15 Companies That Donate To Nonprofits (With Application Links)
The donor outreach process is time consuming and resource intensive, as you first have to identify companies actively donating in your niche with an affinity for your mission and then identify the right individuals within those companies to contact.
The application and approval process is usually quite lengthy and requires substantial resources, including team member time and money, to complete.
These corporations receive thousands of donation applications from other nonprofits, so you may have to complete this process tens or hundreds of times to be accepted by a corporation to meet your fundraising goals.
The good news is that you can reduce the time and resource investment required to secure funding if you have the right tools to quickly identify high quality, under-the-radar organizations with an affinity for your mission.
In this post, we’ll highlight some of the most active corporate donors and give you an overview of how you can identify hidden gem donors that are much less competitive and have a strong affinity for your mission so that you can streamline your fundraising efforts and focus on creating a greater impact.
The Impact Of Fundraising Challenges On Nonprofit Organizations
Fundraising isn’t just a time consuming and resource intensive process. Many nonprofits face dissolution if they don’t meet their fundraising goals, and as competition for donations increases, this is becoming a stark reality.
Even if a nonprofit isn’t facing dissolution, missing fundraising goals means they may need to cut projects, which can result in sunk costs if the project is already in motion.
To prevent this scenario, many nonprofit organizations pour more of their hard-earned resources back into fundraising campaigns rather than leveraging them to fuel their mission.
Unfortunately, this creates a vicious cycle as donors prefer to contribute to organizations where they know their dollars are going to the cause rather than additional marketing and fundraising campaigns, making it even harder to secure future donations.
Below, we’ll introduce you to a list of active corporate donors you can contact. However, be mindful that these corporations are highly competitive, and the reality is that your chances of winning funding from them are slim.
The Top Companies That Donate To Nonprofits
We’ve compiled a list of companies that frequently donate to nonprofits. We’ll give you an overview of the mission affinity and historical donation patterns of each organization, as well as links to learn more about their charitable giving programs and apply for funding.
Chewy
Chewy is a pet supply corporation that has donated over $183 million in products to help pets in need. They donated over $7 million to Greater Goods Charity in 2021 and frequently partner with other local organizations to provide more assistance to pets in need. In 2022, they donated over $31 million in pet products and food to local animal shelters, and their goal is to donate another $10 million by the end of 2023.
Charities They’ve Supported:
- Greater Goods Charity
- Local animal shelters and welfare organizations
Mission Affinity:
Chewy might be a good potential partner if you have an animal shelter or your mission is related to animal welfare.
Donation Capacity:
They donated $7 million to Greater Goods Charity in 2021, though their typical donation sizes are much smaller and targeted to local animal welfare groups.
Ben And Jerry’s
Ben And Jerry’s has its own foundation that gives to organizations working for progressive social change.
They have two grant programs:
- The Vermont Grant Program (Equity And Justice and Community Action Team)
- The National Grant Program
You can see the requirements for each of these grant programs and the application process on their website through the links above.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
Here are just a few of the organizations that have won grants from Ben and Jerry’s:
Mission Affinity:
Each grant has a slightly different purpose, but their mission affinity is social change and progress.
Donation Capacity:
They gave $4,288,800 in 2022, and you can read a full list of their reports on their annual summaries pages. Most grants are in the low five figures.
Thrive Market
Thrive Market is an online organic grocery brand that offers healthy foods at wholesale prices. Their goal is to give $20 million in healthy groceries by 2030 and they’ve currently raised $9.6 million for food equality.
Here’s an overview of how they’re distributing donations:
- $2.78 million in healthy groceries was given to families in need through nonprofits
- $1.23 million in shopping budgets were distributed to Thrive Gives members
- $300,946 in meals were sent through the World Central Kitchen’s work in Ukraine
They also prioritize ethical sourcing, reducing carbon footprints, and general environmental preservation.
You can view their Impact Report to learn more about their program and donation history.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
Here are just a few of the organizations that Thrive Market has supported:
Mission Affinity:
Their mission is to provide healthy food to underprivileged communities across America. They also prioritize ethical and sustainable sourcing methods and environmental sustainability.
Donation Capacity:
They do not publicize specific donation amounts to nonprofits.
Clif Bar
The Clif Family Foundation was founded in 2006 and supports small and mid-sized nonprofits working to improve the food system within local communities, elevate public health and awareness, and preserve the environment.
They offer grants for general operational support and specific projects.
You can learn more about their grant program on their website and view deadlines and requirements.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
A few of the organizations that Clif Bar has supported include:
Mission Affinity:
Their mission is to improve healthy food access for communities and popularize fit, outdoor living. They also have an affinity for climate justice and organic farming.
Donation Capacity:
Their By Invitation grants are usually at least $50,000.
Dell
Dell is a technology company well known for its charitable contributions. In 2021 alone, they donated nearly $200 million to nonprofits.
They prioritize supporting schools driving systemic change, educators in need of classroom tools, and students who need financial aid to attend college.
To improve family economics, they also support credit and savings education organizations, as well as programs that provide career counseling and vocational skills.
They offer funding through grants, investments, and scholarships. You can learn about their various programs on their website.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
A few of the organizations they’ve provided funding for include:
Mission Affinity:
They prioritize companies that support education, health, and family economic stability. As a technology company, programs that leverage innovation and technological advancements to achieve their impact goals will likely have an edge over other organizations.
Donation Capacity:
Donation capacities vary depending on the type of funding you wish to receive.
Tom’s
Tom’s is famous for its “one for one” campaign that provided a pair of shoes to people in need for every customer purchase. Therefore, it’s no surprise that they are still one of the leaders in charitable giving.
Today, Tom’s invests a third of its profits back into grassroots organizations that drive sustainable change. You can read their full Impact Report to learn more.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
A few of the organizations they’ve supported include:
- International Medical Corps ($100,000 donation)
- Health 360
- Jack.org
Mission Affinity:
In 2022, they gave to organizations in the following industries:
- Mental Health (55%)
- Access to Opportunity (26%)
- Ending Gun Violence (19%)
Donation Capacity:
Donation capacities vary depending on the type of funding you wish to receive. They launched the 10×10 program that gives $10,000 to ten organizations dedicated to improving mental health, and they also provide private grants ranging from a few thousand dollars to six figures.
Athleta
Athleta is an athleisure clothing brand, and its fund, Power of She, has given over 130 grants since 2020 to organizations supporting women and girls.
Their fund is a certified B corporation, and they’ve partnered with the Women’s Sports Foundation to improve confidence in women and girls.
They offer three grants:
- Wellbeing For All
- Move Together
- Child Care
You can learn more about each grant and the application process on their grant information page.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
In 2022, here are a few of the organizations they donated to:
Mission Affinity:
They support organizations empowering womens and girls, specifically in child care, wellness (mental and physical) and fitness.
Donation Capacity
Grants are usually $10,000 per organization.
Disney
Disney is one of the world’s top corporate donors and gave about $233 million to various charitable organizations in 2022. They work with Make A Wish Foundation to help childrens’ dreams come true and frequently give to children’s hospitals.
Disney states that it is committed to “bringing joy, comfort, and peace of mind to our communities and inspiring hope, especially for children.”
You can read their full impact report from 2022 and learn more about their charitable giving programs on their website.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
In 2022, here are a few of the organizations they donated to:
- After School All Stars
- Elevate Orlando, Best Buddies International
- A Gift For Teaching
- Downtown Arts District
Mission Affinity:
They have many mission affinities, though all of them revolve around education, diversity and inclusion, and children’s health. They also support many Florida-based nonprofits.
Donation Capacity
Donations range from a few thousand dollars to millions.
Build-A-Bear Foundation
Build a Bear foundation has donated over $22 million dollars to various charitable organizations since 2004 and has individual partnerships with various major nonprofits as well as structured donation programs for smaller nonprofits.
Here are two of the charitable giving programs registered nonprofits can apply for:
- Hearts n Hugs Foundation: They donate anywhere from 200 to 1,000 bears to various nonprofit organizations across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
- Literacy Charity Program: They support organizations that provide educational opportunities to kids in need.
However, Build-a-Bear Foundation does not offer any grant opportunities. You can read more about their charitable giving activities and common FAQs on their website.
They also have long-standing partnerships with various charitable organizations such as the Make A Wish Foundation, Toys For Tots, and The American Red Cross.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
A few of the organizations they supported in 2022 include:
Mission Affinity:
Build A Bear prioritizes supporting childrens’ education organizations. They also have programs specifically for St. Louis based organizations.
Donation Capacity
They donate either products (200 to 1,000 bears) or financial support to organizations.
Crayola
Crayola is a crayon company that supports childrens’ education and wellbeing organizations.
Here’s an overview of their charitable giving programs:
- Product donations: These are available to organizations located in Lehigh and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania and Phillipsburg/Warren County, New Jersey. The organization must offer educational and artistic opportunities to kids and positively contribute to health, welfare, and civic affairs.
- Education grants: They provide grants to individuals or teams working in education across various subjects, yet they should have an emphasis on visual arts. Grants are $250 for individuals and $500 for groups.
- Community grants: These grants range from $500–$10,000 and are awarded to charitable organizations dedicated to improving community health and welfare.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
Crayola primarily supports small local charities, though they don’t list any specific charities.
Mission Affinity:
Crayola is dedicated to supporting charitable organizations that make a difference in childrens’ education and address health, welfare, and civic affairs.
Donation Capacity
Education grants are $250 for individuals and $500 for teams of educators. Their community grants range from $500 to $10,000.
LEGO
The LEGO Foundation is one of the most generous corporate donors as they consistently make eight and nine figure donations to various childrens’ education and welfare charities.
They recently formed the Build A World of Play Challenge, a $143 million fund that offers grants to organizations dedicated to positively impacting early childhood development and education.
They also have long standing partnerships with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other global organizations.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
Here are a few of the organizations that won grants through their Build A World of Play foundation:
Mission Affinity:
LEGO supports charities that promote children’s play, learning, and creativity. They also donate to organizations that aid marginalized children.
Donation Capacity
Charities that won the Build A World of Play Challenge received donations ranging from eight to nine figures.
Google provides $200 million in funding to charitable organizations that support marginalized communities.
They have a few core grant programs, including:
- AI for the Global Goals: This is a $25M grant to organizations using AI to improve environment sustainability.
- Google.org Impact Challenge on Climate Innovation: This is a $30M fund to support big bet projects using technology to positively impact climate information and action. Recipients can receive up to $5 million in funding.
Google also has other partnerships with various charitable organizations, most of which focus on leveraging technology and innovation to positively impact communities and the environment.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
Here are a few organizations that Google supports:
Mission Affinity:
Google provides support for charities that are dedicated to using technology to drive social and environmental change. They also have an affinity for educational charities that give underprivileged children across the globe access to education.
Donation Capacity
Most of their grants are seven figures, though they also have other charitable partnerships and provide eight and even nine figures in funding to various global organizations.
Costco
Costco has various grant programs and has long-term partnerships with various organizations like The Backpack Program, the American Red Cross, and Feeding America.
They provide warehouse donations for local organizations and causes and grants to larger, broad-based organizations and causes.
You can read more about the application process and eligibility on their FAQs page.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
Costco primarily gives to small local charities, though it doesn’t list any of the specific organizations it has supported. However, they do state that the organizations they contribute to must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with a focus on improving children, education, and/or health and human services.
Mission Affinity:
Costco donates to charities that support education, health, children, and human services. They prioritize organizations located in communities where they do business.
Donation Capacity:
Third-parties have stated that Costco’s grants are $5,000. However, Costco advises on their FAQ page that proposals should be less than 10% of their program’s overall budget and new applicants should submit conservative requests.
Whole Foods
Whole Foods has three main foundations that provide financial support to local communities:
- Whole Cities Foundation: This foundation awards grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 to community gardeners, urban farmers, and nutrition educators. This year, they awarded $194,500 to ten different organizations.
- Whole Planet Foundation: This foundation provides micro-loans to the poorest community members. The loans are then re-invested into the foundation to expand their impact. About 88% of recipients are women.
- Whole Kids Foundation: This foundation awards grants of $3,000 to schools and nonprofit organizations that are beginning or expanding sustainable gardening. The fund is prepared to give $1.5 million to organizations across the 49 U.S. states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and various locations in Canada.
They also have a local producer loan program that helps small, local, or emerging producers fund their businesses. This program has given nearly $28 million to over 350 different small farmers.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
- Whole Cities Foundation: They don’t state who they’ve helped specifically, but they state that they are community farms, urban farms, mobile markets, and other local organizations. You can read more about them on their website.
- Whole Planet Foundation: You can read stories of individuals they’ve supported on their website.
- Whole Kids Foundation: You can read about individual schools they’ve helped here.
Whole Foods doesn’t list any of the local organizations it has funded.
Mission Affinity:
Whole Foods supports food organizations that prioritize healthy, sustainable living. They tend to aid organizations that prioritize assisting children, underprivileged communities, and local farmers.
Donation Capacity:
Grants range from about $3,000 to $20,000, though it depends on the grant you’re applying for and your needs.
Caroo
Caroo, previously known as SnackPass, is an employee appreciation corporation that has donated meals and financial capital to organizations that fight hunger, protect social justice, and preserve the environment.
Specifically, they have given over four million meals to Feeding America and partnered with Pachama to preserve nearly five million acres of forests.
They don’t have a grant program or application process, so any charitable partnerships must be made privately.
Organizations They’ve Supported:
A few of the organizations Caroo has partnered with include:
Mission Affinity:
Caroo supports organizations that provide nutritious food for underprivileged communities. They also contribute to various organizations interested in social justice and sustainability. Charitable organizations most likely to receive a donation are purpose-driven and prioritize diversity.
Donation Capacity:
They do not offer any information on their total charitable contributions.
How To Find More Companies That Donate To Nonprofits
While the companies above may be good potential donors, the drawback is that most are highly competitive, and you may have a very low win rate.
In addition, only a handful of these companies may have an affinity for your mission.
A More Efficient Method To Meet Your Fundraising Goals
Identifying corporations that are actively donating in your industry, have an affinity for your mission, the capacity to give, and low competition is a tall order.
So we built a solution that identifies these companies for you.
If you want an efficient method to find under-the-radar corporations that donate to nonprofits in your industry, consider using a fundraising intelligence platform like iWave that identifies corporate donor prospects for you.
iWave is a fundraising intelligence platform that allows you to easily search millions of corporations actively donating in your industry. You can filter by mission affinity, view historical donation data, and identify key contacts within that organization directly inside the platform.
A key differentiator that allows iWave users to identify diamond-in-the-ruff organizations is our proprietary charitable giving database, VeriGift. This database currently has over 200 million records and provides detailed data on gift donations, recipients, and donors. Using this information, you can easily find new corporate donors, make educated donation asks based on historical gifts, determine prospect affinity, and accurately predict future giving trends.
In fact, you can filter by mission affinity, view historical donation records, and identify the right contact person. This helps you achieve a higher response rate so that you spend less time fundraising and, more importantly, receive more funds for your nonprofit.
Not only does it help you identify thousands of potential corporate donors you’ve never considered, but you’ll also be able to increase your acceptance rate as you can specifically target high quality prospects that have historically contributed to missions like yours.
iWave also offers plenty of other solutions to aid in the outreach process, such as contact information for high-interest contacts and even suggestions on how to connect with decision makers at scale via personalized email templates directly inside the iWave platform.
You can further increase your chances of receiving a positive response by demonstrating a clear understanding of the corporate donor’s philanthropic interests and priorities thanks to data available in the donor’s profile.
To see for yourself if iWave is a good fit for your nonprofit, schedule a demo today.
Related: The Practical Guide to Corporate and Foundation Giving
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