Food companies that donate to fundraisers

54 companies in our food category have product donation programs for schools, nonprofits, and community fundraisers. Each listing explains what they give and how to apply.

Food companies give gift cards and gift certificates, product for raffle baskets and event tables, and fundraising nights that return a share of sales, and most requests start at your local store or restaurant rather than a corporate office. Lead times are often shorter than in other categories, commonly three to eight weeks.

Grocers mostly decide store by store. Trader Joe's has a donation coordinator at each store, gives to 501(c)(3) organizations with a valid tax identification number, and allows one food and beverage donation per organization per year across the whole company. Whole Foods Market's in-kind donation program lets 501(c)(3) nonprofits ask their local store for product donations at any time of year, but it does not give gift cards, alcohol or cash. Central Market takes small requests on a store form you drop off in person and routes larger ones through an online portal at least eight weeks out. Wegmans Food Markets accepts requests only through its online system, not by letter, fax or email.

Restaurants split into two kinds. Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse and The Cheesecake Factory handle requests at the restaurant: a written request to the general manager of your local Olive Garden at least thirty days before you need it, a request in writing to the managing partner of the nearest Outback Steakhouse, or, at The Cheesecake Factory, a gift card request to the general manager of the nearest restaurant. Panera Bread instead books fundraising nights at a local restaurant that return part of that event's net sales, and Krispy Kreme (Fundraiser) sells doughnuts at a reduced price for your group to resell.

Ask for what each company actually offers: product for a basket from a grocer, a gift certificate from a restaurant, a fundraising night when you want an event rather than a prize. Read the narrow rules first. Total Wine & More gives only in states with a store and requires the applicant to be twenty-one or older, and Cabot Cheese favors agriculture, land stewardship, hunger relief, veteran support and community wellness causes. Bring proof of 501(c)(3) status to any store visit; it is asked for again and again in this category.

Last updated October 10, 2026