Many people who recognize the chubby panda logo or have sampled the orange chicken may not know that Panda Express is also a significant source of funding for K-12 education. Since 2021, its foundation, Panda Cares, has given approximately $7.5 million for public school education.
Panda Cares is the philanthropic arm of the Panda Restaurant Group, with a mission “to serve the health and education needs of underserved youth and to foster the spirit of giving,” according to the website. The foundation is built on the fortune generated by Panda Express, the fast-food American Chinese restaurant that is a staple of shopping malls around the country.
Andrew Cherng and his father created the Panda Restaurant Group and first Panda establishment, a sit-down Chinese restaurant in Pasadena, California. Peggy Cherng, who has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, joined her husband as they expanded the business across the country and then the globe. Today, there are over 2,300 Panda Express restaurants in 12 countries, including Guatemala, the United Arab Emirates and South Korea. The Cherngs, both immigrants who came to the U.S. as young people, were college sweethearts; they are now worth $3.6 billion, according to Forbes. The couple has made some sizable philanthropic gifts to date, including $30 million to Caltech and $25 million to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena.
The Cherngs created Panda Cares in 1999 to share some of their good fortune, according to Tina Hsing, who directs the foundation.“Panda Cares was established as a formal way of saying thank you to the communities that have been so kind to the business,” she said. “It’s a way of saying thank you and continuing to pay it forward.”
Panda Cares focuses specifically on public schools in underserved areas. Many ed funders operate in this space, but one thing that differentiates Panda Cares’ approach is its local focus. Partnering with the education giving platform, DonorsChoose, Panda Cares provides funding for individual teachers and classrooms in the areas where it operates.
“We work closely with DonorsChoose and allocate money within about a five to 10 mile radius of our stores,” Hsing said. “We match by the zip codes where our stores are located. We want to make sure that the money we give stays in the local community.”
Work globally, fund locally
Alli Rai, who teaches photography, yearbook and student council classes at Agua Fria High School in the Phoenix area, often turns to DonorsChoose to outfit her classroom and help her students. The giving platform allows teachers to request funding for classroom supplies and activities from individual donors. On the platform, teachers request everything from computers to field trips and materials for school projects. As IP reported last year, “There is evidence that DonorsChoose helps decrease inequity in public schools through its grassroots approach. A paper from three researchers at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, using Pennsylvania school data, found that funding DonorsChoose projects led to gains in student performance.”
Rai recently raised money for camera accessories and sewing supplies to make costumes and decorations for school events. In both these funding appeals, Panda Cares matched gifts from other donors. According to Rai, the promise of a match is a real draw for other donors.
Rai has also requested funds through DonorsChoose for the Caring Closet in her classroom, a project that is popular with her students. The Caring Closet is a set of drawers that Rai keeps stocked with items including healthy snacks, hygiene items, hair products, mouth care products and first-aid supplies. Over half of the students at Agua Fria are from low-income families and more than 50% are Black, Latino, or Native American, and Rai says there is a real need for the items in the closet.
“It started off for students in my classes, but the word spread, so if a student needs something, they’ll come in and get it,” she said. “Some of our kids don’t get everything they need at home, so it’s nice to have these supplies available for them. They can take a snack if they didn’t eat breakfast, or they can grab deodorant or feminine hygiene products. Having what they need helps them get back to focusing on school.” Deodorant, she says, is by far the most sought after item in the Caring Closet. Panda Cares hasn’t contributed to this specific project, but has supported a number of similar requests from other teachers on DonorsChoose.
In Phoenix alone, Panda Cares matched $49,000 in donations for local public school classrooms. The foundation has other education programs, including its Panda Cares Scholars Program, which provides scholarships and financial support to college students from low-income families. It also partners with Boys and Girls Clubs of America to provide after-school enrichment and student support through its Panda Cares Centers of Hope.
Children’s health is the other pillar of Panda Cares’ work. Through its partnership with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, the foundation creates hospital-based Panda Cares Centers of Hope. The centers provide safe spaces for children and families, and offer activities including art, pet and music therapy.
“Children are the future”
Learning about the work of teachers like Alli Rai prompts the question of why educators in the wealthiest country in the world are forced to use their small paychecks or rely on the kindness of strangers to scrape together classroom supplies. Arizona, where Rai teaches, consistently ranks at or near the bottom of states in per-pupil spending. But as long as the U.S. continues to underfund schools and underpay educators, DonorsChoose is providing an important service — and allowing teachers like Rai to help their students thrive. DonorsChoose, which was founded by a teacher, has raised $1.38 billion and funded 2.46 million projects since it was created in 2000.
The support of billionaires like Anthony and Peggy Cherng also makes a difference, of course, and as relatively new funders with assets that seem likely to grow, it’s encouraging to see them step up for education. The Cherng’s philanthropy is focused squarely on the next generation, according to Tina Hsing. “They immigrated to the United States for better education and better lives,” she said. “And because they have been given the opportunity to succeed, because of the great education they received in the United States, they want other children to have the same opportunity. As we all know, children are the future.”