Costco Donation Request: How to Apply for Warehouse Donations and Grants (2026)

Costco accepts donation requests from 501(c)(3) nonprofits in two ways. For a Costco Shop Card for your fundraiser or program, you print Costco's warehouse donation request form and hand it in at your local warehouse. There is no online form for local requests. For larger monetary grants, you apply online through the Costco Foundation's grant application. Either way, Costco considers one request per organization per fiscal year (September through August) and asks for at least three months' lead time. This guide covers both routes, who qualifies, and what your odds look like based on the applications nonprofits have tracked on TheShareWay.

What are your odds?

Across 2,587 tracked applications on TheShareWay, about 27% of Costco donation requests are approved.

Figures as of September 2026, from applications tracked on TheShareWay.

What Costco donates

Costco's giving guidelines say monetary requests only, and in practice a warehouse donation arrives as a Costco Shop Card you pick up at the store. Costco donations tracked on TheShareWay are typically $50–$100 shop cards, with a median value of $50. Costco does not donate products, food, or auction items through this program, so if you need a case of water for a 5K, ask for a shop card and buy it.

Bigger support runs through the Costco Foundation's grant program, covered below.

A warehouse donation from your local Costco

Warehouse donations are for local organizations and local causes, and Costco handles them at the warehouse level. The process:

1. Download and complete the Warehouse Donation Request form. Fill it in electronically, print it, and sign it.
2. Bring it to the Costco warehouse nearest you. Reviewers on TheShareWay describe dropping the form at the membership or customer-service desk. There is nowhere to submit it online. A one-page cover letter that says who you are, what the event is, and who it serves makes the ask easy to approve; our donation request letter template covers exactly that.
3. Ask for the warehouse's donation contact. Costco's FAQ tells applicants to consult their local warehouse for its donation contact and review process, and nonprofits reviewing Costco on TheShareWay say the request moved fastest when they knew who was holding it.
4. Apply early. Costco asks for a lead time of at least three months before a dated event or program so it can give the request timely consideration.
5. Wait for the call. When a request is approved, the warehouse typically calls or emails you to come pick up the shop card.

For other warehouse-club donations, Sam's Club and BJ's run separate local programs and are worth their own asks.

Costco Foundation grants

For larger, broad-based organizations, Costco's online Costco Foundation Grant is the right door. You apply through Costco's Benevity grant application, and Costco reviews applications within four to six weeks, weighing the type of program, an identified community need, measurable outcomes, community collaboration, a broad base of financial support, and the project budget. Costco's own guidance is to request no more than 10% of your program's overall budget and, if you are new to Costco, to keep the ask conservative. Questions about grant applications go to CommunityRelations@costco.com. You can see every Costco grant program we track on the Costco Foundation's funder page.

The two routes share one rule: one donation request per organization per fiscal year, so decide up front whether you are asking the warehouse or the foundation.

Who is eligible

Costco only considers IRS-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and its giving focuses on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where Costco does business. Requests must be monetary. Costco accepts requests year-round on a rolling basis, and it does not seek recognition for its gifts, so check with Costco before naming it as a sponsor in print or online.

After you apply

Costco responds to donation requests in a median of 31 days, based on applications tracked on TheShareWay. Costco says you will generally hear back within four to six weeks by postcard, letter, phone, or email, so make sure the contact details on your form are right. If six weeks pass quietly, contact the warehouse where you submitted the form for a warehouse donation, or email CommunityRelations@costco.com for a grant. When the shop card lands, a thank-you letter to the warehouse manager keeps the door open for next year. Several nonprofits reviewing Costco on TheShareWay describe it as a repeat donor once the relationship exists.

How TheShareWay helps with your Costco request

Costco is one of the most-requested donors on TheShareWay. Track your application on Costco's company page to see live approval odds and response times, and browse more companies that donate in-kind to build out your ask list. If you are working through the big retailers, our Walmart, Target, Publix, and Kroger guides follow the same format, and our overview of companies that donate to nonprofits casts a wider net.