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Usually not. Books-A-Million, Kroger, Whole Foods, Topgolf, Wegmans, J.M. Smucker, Canon and Lowes Foods all list individuals or benefits among the requests they exclude. Here is what their rules say, and the routes that do work when your community wants to help one person or family.

Five things on one phone screen: who you are, the event and date, one specific item, when you need it, and your nonprofit status. First check the company takes email at all: Wegmans and ALDI don't, and Books-A-Million takes nothing else. Templates for the first email and the follow-up.

Many do, mostly through the local store and mostly as food rather than gift cards. Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and The Fresh Market decide at the store; Wegmans, Kroger and ALDI take requests online. Here is what each grocer's own page says it gives, and the limits that trip people up.

Some do, many don't; the line is usually religious purpose versus community service. Books-A-Million names churches; Kroger and Wegmans exclude members-only or religious-purpose requests; Panda Express, Smucker, Pentel, Topgolf and Canon list religious groups or causes. Each rule in its own words.

Hershey, Just Born, Spangler, Sarris, Munson's, Sweet Candy and Creo donate candy, but almost only near their own factories. Lindt has paused until mid-January 2027. Here is where each one gives and how to ask.

Oriental Trading, gift-card donors, local candy makers, Wawa, Trader Joe's and family attractions all fit a carnival or festival. Church festivals should check each program's rules on religious organizations first.

Gift cards from Target, Books-A-Million and Big 5, outings from Topgolf and Urban Air, and food from Trader Joe's and Wawa fit a post-prom party. The school or PTA usually has to sign, and the asking happens in winter.

Thank the person who said yes within days, name the item, and send a written acknowledgment that describes it without a dollar value. Check the company's own rules before thanking it in public.

Mostly through grants or store-level programs, not free prizes. Target donates gift cards at local stores; Lowe's gives Community Impact Grants to renovate community spaces; Staples helps schools through shopper programs. Here is exactly what each chain does.

Many do: Big 5, Wegmans, Dick's, Oriental Trading, Total Wine & More, the Red Sox, Steelers, Packers and Crayola Experience take requests online. Here is what each gives, where, and how much notice it wants.

Target, Books-A-Million, Big 5, The Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden, Outback and Benihana say on their own sites that they donate gift cards or certificates to eligible fundraisers. Here is how each one wants to be asked.

A tricky tray is a basket raffle: guests drop chances into containers beside the prizes they want, and one winner is drawn for each prize. The name is most common in New Jersey and nearby New York and Pennsylvania.

Build each raffle basket around one theme and one anchor item, then fill it out. Here are basket themes matched to companies whose own sites describe a donation program, from attraction admission to gift cards.

Gift-card donors, gift-basket and grocery companies, candy makers and family attractions all fit holiday raffles, but most ask for weeks of notice, so requests for a December event belong in the mail by October.

Send donation requests six to ten weeks before your event — earlier for stays and high-value items, later works for gift cards and treats.

Twelve companies schools and PTAs can ask for product donations — auction and raffle prizes, carnival and class-party items, books and supplies.

Many national companies donate products to fundraisers. See 15 strong examples, grouped by gift cards, tickets, merchandise, and food.

Hotels and resorts, pro sports teams, and premium brands donate silent auction items. See 12 bid-worthy companies and why the ask must go out early.

Gift cards, family activity passes, treats, and merchandise brands make the best raffle prizes. See 12 companies to ask and how to request them fast.

Yes — sporting goods companies, restaurants, and pro teams donate gear, food, and tickets youth teams use for raffles and banquets. See who to ask.

A donation request letter needs six things - who you are, the event and date, the ask, a deadline, tax status, and your thank-you plan. Template inside.

Most donation programs ask for tax-exempt proof, event details, and pickup logistics. Here is the checklist companies commonly request before donating.

No law requires a 501(c)(3) to ask for donations, but most company programs request tax-exempt documentation. Here are your options without one.

How community organizations get donated products for fundraisers — who donates, how to ask, when to ask, and what the rules are.

Yes. Hotels, resorts, and cruise lines donate stays and travel to fundraisers. See which companies to ask, from Ritz-Carlton properties to Vail.

Find the right contact or process, make a specific dated ask, include your organization's details, and follow up once. Steps and scripts inside.

Yes — many restaurant chains donate gift cards and food to fundraisers. See who to ask, and how donations differ from percentage nights.

Yes — many pro and college teams donate game tickets and signed team memorabilia to fundraisers. See which teams have programs and how requests route.

Yes — theme parks, museums, zoos, and activity centers donate tickets to fundraisers. See 17 attractions with donor pages and how to ask.

It depends on the company: some centralize donation requests, some let local managers decide, and many split approval by request size.

Wait until the review window the company states has passed, then check in once, through the channel it names. Some programs ask you not to call at all. Here are the stated windows, scripts, and when to stop.

A free sign-up tool for volunteers, a tip-funded platform for payments, auctions and raffles, a shared tracker for donation requests, and nonprofit office software if you qualify. Each tool re-checked on its own site.

Pick the format by your items, your room and your volunteers: a live auction for a few showpieces, a silent auction for a browsing crowd, online for supporters who can't attend, and a raffle or tricky tray for many modest prizes.

Give every company one owner, keep one shared list, one document folder and one committee email, and assign pickups and thank-yous before the first request goes out. Here are the pitfalls that cost committees donations.

Most declined donation requests break a rule the company already published: wrong group or event type, outside the area, too late, already given this year, wrong channel, or missing paperwork. Check them before you send.

Thank the company promptly, tell it what the donation raised, learn how it counts its once-a-year limit, and ask again when its next window opens. Some programs only consider repeat requests after you report results.

UltimateDonations is for anyone wanting to increase their organization’s fundraising efforts even if they don’t know where to start. Indeed, raising funds can be challenging! We have compiled the u...