Publix gives within its Southeast footprint to causes built around youth, education, reducing hunger, and alleviating homelessness. All requests go through one online system, and there are clear rules about who can and cannot apply. Here is how to request support and whether your organization qualifies.
To qualify, your organization must operate or serve clients in one of Publix's eight states: Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, or Kentucky. Publix concentrates its giving on youth, education, reducing hunger, and alleviating homelessness, so your mission should align with one of those areas.
Eligible applicants include schools, government bodies, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits whose work fits Publix's focus areas. Publix reviews requests for donations, gift cards, sponsorships, giveaways, and program ads, so there is more than one type of support to ask for depending on your need.
All requests are submitted through the Publix Charitable Donations website. If you work for the nonprofit, have access to its financial information, use an email on the organization's domain, or are a decision-maker, register through the nonprofit employees and board members option. Everyone else should register as a volunteer. Choosing the right registration keeps your request routed correctly.
Publix does not donate to individuals or fundraising events for a single person, for-profit businesses or purely commercial ventures, beauty pageants and similar programs, or school clubs, PTAs, PTOs, and booster organizations asking in their own name. If your request falls into one of these categories, it will not be approved.
If you have questions about the process or your eligibility, Publix can be reached at [email protected]. A quick email before you apply can confirm whether your organization and request fit the program.
Last updated June 2026. Errors: [email protected]
Publix runs a single, centralized request system rather than store-by-store decisions, which makes its process more predictable than some retailers. Everything flows through the Publix Charitable Donations website, where the type of support you need, whether a donation, gift card, sponsorship, giveaway, or ad, is selected as part of the request. Because the program is tightly scoped by geography and focus area, the organizations most likely to succeed are those that clearly fit both before they apply.
Two filters decide most outcomes. The first is geography: your organization must operate or serve clients in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, or Kentucky, which mirrors where Publix operates stores. The second is mission: Publix prioritizes youth, education, reducing hunger, and alleviating homelessness. A request that sits squarely inside both filters has a real chance; one outside the footprint or the focus areas does not, no matter how worthy.
Start at the Publix Charitable Donations website and register under the role that matches your relationship to the nonprofit. If you are staff, a board member, a decision-maker, or you use an organizational email and can access financial details, register through the nonprofit employees and board members path. If not, register as a volunteer. Then complete the request, choosing the kind of support you need and describing how it serves youth, education, hunger relief, or homelessness. Accurate registration and a focused description keep your request moving.
If your organization is not in Publix's eight states or does not fit its focus areas, look to retailers and chains that operate where you do. National programs from Walmart and Costco have their own criteria, and many regional grocers run community-giving programs similar to Publix in their own footprints. Matching your location and mission to a retailer present in your area is more productive than applying to one that does not serve your community.