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The food industry is an important partner in the fight against hunger. Connecticut Food Bank relies heavily on local and national growers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to obtain food products that might otherwise go to waste.
Why The Food Industry Should Donate to CFB
Connecticut Food Bank helps the food industry eliminate waste while feeding people in need by serving as a distribution channel for surplus inventories. CFB provides a safe, efficient, and cost-effective system for distributing a wide variety of unsaleable but edible food through our network of 650 community food assistance programs such as including soup kitchens, food pantries and shelters.
Donating food makes good business sense. Here are just a few reasons why:
- Tax Deduction — The 1976 Tax Reform Act (see Tax Benefits and Liability) allows companies to deduct costs associated with donating food to non-profit organizations.
- Cost Savings — In addition to tax benefits, save money by donating products to CFB rather than throwing them away.
- Inventory Control — A food donation can help reduce your surplus of hard-to-move inventory, and inventory that can be eaten but not sold.
- Company Promotion — CFB promotes our food industry donors through a variety of marketing materials, including our web site, newsletters, publicity and Annual Report.
- Community & Staff Goodwill — Your support and goodwill will win you the respect of your community and staff.
What to Donate
Connecticut Food Bank accepts everything from cases to truckloads of food and non-food items that are:
| Dry Stored |
Cosmetically damaged |
| Perishable |
Code-dated |
| Frozen |
Discontinued or test-market |
| Fruits and vegetables |
Unlabelled or mislabelled |
| Meat products |
Private-label brands |
| Household |
Under- or over-weight items |
| Personal care |
Off-specification products |
How to Donate
To discuss how your company can donate food or other products to Connecticut Food Bank, contact Carolyn Russell, Product Donation Coordinator, at (203) 469-5000, ext. 312, or crussell@ctfoodbank.org.
You can also arrange to take a tour of our East Haven warehouse and administrative headquarters to see exactly how we process your donation.
Once your donation reaches our warehouse, it will be checked-in and documented, and you will be given a receipt. Your donation will be quickly distributed to people through our member programs. These programs are monitored to ensure that donated products do not re-enter the marketplace.
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Where to Donate
Connecticut Food Bank accepts all food industry donations at our East Haven warehouse, where donations are inventoried and then distributed to member programs throughout our service area.
Be sure to call ahead for hours of operation.
CFB Headquarters & Main Warehouse
150 Bradley Street
East Haven, CT 06512
[click for directions]
(203) 469-5000
"Meat the Need"
"Meat the Need" is designed to get more protein products - meat and poultry - into the kitchens of food-assistance programs that serve people in need. Through "Meat the Need," CFB picks up unsold, fresh protein products such as chicken, turkey, beef and pork from local retail meat counters (currently Stop and Shop Supermarkets).
Each store freezes whatever wholesome, packaged meat has not sold by the "sell by" date, which is close to expiring. Products are specially marked so that they will not be able to re-enter the marketplace. CFB picks up the products with a refrigerated van and delivers them to CFB warehouses, where volunteers help staff sort and box different cuts of meat for distribution to member food programs.
If you are interested in donating products through "Meat the Need," contact Carolyn Russell, Product Donation Coordinator, at crussell@ctfoodbank.org or (203) 469-5000, ext. 312.
"Plant A Row for the Hungry"
Connecticut Food Bank encourages local farmers and growers, as well as home and community gardeners, to plant an extra row of produce specifically to donate to CFB or a local food-assistance program. Food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens and other programs are always in need of nutritious, fresh and durable produce such as apples, cabbage, broccoli, squash and eggplant.
Because of the amount of food they grow, farmers and growers can truly make a difference in the fight against hunger by designating one row of fruit trees or vegetable plants to a hunger-relief organization.
For more information about planting a row for the hungry at your farm or orchard, contact Laura Falanga, Procurement Assistant, at (203) 469-5000, ext. 331, or lfalanga@ctfoodbank.org. For general information about "Plant A Row for the Hungry," click here.
Tax Benefits of Donating Food
In the 1976 Tax Reform Act (Section 2135), Congress refined what had been the general rule since 1969, entitling corporations to an increased deduction under certain circumstances* for contribution of ordinary income property to a public charity or to a private operating foundation.
Your company may take:
A. The sum of one-half of the unrealized appreciation
(market value minus cost equals appreciation) plus the taxpayer’s cost, BUT
B. Not in excess of twice the cost of the contributed property.
Example:
| Selling Price |
$4.00 |
| Cost |
$1.00 |
| Gross Profit |
$3.00 |
Gross profit equals $3.00. One half of $3.00 equals $1.50. The maximum deduction can never exceed two times the cost ($2.00). Therefore, gross profit element is limited to $1.00.
| Adjusted Gross |
$1.00 |
| Total Charitable Contribution |
$2.00 |
A common example of ordinary income property is property held primarily by the donor for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. In this example, you must remember to emphasize the appreciation of the property being donated is not to exceed twice the cost of the property.
For more information, contact your tax professional or www.irs.gov.
*Under IRC Section 170 (E)(3), a corporation is entitled to a deduction with respect to a contribution to a public charity or to a private operating foundation of appreciated property described in Section 1221 (1) & (2).
Liability Protection
In 1996, then-President Clinton signed the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act into federal law, to encourage donations of food and grocery products to non-profit organizations for distribution to needy individuals. This law:
- Protects you from liability when you donate to a non-profit organization.
- Protects you from civil and criminal liability should the product donated in good faith later cause harm to the needy recipient.
- Standardizes donor liability exposure. You or your legal counsel no longer must investigate liability laws in 50 states.
- Sets a floor of “gross negligence” or intentional misconduct for persons who donate grocery products. According to this law, gross negligence is defined as “voluntary and conscious conduct by a person with knowledge (at the time of conduct) that the conduct is likely to be harmful to the health or well-being of another person.”
For more information about the protection offered to food donors as well as the full text of the Act, click here.
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