FedEx Cares Honors The 2026 FedEx Founder’s Fund Award Recipients

FedEx Cares represents the company’s deep commitment to community service and volunteerism — values at the heart of FedEx since our founder, Frederick W. Smith, established them in 1973.

Launched in 2023 during FedEx’s 50th anniversary, the Founder’s Fund Award was created to honor Mr. Smith’s enduring legacy. This annual award recognizes team members who make a significant impact through their dedication to giving back.

We are proud to announce the 2026 recipients of the FedEx Founder’s Fund Award — the highest honor available within the FedEx Cares program. These exceptional team members have gone above and beyond in their volunteer efforts, making a difference in communities around the world.

This year, the top three volunteers globally will be recognized with charitable grants made in their names to nonprofits of their choice. The grants will be awarded as follows:

• 1st place: $25,000
• 2nd place: $15,000
• 3rd place: $10,000
• 3 regional winners: The Americas, AMEA, and Europe will receive $7,500 per region

Congratulations to our 2026 award winners and thank you for inspiring us all with your generosity and dedication to service.

A 21-year FedEx veteran and a proud veteran of the US Army, Jay Palmer defines what it means to serve. Now being honored as a top volunteer for FedEx Cares Founders Fund for FY26, Jay is a pillar of the Connoquenessing, PA community. Since 2022, he has volunteered with the Connoquenessing Volunteer Fire Company, providing protection, compassion and empathy to the community in their greatest hour of need. Beyond his work on the front lines, Jay is invested in the future, spending his time mentoring and training incoming first responders to ensure his community is always in safe hands.

Service has been a constant in Jay’s life, and he takes immense pride in ensuring that help is always available to those in need. While he is a mainstay volunteering at the fire station, his commitment extends far beyond emergency response. Jay is a dedicated supporter of broader community initiatives, with a heartfelt focus on programs that empower veterans and provide mentorship to local youth.

“While the spirit of volunteering may be fading in some places, it’s up to us to keep it alive. If you have the capacity to give back, you have the responsibility to help lead."

Service has defined Bridget Beddigs’ nearly 30-year FedEx journey—from Kinko’s to today’s FedEx Office—and her life beyond work. In 2006, she began volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America to spend meaningful time with her sons, turning a family activity into a lifelong commitment to give back. Colleagues also amplified that spark: as she started to cook meals at Ronald McDonald House, a tradition her family continues and one that supported her son’s path to Eagle Scout.

Over time Bridget expanded her impact through FedEx Cares and personal outreach, supporting Habitat for Humanity, Feed My Starving Children, Lake Michigan beach cleanups, and Purple Totes drives for women’s shelters. She also embraced virtual service, creating “Acts of Kindness” calendars that helped others find simple, daily ways to contribute. Each effort reflects her focus on connection, reliability, and making a tangible difference.

One cause holds special meaning: since 2014 Bridget and her family have volunteered with Wreaths Across America, bringing Steger Boy Scout Troop 100 with them and now serving as Wreath Guards at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, where her grandparents rest among more than 68,000 service members and spouses. “This recognition is a chance to inspire broader participation in FedEx Cares and extend the FedEx mission into the communities they serve.”

For Ursula Marks, an eight-year team member of the FedEx Information Security team, service is a way of life. Through FedEx Cares, she has bridged communication gaps by learning sign language with Feel The Beat to support the deaf community, helped build homes with Habitat for Humanity, and supported athletes at the Special Olympics.

Ursula champions FedEx Cares as a vital avenue for showing employees that giving back is a fundamental expectation, not a workplace anomaly. She believes social impact is essential at both the individual and corporate levels, recognizing that we can never truly measure the profound power a single act of service has to help someone regain their confidence and security.

Her impact extends to her personal life as the Board Treasurer for The Undie Chest, an organization dedicated to restoring dignity through the donation of basic necessities. Ursula believes that providing these essentials gives people the momentum to pursue their dreams with respect. As she puts it, her drive to serve comes from a place of gratitude: "We are blessed to have what we have, and not everyone has the same opportunities."

With over 26 years as a FedEx courier in Peoria, Illinois, Michelle Hubble has a unique perspective on her community—one shaped by what she sees every day from behind the wheel. Guided by her belief that “it takes a village,” she focuses her passion for volunteering on addressing the food deserts affecting local low-income households through her work with Peoria Grown. Through her tireless work with nonprofits like Peoria Grown, Michelle helps ensure that fresh, affordable produce reaches the neighbors who need it most.

Michelle’s impact is twofold. She helps bridge the gap between local farmers and families in need by purchasing and distributing fresh produce, and she empowers community members through education. On market days, Michelle can be found unloading delivery trucks, setting up displays, and organizing fruits and vegetables. She also assists at checkout and helps carry groceries to customers’ vehicles, ensuring a welcoming and supportive experience for all.

“The value that FedEx Cares offers is priceless,” Michelle says. “FedEx is able to help so many worthy causes that are in need. I am thankful that FedEx has supported nonprofits such as Peoria Grown in the past.”

Derek is a thirty-eight-year FedEx veteran currently serving as a Security Manager in the UK. While his professional life is dedicated to safety and logistics, his heart belongs to community service. Driven by the fundamental belief that no one should go without the essentials of food and water, Derek focuses his energy on providing direct, local support to those in need within his community. 

His commitment to tackling food insecurity is the driving force behind his vital volunteer work at his local food pantry. The Reydon food Pantry is operated by the community, for the community, designed to meet neighbors' needs with dignity. Derek manages the logistics of collecting surplus food from donors and supermarkets—rescuing high-quality items that have reached their 'sell-by' date but are still perfectly viable. This initiative does more than feed people; it actively combats food waste, reducing the greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint associated with organic waste in landfills.

“We are living in 2026, and it’s a reality that no one should ever face—going without food or water. Supporting this food bank is my way of taking a stand. The FedEx Cares program is built on encouragement, giving every team member the green light to give back to help our neighbors.”

A 13 year FedEx veteran, Germaine balances her career in sales with a deep commitment to mentoring new team members. Beyond the office, she channels her enthusiasm for service through FedEx Cares, driven by the belief that she can be a channel of blessing to others. Germaine is particularly passionate about shaping the next generation through Junior Achievement, where she shares her professional knowledge and life experience. While her goal is to give back, she often finds that she receives just as much inspiration and fulfillment from these volunteering sessions as she gives.

Germaine’s commitment to service is rooted in her belief that students thrive when they have a strong community behind them. As a parent, she finds deep meaning in supporting the younger generation, whether she is hands-on packing food supplies or mentoring youth by sharing her personal values and experiences. 

“In the current world where everyone is running the race of trying to excel and achieve excellent top line numbers, the existence of FedEx Cares does remind me that while I continue to be deep in the daily trenches of moving packages, as a company, we value our community too….it  allows us to be personally connected to FedEx’s purpose and creates a deeper meaning to my work in FedEx.”