Which Outdoor and Sporting Goods Companies Donate to Fundraisers?

Bass Pro Shops (which also handles Cabela's requests), Big 5 Sporting Goods, Grizzly Coolers, Garmin and Callaway Golf all take donation requests that can fit a fundraiser, and each company's own guidelines decide what you can ask for. Two familiar names work differently than most organizers expect: DICK'S Sporting Goods gives youth sports grants by invitation only and says it does not fund fundraisers, and YETI sells products to nonprofits at a discount rather than donating them.

This guide sets out what each company's donor page records, so you can send the right request to the right company. Programs change, so read the company's own page again before you apply.

At a glance

The outdoor retailers

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's share one giving program. It gives merchandise or gift cards to local organizations near their stores, for fundraisers, banquets, raffles and door prizes, including handouts given away at events. Your mission has to focus on conserving wildlife and habitat, connecting new audiences to the outdoors, or supporting military and veterans.

Requests are for up to $2,500, partial funding may be awarded, and applications are taken on a rolling basis. Organizations in Springfield, Branson and nearby Missouri Ozarks communities use a separate application. Do not confuse this with the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund: its grants pay for specific conservation projects and do not support fundraising events, banquets or giveaway items.

Two practical notes from the program pages. For a local tournament or event, both companies suggest contacting the retail store in your area. And the online application saves your progress only in the browser on the device you use, so clearing your browser history loses it.

Big 5 Sporting Goods

Big 5 limits its charitable giving to fundraisers and to Big 5 cards, which can be used for raffles, auctions, prize giveaways and drawings. It considers requests only through its online request system, after you create an account; it no longer takes requests at stores or by email, phone or fax.

Give your event date, because Big 5 processes requests by it, and expect a response as little as two to four weeks before the event. The cards expire five to six months after they are issued, so time your request so the prizes are still good on the day you hand them out.

Grizzly Coolers

Grizzly Coolers takes requests through the form on its website, and the form offers a donation type for 501(c)(3) nonprofits and another for groups without 501(c)(3) status. That makes it one of the few outdoor names open to a group still sorting out its status; see whether you need a 501(c)(3) for the wider picture. Grizzly accepts one request per organization per year and replies only to requests that meet its criteria.

Golf and gear makers

Callaway Golf

Callaway Golf's Employee Community Giving Program considers product donations to events run by U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits in five focus areas: youth development, military and veterans, disability advocacy, health and wellness, and growth of the game. Apply through its Product Donations Portal and allow six to eight weeks. Donations depend on product availability, Callaway cannot fill requests for specific products or models, and an organization can receive a donation once per calendar year.

Garmin

Garmin takes requests through one online form and says it supports organizations, projects and events that align with the markets it serves. The form asks you to pick a market category: Aviation, Corporate/Auto, Fish/Hunt, Fitness, Fusion, Navionics or Outdoor. Choose the one closest to your event. Review can take up to six to eight weeks, and Garmin follows up if it can support the request.

PING

PING's donor page describes a purchase program for charitable causes. Requests go by postal mail or fax, with information about your organization and the event the products are for. Only 501(c)(3) organizations are accepted, and requests are due 60 days before the event. For more golf names, see the golf category.

Two well-known names that will not fill a prize table

DICK'S Sporting Goods

DICK'S gives through The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation's Sports Matter program. Its grants are by invitation only, go to youth sports groups and schools in under-resourced communities, and must be used for playing youth sports, such as equipment, registration fees and league costs. The Foundation says it does not fund fundraisers, so it is not the route for auction or raffle prizes. Organizations can join the Sports Matter Community for email updates about possible grant opportunities. Our page notes that DICK'S own store donation request page could not be read when we checked, so we cannot confirm how store-level requests work today.

YETI

YETI says it cannot make in-kind product donations. Instead, nonprofits with active 501(c)(3) status can buy select products at a discount through the YETI Fundraising Program, and everything bought has to be used for fundraising. Blank products may not be resold, but they can be raffle prizes, auction items or giveaways; products carrying your organization's logo may be resold for fundraising.

YETI says qualified applicants get a quote within one to two business days, and full payment is due when you order. Build in delivery time: its estimates run from 10 to 15 business days plus transit, up to six to eight weeks for custom heat-bonded hard coolers, and it does not guarantee delivery dates.

Check the fit before you ask

Some outdoor brands either have no published program or rule out common fundraisers:

• No published program at our last check: Under Armour, Oakley, The North Face, Olympia Sports and Golf Galaxy. That is a record of what we found, not a refusal. Asking a local store manager directly is the route to try.
• A program with firm exclusions: L.L.Bean gives cash and product donations to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, but it does not fund individual schools, classrooms, teams, teachers or parent organizations, or sporting events and athletic teams. Product requests have to be made at least eight weeks before your event.

Before you send a request

1. Match the mission. Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's, Callaway Golf and Garmin all screen for fit with their focus areas or markets. Say plainly how your event fits.
2. Have your paperwork ready. Most of these programs require 501(c)(3) status; Cabela's also asks U.S. groups for a current W-9.
3. Count back from the event date. Bass Pro Shops asks for 60 to 90 days, PING 60 days, and Callaway Golf and Garmin six to eight weeks. Our guide to how far in advance to ask covers the rest of your list.
4. Use your once-a-year ask well. Big 5, Grizzly Coolers and Callaway Golf each limit an organization to one donation or request a year, so pick the event that needs it most.

For more prize ideas across categories, see companies that donate raffle prizes, companies that donate silent auction items, and the full fitness category.