Does Central Market donate to fundraisers?

Central Market's Community Investment Program supports nonprofits with an IRS 501(c) designation that operate within the immediate Central Market marketing area.

Central Market may contribute product, volunteers or cash depending on the need.

Causes it funds include education and literacy, hunger relief, health, social services, environmental programs, diversity, disaster relief and the arts.

A store donation is capped at $200 per organization per year, and store-approved donations may be product or gift cards.

You may ask only one H-E-B, Central Market or Mi Tienda store, or apply online, for a given request, not several stores.

Tips from the program page: The store form asks what you want donated, so be as specific as possible, and how the contribution will be recognized. · H-E-B says online applications get a response within eight weeks, and you can track status under the portal's applications tab.

What Central Market donates

Central Market has typically donated: in-kind.

Who can apply

Central Market limits donation requests by area: Local.

How to apply

Central Market asks every request to include the following.

• For $200 or less, complete Central Market's store donation form and drop it off at your nearest Central Market.
• For more than $200, apply through H-E-B's online portal, My Community Investment; mailed and emailed applications are not accepted.
• The event or program must start at least eight weeks after you apply.
• Your organization must be a verified tax-exempt 501(c) nonprofit, a municipality or a school education foundation; pending status does not qualify.

When to ask

Central Market states a lead time of 8 weeks. Count back that far from your event date and send the request no later than then.

Across more than 25,000 fundraising events in our own records over fifteen years, March, April and May are the busiest months for fundraisers, October is the next busiest, and July and December are the quietest.

Work backwards from your event rather than forwards from today, and if your event falls in the spring peak, ask earlier than the stated lead time rather than later.

Common questions

How far ahead should we ask Central Market for a donation?

Central Market's stated lead time is 8 weeks. Work backwards from your event date: count back that far from the day of the event and send your request before that point.