or application deadlines; giving is at Foundation's discretion based on strategic priorities

Summary

The Coca-Cola Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company, having awarded more than $1.7 billion in grants over 40 years to support global communities. The Foundation funds across six focus areas: sustainable access to safe water, watershed conservation, recycling value chains, disaster preparedness and response, economic prosperity, and hometown (Atlanta) community initiatives. It awards over 200 grants per year through a combination of philanthropic funding, system expertise, and collective action partnerships. The recycling value chains program is directly relevant to plastic waste: the Foundation invests in service delivery models that reduce plastic waste and stem environmental leakage, strengthen livelihoods for informal waste workers, and address recycling challenges in Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Nations. Past grants cited in available records include a $15M grant to UNDP covering Bangladesh/Bhutan/Cambodia, $10M to IUCN for island nations, $1M for Caribbean recycling, $350K to PYXERA for Ghana zero plastic waste, and $120K to OceanHub Africa — indicating a preference for large institutional partners but also engagement with smaller organizations. A critical constraint is that the Foundation explicitly does not accept unsolicited grant proposals. Organizations must be approached or invited through the Foundation's own processes. There is a Community Partner Portal for existing or invited partners. This gatekeeping significantly limits accessibility for new applicants, particularly smaller NGOs without an existing relationship with Coca-Cola. Despite the closed application model, the Foundation remains a relevant prospect for organizations working on plastic waste value chains in the developing world, as its stated priorities and historical grantmaking align well. Strategic relationship-building, co-application with a larger institutional partner (such as UNDP or IUCN), or engagement via Coca-Cola's local bottling system partners may provide pathways to funding.

Historical Context

The Coca-Cola Foundation has been operating for over 40 years, awarding more than $1.7 billion in grants total. It awards 200+ grants per year. The 2024 People and Communities Progress Report and the 2024 IRS Form 990 are publicly available on the website. Past plastic/recycling grants include $15M to UNDP (Bangladesh/Bhutan/Cambodia), $10M to IUCN (island nations), $1M (Caribbean recycling), $350K to PYXERA (Ghana), and $120K to OceanHub Africa.

Why it was added

Major corporate foundation with direct grants to NGOs for plastic waste in developing countries, highly relevant

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