Does Food Lion donate to fundraisers?

Food Lion may allow 501(c)(3) charitable organizations fundraising for local causes to solicit outside its stores on Saturdays, up to two times per calendar year, when Food Lion is not running an in-store charitable campaign.

Solicitation is permitted on Saturdays only, on the dates listed in the application, and only one charity can solicit at a store on a given Saturday.

Bake sales, open food or drink, car washes and membership drives are not allowed, and petitioning or handing out literature on the premises is prohibited.

Solicitors may not be present before sunrise or after sunset, and must stand to the right of the entrance (facing the store) at least 15 feet from the doorway.

Food Lion can deny or revoke access at its discretion, and the store manager can deny solicitation if the procedures are not followed.

All contributions are made at the sole discretion of Food Lion or the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation, which aims to give only to organizations that do not discriminate based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Tips from the program page: The application lists the specific Saturdays still open for the year, so check it before you plan your date. · Keep the area neat, clean and professional; Food Lion asks solicitors to follow any state and local health guidelines in place.

What Food Lion donates

Food Lion has typically donated: Gift Card or Product Donation.

Who can apply

Food Lion donates to organizations with 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Food Lion does not donate to individuals. Food Lion does not support events run for profit.

Food Lion limits donation requests by area: Regional.

How to apply

Food Lion asks every request to include the following.

• Your organization must be a 501(c)(3) charity fundraising for a local cause.
• Submit a separate application for each store; an application listing more than one store cannot be processed.
• The store must be local to you, which Food Lion defines as within a 10-mile radius of your organization's location.
• Two solicitors may attend each approved event; for a youth-related event, two adults and two children should be present.

When to ask

Food Lion states a lead time of 6 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

Do I need to be a 501(c)(3) to request a donation from Food Lion?

Yes. Food Lion's donation program is limited to organizations with 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, so you will need your determination letter and Tax ID before you apply.

How far ahead should we ask Food Lion for a donation?

Food Lion's stated lead time is 6 weeks. Work backwards from your event date: count back that far from the day of the event and send your request before that point.