Making Waves: 15 years of impact with the Mars Ambassador Program

We believe companies can be a force for good. 15 years ago, we created our Mars Ambassador Program (MAP) to harness the power of our global Mars community to drive positive change. The program serves as a testament to our belief that, together, we can make a tangible difference in the world.

MAP, our signature skills-based volunteering program, empowers Associates to step away from their work and volunteer their time and skills to help local nonprofit organizations build capacity and advance their mission. By aligning with our business priorities and purpose, MAP ensures that the skills and expertise of our Associates are leveraged in ways that not only support these organizations but also resonate with our core values and strategic goals.

From restoring coral reefs and providing aid after disasters, to offering medical care to animals in need and renovating shelters, more than 1,000 Associates have volunteered from 60+ countries since the program started in 2008.

“15 years ago, we embarked on a journey of positive impact with MAP. Today more than 1,000 Associates have been at the forefront of positive change in the communities where we operate and source. Every minute of the 60,000 hours dedicated by our MAP Ambassadors tells an important story — one of hope, impact, and the power of putting our skills to work delivering on our Mars Purpose.” – Stephen Badger, Mars Family Member and Member of the Board Directors.

As we celebrate 15 years of MAP, we pause to reflect on the incredible legacy of impact, growth and connection that has defined the Program over the years.

Restoring coral reefs in the Indonesian Coral Triangle

Since 2011, Mars has spearheaded coral reef restoration efforts through the innovative Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System (MARRS), installing over 60,000 "Reef Stars" across 30 sites in 7 countries. In 2023, Ambassadors traveled to Indonesia's Spermonde Archipelago to receive intensive training in the MARRS method, joining forces with Mars to restore one of the world's largest coral reefs, including the iconic SHEBA Hope Reef. Their passion and dedication not only expanded Mars capacity but also ignited a lifelong commitment to marine advocacy and reef conservation.

“I came into this trip knowing I was going to love it, but it still exceeded my expectations. It was a dream come true to have my diving passion and work align. What this program is giving back to the world is incredible. This has changed my outlook on what the rest of my life could be. I would love to be more involved in reef restoration and marine advocacy with Mars in years to come. It's an incredible feat that this assignment and initiative is a part of the organization that I work for, and something its stakeholders should truly admire.” – Henry Gibbs, 2023 Ambassador

Exploring Mars sustainability in Southeast Asia

In 2017, 10 alumni Ambassadors, one from each year of MAP, embarked on a special sustainability tour of the Mars business in Indonesia and Malaysia. During this assignment, Ambassadors visited Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Makassar to learn more about how Mars sources cocoa, palm oil, and black tea, the work of Mars and the then-launched Sustainable in a Generation program.

“Seeing with my own eyes environmental disasters like the destruction of coral reefs by dynamite fishing makes you feel angry, helpless and sad. But I was even more proud to work for a company that is committed to making a difference to resolve such issues!” – Christine Schreier, 2017 Ambassador

Empowering education in India’s urban communities

Among MAP’s assignments in 2018, four Ambassadors collaborated with Pratham, one of the largest NGOs dedicated to improving quality education in underserved communities throughout India, to help build their fundraising capacity. The assignment built upon the work of previous Ambassadors, with a focus on co-developing a fundraising strategy for the organization.

“My most memorable activity was visiting students and teachers in remove villages outside of Lucknow. The Pratham Education Foundation had partnered with their schools to provide supplemental learning camps in their classroom to combat the “big stuck,” which is when students are progressing through school, but are not performing on grade level for reading and/or math. We were able to see the children’s excitement as they took part in fun activities that were improving their performance and hear from teachers on how they work with Pratham. It was inspiring to see the students so excited to learn and the impact it was having on their confidence.” – Carmen Sebro, 2018 Ambassador

Conserving marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Maine

In 2019, MAP launched its partnership with the Rozalia Project, a nonprofit founded in 2010 with a mission to clean and protect the ocean and conserve a healthy, thriving marine ecosystem. On this assignment, two groups of Ambassadors became crew members and boarded the American Promise, a record-breaking circumnavigator, as part of a large-scale marine debris recovery effort in hard-to-reach islands along the rugged Gulf of Maine coast. Ambassadors picked up 5,000+ pieces of trash from remote shorelines and collected and analyzed data of recovered items to help inform the organization’s STEM education program.

“As an organization committed to protecting and cleaning our oceans in the fight against marine debris, to have an opportunity to partner with MAP has given us insight into the power of corporations to be a catalyst for change. We all have the power to create positive impacts within ourselves, our families and our communities. The Ambassadors are doing just that!” – Ashley Sullivan, Executive Director, Rozalia Project

Delivering hurricane relief for pets in Puerto Rico

In 2019, MAP partnered with Pet Friendly Puerto Rico(Opens a new window), a local nonprofit, to aid post-Hurricane Maria recovery efforts for pets on the island of Puerto Rico. Ambassadors collaborated with shelter personnel to help establish veterinary care routines, propose funding methods, and assist with volunteer recruitment. Their contributions directly impacted local animals’ lives, from developing volunteer agendas to suggesting sustainable funding strategies and enhancing social media presence for ongoing support.

“I think the experience at Save a Sato really helped me grow personally and professionally. Seeing the facility through the owner’s eyes and recognizing the heart and passion that she had put into trying to make a difference for the animals that she rescued. She was doing the best she could with the knowledge and resources that she had. The appearance of the facility would have been off-putting if I had gone in unprepared, and I think being able to go in with an open mind and with the perspective of recognizing the good and coming up with ideas to make things better allowed me to have a meaningful experience.” – Erin Ferris, 2019 Ambassador