Restaurants do more than serve meals—they build culture, create local jobs, and act as gathering places in their communities. With that in mind, Toast Changemakers, a program via Hello Alice and GEN, offers a powerful opportunity for restaurants doing community-impact work. Qualified restaurants can receive $10,000 in funding to deepen their mission. Here’s the full breakdown of this grant program.
What Is the Toast Changemakers Program?
The Toast Changemakers Program is a targeted initiative aimed at supporting restaurants that go beyond business—those that contribute positively to their neighborhoods through social impact, equity, or community service. Through this program, Toast (a point-of-sale and restaurant technology company), in partnership with Hello Alice and GEN, helps amplify and invest in mission-driven restaurants.
This year’s program provides $10,000 grants to select restaurants that meet the community-impact criteria and are ready to leverage the support for growth and social contributions.
What Do Winners Receive?
Restaurants selected for Toast Changemakers will receive:
- $10,000 in cash funding (no repayment required)
- Elevated exposure within the Hello Alice and Toast communities
- Recognition as a changemaker—helping validate and promote your community mission
This grant is designed to help restaurants double down on their social or community goals—whether that means expanding outreach programs, improving equity, launching sustainability initiatives, or other impactful efforts.
Who Qualifies for the Toast Changemakers Program?
Eligible applicants must:
- Be a restaurant or food-service establishment actively operating in the U.S.
- Exhibit community-impact work—for example, food access initiatives, hiring from underserved communities, sustainability efforts, educational programs, or charitable programs.
- Be ready to show how $10,000 would help further that mission.
- Submit a complete application before the deadline.
The program looks for restaurants that treat their business as part of their community’s backbone—not just as a profit center.
What Are the Key Dates?
- Application Deadline: October 17, 2025, at 6:00 PM ET
- After applications close, finalists will be evaluated and winners announced in the weeks following.
Make sure to submit your application well ahead of the deadline to avoid any last-minute hiccups.
Why Apply for the Toast Changemakers Program?
This grant offers more than money—it offers validation, visibility, and momentum:
- Supplement funding for mission-aligned projects without taking on debt
- Public recognition through the Toast and Hello Alice networks
- Boost community credibility by being named a “Changemaker”
- Accelerate your social impact initiatives, whether new or in expansion
For restaurants balancing business and community goals, this program can help you scale the part of your mission that often can’t be funded otherwise.
How to Apply
Here’s how to get started:
- Review eligibility criteria and reflect on your community-impact story.
- Prepare your application, with clarity about how $10,000 will help your restaurant do more good.
- Submit online before October 17, 2025, 6:00 PM ET through the Hello Alice / Toast Changemakers portal.
- Await notification—winners will be announced after the review process.
Be expressive, concrete, and community-driven in your application. The storytelling of your impact can be as important as the financial request.
Restaurants that care deeply about their neighborhoods are the ones shaping the future of sustainable commerce. The Toast Changemakers Program is investing directly in those missions—providing resources, recognition, and a platform for restaurants to expand their impact.
Ready to bring your mission further? Submit your application by October 17, 2025, 6:00 PM ET, and let your restaurant’s heart be its differentiator.