Restaurant fundraising is a great way to not only raise donations for your nonprofit – but it is also an awesome way to build a sense of community with your supporters! There is nothing like getting together with the people that support you and enjoying some great food for a good cause.
This is just one of many great fundraising ideas your nonprofit can create to improve your cash flow and build a larger community!
A typical fundraiser held at a restaurant can offer your group a 10%-25% donation from all sales earned so it is definitely an easy – and fun – way to earn some much needed funds.
Below we have outlined some of the more well-known restaurants that offer various dining reward opportunities along with their fundraising program details to help you find the perfect fit for your non-profit.
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Restaurant Fundraisers
Below is a list of some of the more popular restaurants that offer dining fundraisers for nonprofit organizations.
We are only listing dining options that have a verifiable fundraising page or form on their website to ensure we are offering the most accurate information.
We have done our best to accurately note all information – but please note programs may change or be removed and fundraisers may vary from state to state. Please be sure to contact the restaurant you are interested in running a fundraiser with for the most updated and accurate information.
Many of these restaurants offer other opportunities to raise money besides the dining option – so be sure to check out the fundraising pages for more information!
BD’s Mongolian Grill Fundraiser – Donation: not stated
Location: CO, FL, IL, KS, KY, MO, MI, OH, PA
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BD’s Mongolion Grill offers a few different fundraisers from traditional dine-in and receive proceeds to more fun ideas like Guest Griller and Dueling Swords.
Blaze Pizza – Donation: 20%
Location: US & Canada
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Fresh made pizza with healthy artisanal ingredients, salads and a small selection of deserts will make sure there is something for everyone at Blaze Pizza. They will provide a flyer for your organization which your supporters can present at the time of ordering either via phone or a hard copy and your organization will receive a 20% donation from all net sales (excluding alcohol sales).
Boston Market Fundraiser – Donation: 10%
Location: 28 states
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Boston Market offers homestyle food and is well know for its rotisserie chicken. Their fundraisers offer a 10% donation back to your organization.
Bruster’s Ice Cream Fundraiser – Donation: not noted
Location: 20 states along the Eastern US
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Bruster’s Ice Cream offers several fundraising options, but their Scooper Night is the one that results in a percentage of proceeds being donated.
Buffalo’s Wild Wings Fundraiser – Donation: 10%
Location: In all US states
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Buffalo Wild Wings offers a percentage of sales for every dining purchase, while they do not list the donation amount on their website, we have seen this one done locally and it is always shown as 10%.
Buona Beef Fundraiser – Donation: 15%
Location: Chicago, IL
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Buona Beef has several locations in the Chicago area and are know for their great array of beef sandwiches.
Burger King Fundraiser – Donation: 20%
Location: Across US
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Burger King offers a 20% donation based on sales of qualifying items. Burger King franchises can be owned by different groups and the specific details may vary across Burger King locations.
California Pizza Kitchen Fundraiser – Donation: 20% Location: 30 US States
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Great pizza with a generous donation of 20% back on organization generated sales.
Cheeburger Cheeburger Fundraiser – Donation: 20%
Location: Across US
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Cheeburger Cheeburger offers a complete dining fundraiser experience for your organization that minimizes your work load. Their website did not note a specific fundraising amount they offer – but we did find 20% on several of the flyers we saw across the web.
Chili’s Fundraiser – Donation: 15%
Location: All States in US
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Tex-mex style food that offers a 15% donation on net food sales when supporters submit a voucher.
Chipotle Fundraiser – Donation: 33%
Location: Across US
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Do good with burritos by hosting a fundraiser at Chipolte. They will provide flyer’s for your organization to promote and use on your night – then 33% of net sales will be received as a donation.
Chuck E. Cheese Fundraiser – Donation: 15-20%
Location: 47 States in US
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Let them play, let them eat and receive a portion of the sales as a fundraiser for your nonprofit.
CiCi’s Pizza Fundraiser – Donation: not stated
Location: 33 States Across US
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Cici’s Pizza is a buffet style pizza place where you can build your own pizza, a fun idea for kids. Because CiCi’s is a franchise, you should reach out to your local Cici’s to get more information about their specific fundraiser program.
Friendly’s Fundraiser – Donation: 20%
Location: CT, DE, FL, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VT
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The Friendly’s fundraising program offers 20% pre-tax revenue donation. Their ice cream and classic meals will be a hit with adults and children alike. Get more information on their website or reach out to your local Friendly’s to find out more.
Fuddruckers Fundraiser – Donation: 20%
Location: 41 States Across US
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Retro inspired hamburger joint with all the food you would expect to find like shakes, fries and more.The link we provided here states the fundraising page is specific to a few MA locations and recommends you contact your local Fuddruckers to find out if they host fundraisers as well.
Jamba Juice Fundraiser – Donation: not stated
Location: 26 States Across US
From healthy yummy smoothies to bowls filled with goodness – Jamba Juice is a great, and healthy fundraiser. There is no stated donation given on their website and they recommend you contact your local store for details.
Marie Callender’s Restaurant & Bakery Fundraiser – Donation: not stated
Location: CA, NV, UT
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Marie Callender’s is traditional home style food that will make you feel right at home. They do offer a dine-in fundraising program but do not have any specific details on their website about it. They note you should contact your local Marie Callender’s for more details.
Ninety-Nine Restaurants & Pub Fundraiser – Donation: 15%
Location: CT, MA, ME, NY, NY, RI, VT
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A fundraising restaurant with a fun vibe and great bar food. Register for a fundraiser online and once approved you receive vouchers and flyers to give your supporters. They offer 15% of total net sales back to the organization.
Noodles & Company Fundraiser – Donation: 25%
Location: 30 States Across the US
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A specialty restaurant that focuses on noodles as the core menu item. Inquire about your fundraiser at least 30 days in advance and you can receive 25% of your supporters net sales as a donation. They do ask that you have at least 150 guests show for your fundraiser. Applications can be found on their website.
Old Carolina Barbecue Company Donation: not noted
Location: Ohio & Pennsylvania
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A variety of barbecue foods from pulled pork sandwiches to ribs and so much more of our favorite comfort foods. Fundraisers are available via their website, but they do not publicly note how much their donation amount it. You supply the details and the flyer for your fundraiser.
Panda Express Donation: 20%
Location: US & Canada
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They offer a Chinese inspired menu with items like their popular Orange Chicken or Honey Sesame Chicken Breast to more healthy inspired meals from their Wok Smart collection with meals like String Bean Chicken Breast and Broccoli Beef. They also offer sides, appetizers and deserts. They will provide a flyer for your organization which your supporters can present at the time of ordering either via phone or a hard copy and your organization will receive a 20% donation from all net sales.
Panera Bread Fundraiser – Donation: 20%
Location: All states except UT, MT, WY
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Panera offers fundraisers where 20% of net sales will be donated when your supporters show a printed or phone flyer. They have a payout minimum of $20 which means you need to ensure you will generate at least $100 in sales, or you will not get a donation. Panera’s are located in all states excluding Utah, Montana, and Wyoming.
Pieology Fundraiser – Donation: 20%
Location: AL,AZ,AK,CA,CO,CT,FL,HI,IA, KY, MD, MI, MN, MS, NV, NY, NC, OH, OR, TN, TX, UT
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Choose your curst, choose your sauce, choose your cheese – a custom built pizza just for you! Complete their online fundraising form for more information. While they do not have any specific details on their website about their fundraisers, it looks like most are resulting in a 20% donation.
Pizza Hut Fundraiser – Donation: 20%
Location: CO, LA, MT, NJ, OK, TX, WY
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Pizza Hut offers a variety of pizzas, sandwiches and more that will appeal to your supporters. They offer 20% back to your organization when your supporters provide a flyer with their purchase. The offer is valid for carryout and in-dining purchases.
Pizzeria Uno Chicago Grill Fundraiser Donation: 20%
Location: 22 states across the US
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Earn up to 20% of net sales when your supporters dine on your designated night. Pizzeria Uno will supply your organization with their “Dough Rai$ers” donation tickets to ensure your sales are tracked properly.
Potbelly Fundraiser Donation: 25%
Location: Across the US
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Potbelly Sandwich Shop allows registered nonprofit organizations to host a fundraising event at their shops. They recommend you contact your local Potbelly store to initiate a fundraiser. Flyers must be presented at the register to get your donation amount.
Portillo’s Fundraiser Donation: 20%
Location: IL, IN, AZ, CA
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Enjoy great all-American grub like hot dogs and hamburgers and earn 20% of your sales as a donation. Minimum sales of $200 are required to receive a donation, so be sure you can get that much support.
Red Robin Fundraiser Donation: 20%
Location: Across the US
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Red Robin – YUM! When burgers and fries are what your supporters want – Red Robin delivers. Just show the flyer or an image of it from their phone and earn 20% of net sales for your organization. Request their “Spirit Night” via their online form.
Rubio’s Coastal Grill Fundraiser Donation: 20%
Location: AZ, CA, CO, FL, NM, NV, OR, UT
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A Mexican inspired restaurant that offers nonprofits 20% donation on net food sales. A minimum of $250 in sales is required to receive a donation, so be sure you have enough interest before you submit your application to host an event. You can submit your request online and Rubio’s will supply you with a flyer to give to your diners to ensure you get the credit.
Sombrero Mexican Food Fundraiser Donation: 20%
Location: CA
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Enjoy some great Mexican food and hold a fundraiser at a Sombrero Mexican Food location and 20% of your event’s total pre-tax sales will be donated back to your organization.
Yogurtini Fundraiser Donation: location specific Location: AZ, CO, MO, NE, NJ, NY
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A fun yogurt shop which currently has locations in 6 states. Fundraising is done on a location basis – so contact your local Yogurtini to talk about a fundraiser, they will work with you on the details. We have seen some offer a 20% donation of net sales, while other locations did the sale of spoons for a $1 each to promote a charity.
Planning Your Restaurant Fundraising Event!
There are several things you should have in place before reaching out to any restaurant about your charity event as well as some things to consider about your specific organization.
Clearly it is important to make sure you select a fundraiser that coincides with your mission. For example, if you are an animal rescue – you may want to think about whether a hamburger fundraiser is really fitting since many of your supporters may be vegetarians. It may make more sense to have a Dunkin Donuts or Jamba Juice fundraiser.
Here are a few more things to consider before starting your restaurant fundraiser:
- Ask your supporters what type of restaurant they would like. Maybe choose 5 or so from our list and create a poll to help you understand what may intrigue your users the most, which in turn will result in a higher donation.
- Plan a few months advance and have a few dates as options for hosting the event. Some of the restaurants book way in advance so it is a good idea to have alternate date options.
- Who and how will you promote the event? You can create your own flyer or use the one the restaurant supplies – but it is important to have a plan in place for marketing it and ensuring your supporters understand what they need to do to ensure you get the donation for their meal.
- Make sure you ask the restaurant what sales are included: drinks, food, drive-in, take-out etc.
- See if you can have a table in the restaurant during your event to collect additional donations, sell gear/accessories and promote your nonprofit.
Another great resource for getting a restaurant fundraiser started is Groupraise. Basically, restaurants sign up with them to allow nonprofits create fundraisers right through their platform. You will have a page on the website where supporters can get more information and even confirm their attendance.
What Are Restaurant Fundraising Cards?
Restaurant fundraising cards are another great way to raise funds! Many restaurants have their own programs utilizing cards, but there are also options to purchase cards that can be used at multiple locations.
The process of raising funds with restaurant cards is pretty easy!
1) You buy the cards at a reduced rate (say $10 per card)
2) You sell the cards at their normal retail rate (say $20 per card)
3) You collect a $10 donation per card
4) The buyer of the card gets special deals at the restaurants they love
You can reach out to your local restaurant from this list or even local establishments to see if they offer any type of fundraising card opportunity.
Other resources for offering this type of fundraiser include:
Just Fundraising – Restaurant Discount Card
Easy Fundraising Ideas – Restaurant Discount Card
Restaurant Donation Opportunities.
Another way to get the support of your local restaurants is by asking for donations. Some restaurants have a budget for monetary as well as product donations – so it would be worth your while to ask about them.
If you are hosting another type of event fundraiser – see if they will donate food products to help offset food costs for your event.
As an example, our local high school gets food from Chick-Fil-A to sell at football games – all we have to say is they sell out every at every game, so it is definitely worth it!
When you are at animal rescue events like adopt-a-thons or expos see if you can find a local shop that has a unique twist – like a donut shop or a cookie shop that you can get some freebies from that you can sell while you are exhibiting!
Know Of A Restaurant We Should Include?
Do you know of a restaurant that offers a great fundraising program that we should add to this list? Just leave a mention in the comments below and we will add it to the list if it fits!
Want To Share Your Details?
If you have done a restaurant fundraiser and willing to spill the beans – please do! We would love to know where you held your fundraiser and how much your organization was able to raise.
This will help other nonprofits understand if a fundraiser at any type of restaurant is a good fit for them!
Last updated: November 21, 2018