Which Restaurants Donate to Fundraisers?

Yes — many national restaurant chains donate to fundraisers, most often as gift cards, gift certificates, or food for your event. Coffeehouses, casual-dining brands, doughnut shops, and even grocery companies run donation programs that community organizers can apply to. This guide is part of our fundraiser donation answers library, and it covers who to ask, grouped by restaurant type, plus the one distinction that trips up more organizers than any other: a donation is not the same thing as a percentage night.

One caution before the list: restaurant programs change. What a chain offered last year, how it accepted requests, and how much notice it wanted can all shift without announcement. We track 4,000+ companies, and each company's donor page is the place to check what its program has historically offered and its current status — treat this article as your shortlist and the donor pages as the source of truth. For donors beyond food, start with our roundup of companies that donate products to fundraisers.

Donations vs percentage nights — know which you're asking for

Restaurants run two very different kinds of giving programs, and your request should name the one you actually want.

• A donation is something the restaurant gives you outright, ahead of your event — a gift card, a dinner-for-two certificate, a catering tray, a box of treats for the volunteer table. You use it as a raffle prize, an auction item, or event refreshments. This is what this page covers.
• A percentage night — also called a spirit night, dine-to-donate, or give-back night — is a scheduled event. Your supporters eat at the restaurant on an agreed date, and the restaurant shares a portion of that day's sales with your organization. Nothing is handed to you in advance; the value depends entirely on turnout.

The two usually run through separate application processes, sometimes handled by different teams. So name your ask in the first sentence: request a product or gift-certificate donation if you need prizes for a raffle or auction table, and ask about percentage nights if you want a recurring way for families to support you.

Not sure which one a restaurant offers? Read the language on its donor page and in its own community-giving materials. If the application asks for your event date and the specific item you are requesting, it is a donation program. If it asks you to pick a night and promote it to supporters, it is a percentage program. Some chains run both; some run neither at a given time — which is why a status check comes before every ask.

Quick reference: 15 restaurants and food companies that donate

The 15 companies below all have donation pages in our directory. Each link shows what that company's program has historically offered — and whether it is still active. Most sit inside our Food category hub; a few route through Monetary. The category links reflect how our directory files them.

Sit-down restaurants

Sit-down chains are the backbone of most restaurant ask lists, because a dinner out is a prize nearly anyone will bid on. Olive Garden, The Cheesecake Factory, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster, Applebee's, Denny's, P.F. Chang's, and Benihana all appear in our directory with donation histories, and Ruth's Chris sits at the higher end if your event skews upscale.

Two patterns worth knowing. First, many sit-down chains prefer requests connected to a location near your community, so mention your town and the nearest restaurant in your ask. Second, many programs ask for several weeks' notice — check how far in advance to send donation requests before you build your timeline. A dinner certificate also bundles well: pair it with a gift basket or event tickets for a date-night prize, a reliable favorite for auction tables and companies that donate raffle prizes roundups alike.

Fast-casual and counter service

Fast-casual and counter-service chains receive enormous volumes of requests, which is exactly why a clear, early, well-documented ask stands out. Panera Bread and Panda Express are staples of school and youth-group fundraising; Starbucks fields requests across its huge footprint; and Chuck E Cheese is a natural fit for family-focused events. Gift cards are the workhorse in this group: small denominations combine into baskets, and a stack of coffee cards makes an easy volunteer thank-you prize.

Two chains organizers ask about constantly deserve a note. Chipotle is best known for percentage-style fundraiser events rather than outright product donations — check current status on its page before you plan around it. For Subway, no active donation program was listed at our last check — see the Subway page for current status.

Treats and desserts

Dessert companies are some of the easiest yeses in fundraising: the items cost the company little, guests love them, and hand-off is simple. Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Ghirardelli chocolate are classic raffle-basket builders, Friendly's brings a long family-restaurant history, and Jelly Belly candy rounds out a kids' prize table. Organizers also ask us about Ben & Jerry's — check current status on its page before counting on it.

Grocery and beverage companies

Grocery and convenience companies belong on a restaurant-style ask list because they supply the same things fundraisers need: gift cards, refreshments, and basket ingredients. Trader Joe's and Wegmans both have devoted community followings, Wawa is a mid-Atlantic favorite, and Stop & Shop covers much of the Northeast. Total Wine & More is a common ask for gala raffle baskets — but if you plan to raffle or auction alcohol, review your state's rules first (this note is informational, not legal advice).

How to ask a restaurant for a donation

Keep the ask itself simple: say who you are, what your organization does, when your event is, and exactly what you are requesting — a donation, not a percentage night, if prizes are the goal. Local managers can sometimes say yes on the spot, while national chains often route requests through set corporate processes, so it pays to learn how to ask a company for a donation the way each program expects. From there:

1. Shortlist restaurants with locations near your community, starting from the table above.
2. Check each donor page for what the program has historically offered and its current status.
3. Send requests early — several weeks ahead at minimum — naming your event, its date, and the specific item you hope for.
4. Track every ask, follow up once politely, and confirm pickup or delivery details in writing.

A restaurant section is the fastest part of a donation drive to build: the companies are familiar, the prizes are universally appealing, and the asks are short. Start with the table, verify status on each donor page, and send your first batch of requests this week.