After donations stir critics, Chick-fil-A refocuses its giving

Chick-fil-A said that in 2018 that it fulfilled multiyear giving agreements with the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, two organizations that have faced some criticism from LGBTQ groups in the past.

ATLANTA — Chick-fil-A, which for years has faced questions about its giving to groups viewed as hostile to LGBTQ rights, said it is narrowing the scope of its foundation’s charitable donations to target education, homelessness and hunger.

It’s unclear whether the Atlanta-based restaurant chain is ruling out future donations to organizations that have sparked the ire of LGBTQrights groups.

Chick-fil-A said that in 2018 that it fulfilled multiyear giving agreements with the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, two organizations that have faced some criticism from LGBTQ groups in the past.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ online statement of faith holds that marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman. The organization received $1.65 million “to provide under-served youth with week-long summer sports camps at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, including Morehouse College and Spelman College. Students who participate are not required to be members of FCA or sign any FCA pledge,” according to the company.

The Salvation Army has received $115,000 from Chick-filA for its Angel Tree program to provide holiday gifts for children.

An online statement from the Salvation Army said it was “saddened to learn that a corporate partner has felt it necessary to divert funding to other hunger, education and homelessness organizations — areas in which The Salvation Army, as the largest social services provider in the world, is already fully committed.” It stated that “we believe we are the largest provider of poverty relief to the LGBTQ-plus population. When misinformation is perpetuated without fact, our ability to serve those in need, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or any other factor, is at risk.”

A Chick-fil-A spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement: “Moving forward, you will see that the Chick-fil-A Foundation will support the three specific initiatives of homelessness, hunger and education, and it will reassess its philanthropic partnerships annually to allow maximum impact. These partners could include faith-based and non-faith-based charities.”

Media outlet Bisnow reported that the company had said the new giving initiative would no longer include donating to organizations like the Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Paul Anderson Youth Home, which also has come under fire in the past for taking stances viewed as anti-LGBTQ.

Asked about the Bisnow report, a Chick-fil-A spokesperson wrote, “We have not decided future giving beyond those partners announced for 2020.”

The announced partners include Junior Achievement USA and Covenant House, which helps homeless youth.

Some of the LGBTQ-rights groups raised a red flag.

“Chick-fil-A investors, employees and customers can greet today’s announcement with cautious optimism, but should remember that similar press statements were previously proven to be empty,” Drew Anderson, the director of News and Rapid Response for GLAAD, the media advocacy group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, wrote in an emailed statement Monday. “In addition to refraining from financially supporting anti-LGBTQ organizations, Chick-fil-A still lacks policies to ensure safe workplaces for LGBTQ employees and should unequivocally speak out against the anti-LGBTQ reputation that their brand represents.”

In 2012, Chick-fil-A leader Dan Cathy, a son of founder Truett Cathy, publicly weighed in against same-sex marriage. That ignited an onslaught of criticism of Cathy and the company overall. And it renewed earlier complaints about corporate and franchisee donations to groups some viewed as anti-gay groups.