ALDI Donation Request: How the Community Gift Card Program Works (2026 Guide)
ALDI gives $100–$1,000 gift cards to after-school youth programs and food pantries through one online program. Who qualifies, when it reopens, and the real odds.
ALDI handles donation requests in the US through a single program, the ALDI Community Gift Card Program. It gives ALDI gift cards worth $100 to $1,000 to 501(c)(3) nonprofits and schools that run after-school or out-of-school youth programs, and to food banks and pantries that need to buy food. You apply online through ALDI's YourCause portal during an annual window, not through your local store. The 2026 window ran from March 1 to October 31, 2026, and ALDI hasn't announced dates for the next cycle yet. About 7% of ALDI donation requests tracked on TheShareWay succeed, and the odds are much lower for groups outside those two focus areas. You can track your request on ALDI's TheShareWay page.
What are your odds?
| ALDI donation requests | |
|---|---|
| Tracked applications | 1,820 |
| Overall success rate | About 7% |
| Median response time | 20 days |
| Typical donation value | $250–$500 in gift cards, median $300 |
Figures as of October 2026, from applications tracked on TheShareWay.
Those figures span several years, and the program has since narrowed. Nonprofits have logged 197 ALDI requests on TheShareWay since March 2025, and approvals among them have been rare. When nonprofits record why ALDI said no, the most common reason is eligibility: they didn't run an after-school program or a food pantry. If your organization fits one of ALDI's two focus areas, it's worth applying. If it doesn't, your time is better spent on the donors at the end of this guide.
What ALDI donates
- Gift cards worth $100 to $1,000. ALDI's program page sets that range, and nonprofits that were approved typically log $250 to $500. ALDI mails the cards and can't send them to a P.O. box, so give a street address on your application.
- Support for programs, not prizes. ALDI describes the gift cards as help for after-school and out-of-school programs and for food banks and pantries buying essential products. It's built around feeding kids and stocking shelves, so a general request for a raffle prize or auction item is unlikely to qualify.
- No other open request routes. ALDI Impact Grants are by invitation only, and ALDI stores donate food through the local Feeding America member food bank each one partners with, not to individual applicants. ALDI doesn't accept emailed or mailed requests.
Who qualifies for an ALDI Community Gift Card
ALDI's 2026 program page sets out who can apply:
- 501(c)(3) nonprofits, including schools, whose work supports children through education, arts, athletics or fighting food insecurity.
- Organizations that run an after-school or out-of-school program, or food banks and pantries that will use the cards to buy products.
- An official representative or employee of the organization must complete the eligibility quiz and the application.
So does ALDI donate to schools? Yes, when the gift cards support an after-school or out-of-school program, such as a homework club, a summer program or a youth sports program. A school or PTA asking for a prize for its spring auction falls outside the program.
You may still find older ALDI guidelines quoted online, with gift cards capped at $500 and a focus on children's health and wellness. ALDI has taken that page down, and the current program page is the one to follow.
How to apply for an ALDI Community Gift Card
- Check that the window is open. ALDI accepts applications only during its annual window. The 2026 window ran from March 1 to October 31, 2026, so watch the ALDI Community Gift Card Program page from late winter for the next cycle's dates.
- Take the eligibility quiz. The application starts on ALDI's YourCause portal with a short quiz that screens out organizations outside the focus areas.
- Choose your ALDI division. If you're not sure which division covers your area, ALDI's divisional info page shows it.
- Attach your tax documents. The program page asks for a copy of your tax documents or registration. A PDF of your IRS determination letter is the safest choice, and our guide to the 501(c)(3) determination letter explains how to get a copy.
- Describe the program the cards will support. Be specific about the kids you serve or the families your pantry feeds, and how you'll spend the gift cards.
- Submit online and log it. ALDI emails a confirmation when you submit and a status update after review. Log the request on ALDI's TheShareWay page so the date is on record. ALDI asks applicants not to send copies of their request to ALDI employees, and it points anyone with portal problems to YourCause's Grants Connect support at grantsconnect-support@yourcause.com.
After you apply
ALDI asks you to allow four to six weeks for review. On TheShareWay, ALDI responds to donation requests in a median of 20 days. Approved organizations receive ALDI gift cards by mail, and nonprofits reviewing ALDI on TheShareWay describe the application as more detailed than most but the process as smooth.
ALDI's decline emails rarely give a reason. If you're turned down, reread the eligibility rules before you try again next cycle, because a request from an organization outside the two focus areas is very unlikely to succeed the second time. If you are approved, a thank-you letter helps when you apply again next year.
If ALDI isn't an option
If your organization doesn't run an after-school program or a pantry, or you need support before ALDI reopens, these grocers donate gift cards or food to a wider range of nonprofits:
- Wegmans, in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Washington, D.C., donates food and gift cards, and about 47% of requests succeed.
- Publix, across the Southeast, donates gift cards, and about 39% of requests succeed.
- Trader Joe's donates food, drinks and gift cards through its local stores, and about 36% of requests succeed. Our Trader Joe's donation request guide explains how to ask.
- Meijer, in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin, donates gift cards, and about 35% of requests succeed.
For more grocery and big-box options, read our guides to Walmart, Target, Costco and Kroger donation requests. Schools and PTAs can start with our list of 15 companies that donate to schools and PTA/PTOs. Food pantries should also contact their local Feeding America food bank, which is where ALDI stores send their food donations.
How TheShareWay helps with your ALDI request
ALDI's page on TheShareWay keeps the application link and outcome data in one place, and lets you track this request next to every other ask for your program or event. To find donors with better odds for your cause, browse popular in-kind donors by state or city.
Frequently asked questions
Does ALDI donate to nonprofits?
Yes, but only through the ALDI Community Gift Card Program, which gives ALDI gift cards worth $100 to $1,000 to 501(c)(3) nonprofits and schools that run after-school or out-of-school youth programs, and to food banks and pantries that buy food. About 7% of ALDI donation requests tracked on TheShareWay succeed, and organizations outside those two focus areas are rarely approved.
How do I request a donation from ALDI?
Apply online through ALDI's Community Gift Card Program on its YourCause portal while the annual window is open. You'll take a short eligibility quiz, choose your ALDI division, attach your tax documents or registration, and describe the program the gift cards will support. ALDI doesn't accept requests by email or mail or through its stores, and it asks you to allow four to six weeks for review.
Does ALDI donate to schools?
Yes, when the gift cards support an after-school or out-of-school program. ALDI's Community Gift Card Program is open to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, including schools, whose work supports children through education, arts, athletics or fighting food insecurity. A general request for a raffle prize or auction item falls outside the program.
When does the ALDI Community Gift Card Program open?
Once a year. The 2026 application window ran from March 1 to October 31, 2026, and ALDI hasn't announced dates for the next cycle. Check the program page on corporate.aldi.us from late winter, since applications submitted outside the window aren't accepted.
How much does ALDI donate?
ALDI's Community Gift Card Program gives gift cards worth $100 to $1,000. Nonprofits approved by ALDI on TheShareWay typically log $250 to $500 in gift cards, with a median of $300, and ALDI mails the cards to a street address (not a P.O. box).