Costco gives through two channels: local warehouse donations handled by individual stores, and larger grants reviewed centrally. It is selective. Costco supports registered nonprofits near a warehouse that work on children, education, or health and human services, and it asks for several months of lead time. Here is how to apply and what Costco will not fund.
Costco supports 501(c)(3) organizations located near a Costco warehouse whose work focuses on children, education, or health and human services. Your mission needs to fit one of those three areas, and your group should serve a community where Costco operates. If your nonprofit matches, you can move ahead; if not, Costco is unlikely to be the right fit.
Costco offers two paths. Warehouse donations suit local organizations and local causes, and you request them directly through a nearby store. Grant applications are geared toward larger, broad-based organizations and are submitted through Costco's central giving process. Pick the path that matches your size and scope before you apply.
For a warehouse donation, visit your local Costco and ask about supporting your cause. For a grant, prepare a cover letter, a W-9, budget information, and, if Costco has funded you before, a measured impact report. Costco's community relations team can be reached at [email protected]. Organizations may submit one application per fiscal year, which runs September 1 through August 31.
Costco asks for three months of advance notice on requests. Grant applications are typically reviewed within four to six weeks. Build that timing into your event or campaign calendar so your request arrives early enough to be considered.
Costco does not donate to individuals, political or religious organizations, government agencies, research studies, loans or investments, athletic teams, event or booster clubs, schools or PTA and PTO groups, or animal-related programs. Reviewing this list first saves time, because a request in one of these categories will be declined regardless of how it is written.
Last updated June 2026. Errors: [email protected]
Costco splits its giving between local and central channels so that small, community-level needs and larger organizational requests are handled differently. Warehouse donations let individual stores support nearby causes, while the grant process serves broad-based organizations that operate at a larger scale. Both are aimed at the same three priorities: children, education, and health and human services. Understanding which channel fits your organization is the first step to a request that gets read by the right people.
Warehouse donations are best for a local nonprofit seeking support for a community initiative; you make the ask at the store level, and the local team decides. Grants are better suited to larger organizations with broader programs, and they require formal documentation, including a cover letter, a W-9, and budget details. If you have been funded before, a grant application should include a measured impact report showing what the previous support accomplished. Choosing the right track keeps your request from being routed away.
A strong Costco request is specific and aligned. State plainly how your work supports children, education, or health and human services, describe the community you serve near the warehouse, and quantify the need and the expected outcome. For grants, complete documentation matters, so include the cover letter, W-9, and budget, and add an impact report if you are a returning applicant. Submitting three months ahead signals that you respect the process and gives reviewers time to say yes.
If your cause falls outside Costco's three focus areas or its exclusion list rules you out, other retailers run their own programs with different criteria. Sam's Club, which shares ownership ties with Walmart, and Walmart's Spark Good local grants both support community organizations, and many grocery chains offer gift cards or sponsorships. Matching your mission to a retailer's stated priorities is the surest way to a yes.