Virtual Food Drive

Frequently Asked Questions & Tips for Success

What is a Virtual Food Drive?

With the click of a button, the Virtual Food Drive allows you to shop for our most needed food items without the hassle of a visit to the store, and makes a great complement to a traditional food drive. This online tool provides the opportunity to shop for specific food items, while capitalizing on our purchasing power. Individuals, community groups, schools, religious organizations and businesses are even able to create their own team and invite others to support their efforts.

What are the advantages of a Virtual Food Drive?

No more having to remember to pull from a cupboard or buy and lift grocery items.
Donating takes only a few minutes and all major credit cards are accepted on a secure site.
All donations are tax-deductible.
The ability to establish teams encourages competition between departments, locations or partner organizations, which creates buzz and increases success.
Only our most-needed food items will be donated, and donors get to capitalize on our purchasing power.
Participants can donate to the Virtual Food Drive from anywhere, and don’t need to remember to bring donations into their workplace or church.
Our Virtual Food Drive makes it easy to send group emails and share on social media.

Who can start a Virtual Food Drive?

Anyone can create an individual or team Virtual Food Drive. Click here to start your Virtual Food Drive today.

Do I have to create a team or a team member to donate through the Virtual Food Drive?

No. If you’d like to make a Virtual Food Drive donation without being on a team, please click here.

Can I make a donation through the Virtual Food Drive without shopping?

Yes. To simply donate to the Virtual Food Drive without selecting items, please click here.

How can I make my food drive a success?

Consider the audience you are encouraging to donate and what would be the strongest motivation for them to participate. Here are a few ideas to increase your chances of a successful Virtual Food Drive:

Select a team captain
Set a goal for the amount of funds to be collected. You could also offer an award if that goal is met, such as a casual dress day, pizza party or free lunch.
Host a kick-off event to get your group excited to donate. Show a video about what Utah Food Bank does, or even volunteer at our warehouse! Get a firsthand look at our operations and what is involved in providing emergency food assistance throughout the state. Volunteering is a great team-building experience and can serve as a great kick-off or reward for your food drive. Just be sure to schedule a volunteer appointment well in advance because openings fill up fast. Find out more here
Have a contest with a fun prize. If an aggressive goal is met, ask someone in a leadership role within your group or office to wear a funny outfit, be in a dunk tank, sing in front of coworkers or whatever best works for your group or office.
Encourage competition by challenging departments, floors in an office building, alumni groups of rival schools, high schools, etc. The winners could make the others wear their school colors, decorate their office or provide a service to the winning team.
Give a prize to the individual, group or department that donated the most food and/or funds. Have a drawing where a certain amount of food “buys” a ticket to enter. The prize could be dinner for two, a gas card or gift certificate.
Provide regular reminders and progress reports regarding the food drive
If a business, request matching contributions from your employer
Create awareness through internal newsletters, memos, emails, bulletins, flyers, posters, payroll inserts, etc.
Create themed days such as “Tuna Tuesdays” or “Canned Fruit Fridays”
Please remember to share your successes and ideas with us! Let our Food Drive Specialist in on your success at (801) 887-1266 or fooddrive@utahfoodbank.org.

Questions?

Contact our Food Drive Specialist at (801) 887-1266 or fooddrive@utahfoodbank.org.