When you donate a rejected load through Food Drop, you can expect to receive:

       – Quick information on the nearest food bank that is ready and equipped to accept your load
       – Help unloading truck from food bank staff and equipment
       – A tax-deductible receipt for donated goods

In addition, you can expect to get back on the road quickly, efficiently, and with the knowledge that your rejected load will be used to feed people in need.

When can loads be donated?

Anytime, day or night, an agency in Indiana is ready to receive your load. Most of our participating hunger relief agencies have off-hours plans, so even on weekends or after business hours, your donation can be efficiently unloaded and stored, either at the food banks themselves, or at a partnering warehouse.

How many pallets can a food bank accept? Can partial loads be donated?

Loads of all sizes are accepted. The food banks participating in Food Drop are large facilities capable of unloading and storing huge quantities of food. Each location has its own limit for the amount that can be received at one time. Most facilities are able to accept donations as small as one pallet and as large as one full truck load.  

What kinds of products can be donated?

Food banks will accept all perishable and non-perishable food, grocery items, and non-alcoholic beverages. This includes fresh, dry, refrigerated, and frozen products, both in bulk and non-bulk. We understand that rejected loads often have damage and imperfections, but as long as the product seals are not broken and any original labels or dates remain on the products, food banks will accept these items. Please do not donate: alcoholic beverages, entirely spoiled food, or non-food-related items

What are the benefits of donating?

Other than the environmental benefits of reducing landfill waste and the social impact of feeding hungry people, donating rejected loads of food has economic benefits for drivers and distributors, including:

       – No landfill fees
       – Tax deduction for donated goods
       – Efficiency in unloading

Is there a cost to donate food through Food Drop? Do I have to be a member?

No, there is no membership or cost for companies to donate loads of food. Food Drop is a free tool for anyone to use in order to find quick and accurate information about the network of hunger relief agencies in Indiana.

Is my company liable if the donated food makes someone sick?

No. The Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (1996) protects you from civil and criminal liability if products donated to a nonprofit in good faith later cause harm to a recipient.

You can find more information on Food Drop here. If you’re ready to sign up, you can fill out the online application or download a copy and email it to us. 

What are the requirements for participation?

We ask that participating organizations be able to receive at least 4 pallets of food at any time and comply with other policies, as outlined in the Partner Agreement.

Is there a cost to participate?

There is a $100 annual fee for food banks to receive loads through Food Drop. This helps to offset the costs of the website and marketing. Since just one load of donated food is exponentially more valuable than this fee, we believe signing on is well worth the investment.

How is Food Drop different from other food rescue organizations?

Food Drop is less about being unique and more about being functional. This is a free tool that provides accurate information on hunger relief agencies in order to make donating large loads of food as simple and hassle-free as possible.

Is Food Drop a nonprofit?

Food Drop is a project started by Indy Hunger Network, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which works toward collaborative solutions to food insecurity. Learn more about IHN here.

Why do loads of food get rejected?

Loads of food can get rejected for a variety of reasons: climate-controlled containers get too cold or too warm; equipment failures en route cause delay; products get damaged; errors occur in the ordering process. These and other issues can cause a load to get rejected from a store, even if the majority of the food is still edible.

Can I get posters or other marketing materials for Food Drop?

Yes! You can download PDFs here, or email us and we will be happy to send you what you need, either in paper or digital format.

Have a question that wasn’t answered? Feel free to contact us.

Copyright © 2018 Allison Transmission            Copyright © 2018 Indy Hunger Network