🤝 Serving Communities Since 2003
Olive Garden Community Giving
At Olive Garden, every community we serve is part of our
family. Through food donations, partnerships, and generous
giving, we’re committed to
making a real difference where it matters most.
Olive Garden Community Giving
Since 2003, every Olive Garden restaurant has participated
in programs to fight hunger and give back to the communities
they serve. Here’s the difference we’ve made together.
49M+
Pounds of food donated since 2003
$16.3M
Donated by the Darden Foundation since 2017
35
Refrigerated trucks provided to food banks
900+
Restaurants donating food every week
35
Feeding America food banks supported
12K
Lbs of food each truck can carry at once
Daily
Every restaurant collects surplus food every single day
The Olive Garden Harvest Program
Launched in 2003, the Olive Garden Harvest Program is a daily commitment made by every one of our 900+ restaurants across the United States. Each location carefully collects wholesome, high-quality surplus food at the end of every service — food that would otherwise go to waste — and donates it weekly to a local non-profit partner organization.
Over more than two decades of consistent effort, the Olive Garden Harvest Program has resulted in more than 49 million pounds of food donated to communities in need. This isn’t a one-time campaign — it’s a culture of giving that lives in every kitchen, every day.
Long-Term Partner:
Feeding America®
Olive Garden is a proud, long-term partner of Feeding America® — the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Since 2017, the Darden Foundation, the charitable arm of Olive Garden’s parent company, has donated more than $16.3 million on behalf of all Darden restaurant brands to support Feeding America member food banks across all 50 states.
As part of this partnership, Olive Garden has also collaborated with Penske Truck Leasing and Lineage Logistics to address one of food banking’s greatest challenges: transportation. Together, these partnerships are putting nutritious food in the hands of the families who need it most.
Daily
Every restaurant collects surplus food every single day
Olive Garden
Community Programs
Harvest Daily Donations
Every restaurant collects surplus wholesome food daily and donates it weekly to a local non-profit — 49M+ lbs given since 2003.
Feeding America Partnership
Long-term financial and logistics support for Feeding America food banks across all 50 US states, including $16.3M+ donated.
Mobile Food Pantry Trucks
35 refrigerated trucks donated to expand food delivery into underserved communities with disproportionately high food insecurity rates.
Darden Foundation Grants
The charitable arm of Darden Restaurants funds hunger-relief efforts, community organizations, and quality-of-life initiatives nationwide.
Local Restaurant Giving
Individual Olive Garden restaurants accept written donation requests for gift certificates and food from qualifying local non-profits.
Corporate Logistics Partners
Penske Truck Leasing and Lineage Logistics provide operational support to maximize the reach of Olive Garden’s hunger-relief efforts.
Request a Donation from Olive Garden
Qualified local non-profits can submit a written donation request to their nearest Olive Garden General Manager.
How to Submit a Donation Request
Olive Garden is committed to supporting local communities. Individual restaurant locations accept written donation requests for gift certificates or food from local non-profit organizations. All requests must follow the guidelines below.
Prepare your request on your organization’s official letterhead — submissions without letterhead will not be processed.
Include your organization’s full legal name, mailing address, phone number, and fax number.
Clearly state your donation request, the date by which it is needed, and specifically how it will benefit your community.
Submit the written request to the General Manager of your local Olive Garden at least 30 days before the date the donation is needed.
Please note: Due to the volume of requests received, Olive Garden cannot honor every submission. We apologize in advance if we are unable to fulfill your request. Submissions that do not meet all requirements above will not be considered.
🌱 Together We Can End Hunger
Every meal you enjoy at Olive Garden supports a restaurant
that gives back. Dine in, order online, or gift a card —
every
visit helps us do more good.