Chick-fil-A caves to pressure from the left

In an interview with Bisnow, Chick-fil-A President and Chief Operating Officer Tim Tassopoulos announced that the famous fried chicken chain plans to make significant changes in which charities it donates to, in part because “as we go into new markets, we need to be clear about who we are.” Amid continued boycotts of the highly popular and successful chain over its donations to supposed “anti-LGBT” groups and causes, Tassopoulos revealed that the company’s foundation will no longer donate to some high-profile Christian organizations.

“As Chick-fil-A expands globally and into more liberal parts of the U.S., the chicken chain plans to change which charities it donates to after years of bad press and protests from the LGBT community,” Bisnow reported Monday. “Beginning next year, Chick-fil-A will move away from its current philanthropic structure, Bisnow has learned. After donating to more than 300 charitable organizations this year, the Atlanta-based fast-food chain will instead focus on three initiatives with one accompanying charity each: education, homelessness and hunger. ”

“There’s no question we know that, as we go into new markets, we need to be clear about who we are,” Tassopoulos told Bisnow. “There are lots of articles and newscasts about Chick-fil-A, and we thought we needed to be clear about our message.”

With its new, more narrowed approach to charitable donations, the company’s charitable actions “will no longer include donating to organizations like the Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Paul Anderson Youth Home,” Bisnow reports.

Those three organizations, Bisnow underscores, have inspired claims of an “anti-LGBT” agenda supposedly being promoted by Chick-fil-A. Under pressure from LGBT activists earlier this year, Chick-fil-A felt compelled to defend its donations specifically to those three organizations (see statement below).

Instead of those Christian organizations, Chick-fil-A told Bisnow, it will give $9M to “organizations like Junior Achievement USA to support education, Covenant House International to fight homelessness and community food banks for its hunger initiative in each city where the chain operates,” the outlet reports. It will also give $25K to a local food bank whenever it opens a new location.

“This provides more focus and more clarity,” said Tassopoulos.

Boycotts and protests from the Left of Chick-fil-A began back while the same-sex marriage debate was raging nationally and have continued in recent months, including bans of the chain at some airports and some progressive-run cities.