In 1997 Starbucks chairman, president and ceo Howard Schultz established The Starbucks Foundation to support communities where Starbucks does business. The Foundation’s initial focus was on funding literacy programs in the U.S. and Canada. It has since grown to include supporting education and youth leadership in communities where Starbucks has stores, and social investments in countries where Starbucks buys coffee, tea and cocoa. To date, the Foundation has provided more than $22 million in grants to benefit communities around the world.