FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FoodRecovery.org is scalable and tailored. Depending on the size of your operations, we match you to nonprofit recipients who best fit you.

Small and medium-sized businesses can sign up as donors for free, and create a Donation Post whenever they have extra food available!

Large agribusinesses, warehouses, and manufacturers work with our large donation management team to schedule dock appointments and trucking. 

When nonprofit users sign up, they tell us where they are and what type of food they need. When any food donation fitting those criteria becomes available, users get an email or SMS text message about it. If interested, they can claim the donation, and the donor and recipient are put in contact with each other.

Nothing! We do not charge emergency food providers for using our system or donors for posting their extra food. Our platform is completely free for all users.

We have users in all 50 states & Washington, DC. Our strongest networks and partnerships are shown here. We are always looking to grow our food recovery community wherever there is food and people.

To receive food donations via FoodRecovery.org, you must be a charitable organization that includes but is not limited to nonprofits, shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries, food banks, and mutual aid groups. If you are a 501(c)(3) organization, submit your EIN for our system to approve you to receive food donations.

Yes! If you are a food business following your local and state health department regulations, you can donate food. These types of food businesses include but are not limited to restaurants, grocery stores, farms, catering companies, convention centers, schools, cafeterias, warehouses, and manufacturers. All of these businesses are protected from liability under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act of 1996 and the Food Donation Improvement Act of 2021.

All kinds! We have received donations of fresh fruits and vegetables, leftover catering meals, shelf-stable goods like peanut butter or beans, pallets of drinks, refrigerated trucks filled with dairy, and other types of food.

Yes! Smaller emergency food providers, such as food pantries and shelters are encouraged to sign up. We receive food donations of all sizes, as small as 5 pounds, so emergency food providers of all sizes can benefit from FoodRecovery.org.

Yes! We can support food recovery with larger emergency food providers, such as food banks. We receive food donations of all sizes, including multiple loads of 40,000 pounds or more, so emergency food providers of all sizes can benefit from FoodRecovery.org.

No.  Due to liability, food safety, and handling concerns, we do not currently allow individuals to post donations. If you are affiliated with a restaurant, catering company, or other food service or business, you can post on FoodRecovery.org, however private individuals or households cannot. Please consider sharing your extra food with a community fridge or other nearby group.

No. Food that is received from us cannot be bartered, traded, or sold. We believe that donated food should be free, and it is a violation of our Terms of Use.

We are an online platform and free service for nonprofits to receive food donations and businesses to donate extra food. Our vision is to end food insecurity and keep extra food out of the landfill.

Dive deeper into our story here.

As a 501(c)3, we are funded mainly by grants and donations. Any donation to us is tax-deductible. We were kickstarted by the 2015 George Washington University’s Business Plan Competition, and have been supported by many other great organizations  and individuals since then including: Grubhub Community Fund, Irvin Stern, StopWaste, UNFI, Kellogg’s Foundation, Valley Venture Mentors, Venturewell, ELCA, Simply Organic, EcoLab, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and more.

To make a charitable donation, click here.