Donate Your Surplus Food,
Feed Your Community
Rescuing Leftover Cuisine makes food donation easy. We help restaurants, caterers, corporate offices, event venues, and food businesses donate surplus food to local nonprofit organizations instead of sending it to landfill.
Become a Food Donor
Join hundreds of businesses helping reduce food waste and increase food access in their communities.
Whether you have recurring surplus food or occasional donations, our team coordinates reliable pickups and redistributes food to trusted nonprofit partners.
Start Donating Food
Why Businesses Donate Food with RLC
Donating surplus food doesn’t just help your community, it helps your business. Here’s how partnering with RLC creates value for your organization.
Social & Environmental Impact
Donate surplus food to local nonprofit organizations helping people experiencing food insecurity in your community.
Reduce methane emissions released by food waste in landfills, which is 86× more potent than CO2 over a 20-year period.
Help conserve the water, energy, land, and labor invested in producing food that would otherwise go to waste.
Reduce Costs & Improve Operations
Lower food disposal, hauling, and storage costs by redirecting surplus food instead of throwing it away.
Eligible businesses may qualify for enhanced tax deductions under IRC Section 170(e)(3). RLC provides donation receipts to support your records.
Track donation volume and impact through the RLC Food Donor Portal to better understand your surplus food trends and sustainability impact.
Community Engagement & Brand Awareness
Demonstrate your organization’s commitment to sustainability, food recovery, and community impact.
Support your ESG, CSR, and sustainability goals through measurable food donation and waste reduction.
Receive opportunities to be featured across RLC’s website, social media, and marketing campaigns as a community partner.
How to Donate With Us
Whether you’re a local business donating a few trays of surplus food or a manufacturer with large pallets, our team will help coordinate the donation process and connect your food with nonprofit organizations in need.
1. Submit a Food Donor Inquiry
Tell us about your organization, location, and the type of food you would like to donate via our Food Donor Inquiry.
2. Connect With Our Team
Our operations team will review your inquiry and discuss donation volume, pickup needs, and logistics. For any additional questions please contact partnerships@rescuingleftovercuisine.org.
3. Start Donating Food
For local donations, we coordinate branch-level pickups through our food rescue network. For larger donations, including pallets and truckloads, we coordinate large-scale donation solutions with nonprofit partners across our network.
Food Safety & Donation Protection
Food donation is safe, protected by federal law, and easier than many businesses realize. We help food donors understand donation guidelines and ensure surplus food is redistributed responsibly.
Food Safety Guidelines
As long as your surplus food comes from a licensed food business and has been properly prepared, stored, and handled according to food safety regulations, it can be donated. Our team will help determine eligibility and answer any questions before your first donation.
Federal Liability Protection
The Food Donation Improvement Act protects businesses that donate food to qualified nonprofit organizations. Food donation is legal and encouraged by federal law.
Select Partners
Restaurants, caterers, corporate offices, hotels, universities, manufacturers, retailers, and event venues trust Rescuing Leftover Cuisine to safely and efficiently redistribute their surplus food to nonprofit organizations serving their communities.
Ready to Become a Food Donor? Get started here