Connecting Kids to Brighter Futures for More Than 125 years

Our purpose to make more moments of goodness is all about taking what we do well and using our resources to make a positive impact. We’re guided by a vision to nourish children around the world and help create the caring and connected communities they deserve to live in. That’s why we invest in kids’ social emotional well-being, education and nutrition.

Empowering Youth & Supporting Caring Connections

The loneliness epidemic is fueling a mental health crisis, as young people today report feeling lonelier than any other generation, and teens struggle with stress, anxiety and other mental health challenges. Our Heartwarming Project (HWP) is designed to help kids and teens build critical social and emotional skills and celebrate the power of connection for their well-being. We also work with nonprofit partners to inspire, encourage and highlight young people who take action to create more inclusive, empathetic communities.

Our projects and partners include:

• Crisis Text Line and its Mental Health School Supplies
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Keystone Clubs
• Innerview
• Milton Hershey School
• BGC Canada: Sweeter Together
• U.S.A. Track & Field and the RunJumpThrow program
• WE Well-being
• Youth Service America  

Providing Education and Opportunity

Our focus on bright futures for children is nothing new. We’ve been supporting children since 1909, when our founder established Milton Hershey School (MHS) for kids in need. Through top-notch academics, personal attention and character development, MHS provides all of its students, pre-K through 12th grade, the opportunity to succeed.

MHS is a place where high-potential disadvantaged students receive a life-changing opportunity of an excellent private education, thanks to our shared founder who created this early social enterprise. Milton Hershey bequeathed his ownership of The Hershey Company to Milton Hershey School Trust (MHS Trust), with MHS as the sole beneficiary. The MHS Trust continues to be Hershey’s largest shareholder and receives a substantial portion of the dividends we pay each year. This unique relationship means that Hershey’s success directly benefits the school and more than 2,000 students.

Learn more about the Milton Hershey School in our latest ESG Report.

Nourishing Children

We also use our expertise as a snacking company to provide nutritious meals, snacks and food education to kids throughout the U.S., as well as in Canada, India, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. This is part of our focus on giving young people access to the basic nutrition they need. The partners that assist our efforts to nourish children include:

• Children of Africa Foundation
• Hellen Keller International
• International Cocoa Initiative (ICI)
• Project Peanut Butter
• Government of Côte d’Ivoire
• Government of Ghana
• Feeding America
• Food Banks Canada

Supporting Youth in Cocoa Communities

In cocoa-growing communities, we invest in initiatives and actions that make it easier for children to access and continue their education. Areas we focus on include improving education infrastructure, training school-parent management committees, providing school kits filled with important school supplies, and helping children and youth obtain birth certificates so they can enroll in school. The partners that help us care for and empower the next generation include:

• Aflatoun
• INADES Formation
• CARE International
• ICI
• Save the Children
• Government of Côte d’Ivoire Ministry of Education and Literacy
• Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation (Ghana)