Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev, maker of Budweiser beer, is the world’s top brewer, with sales of more than $39 billion in 2011. Anheuser-Busch and the Anheuser-Busch Foundation use some of their revenue for charity, giving nearly $500 million in grants to charitable organizations since the late 1990s. The donations focus on economic development, the environment, disaster relief and education.

What Anheuser-Busch Funds

Anheuser-Busch funds projects that support water conservation and recycling and home ownership. The company provides also college scholarships and donates beer for charitable events that take place in the St. Louis area.

Budweiser also partners with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to give a $50,000 Conservationist of the Year award. Three runners-up win $5,000.

Since 1985, the Anheuser-Busch Foundation has given more than $37 million directly to the United Way, but doesn't fund United Way-funded agencies outside of those grants.

The foundation sponsors charitable events, including sports, entertainment and music events. In particular, the foundation looks to help organizations whose work benefits the communities with Anheuser-Busch facilities. In the United States, Budweiser is based in St. Louis and the company has plants in Fairfield, California; Fort Collins, Colorado; Jacksonville, Florida; and Merrimack, New Hampshire.

What Anheuser-Busch Won't Fund

Anheuser-Busch won't give grants to organizations that don't have Internal Revenue Section 501(c)(3) status, which is usually referred to as being a "non-profit." The foundation won't fund projects outside the United States, annual or capital campaigns and endowment funds, conferences or seminars, religious or political endeavors, private foundations or school programs.

Past Grants

Hopefuls may want to look at the Anheuser-Busch InBev 2011 Global Citizenship Report before applying to determine what the company has funded in the past.

How to Apply

To apply for grants, hopefuls should create an account at the Anheuser-Busch Request Donation Webpage and follow the steps to apply. The application includes questions to determine the organization's primary mission and its demographics. Applicants should expect to wait from three to six weeks for a response.