Community Giving

Good Stuff From Around Here

We have supported local growers and producers since 1980. Buying local means supporting local communities, jobs, independent farmers and producers; it also reduces the distance from farm to plate, and lets you stay connected to the seasons. We continuously highlight LOCAL in every department; from local flowers to coffee, honey, cheese, pies, and more! We hope you will stop by and help us support our local growers.

At Whole Foods Market Rockville, we are active participants in our community. We are extremely proud of our community involvement and the relationships that we continue to make each month! We strive to make a difference.

Our Community 5% Days are one meaningful way we give back to our community. On designated days throughout the year a total of 5% of the day's net sales are donated to local non-profit organizations. Customers help support our selected organizations just by shopping on these 5% Days.

Store leadership regularly reviews all incoming 5% Day applications to determine the next non-profit recipient. Selected organizations spread the good news by inviting friends, supporters and other members of the community to shop at the supporting Whole Foods Market on their 5% Day. During the 5% Day representatives from the chosen non-profit spend the day at the store sharing information about their organization and getting the word out about the 5% Day.

If you are interested in applying to become a 5% Day recipient, please complete our 5% Day Application.

Donations

Giving back to our community comes naturally. We strive to support local organizations which focus on health and human services, education, environmental preservation, hunger relief, the arts and animal compassion. However, each Whole Foods Market location has budgetary constraints and can only approve a limited number of the many donation request applications received.

Donation Application

To be eligible to receive a donation from our store, you must be a nonprofit based in the Rockville, Olney, Garrett Park or Kensington area, and our Whole Foods Market Montgomery County Donation Request Form must be completed in its' entirety with the required documentation at least 30 days in advance of the event date. No exceptions. Due to the large number of donation requests we receive, we can not respond to the status of your donation until the month before your event, and can only respond to those groups we are able to support.

Store Tours

Store tours are listed monthly on our calendar and private tours may be arranged in advance. Please contact the store for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Whole Foods Market location should receive my completed donation request application?
The address of the non-profit generally determines the store reviewing the request. Organizations which are regional should address their donation request application to the store nearest to the location of the event, fundraiser or program. For example:

• Our Silver Spring, Maryland store supports: Silver Spring, Takoma Park and Wheaton
• Our Bethesda, Maryland store supports: Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac
• Our Rockville, Maryland store supports: Rockville, Kensington, Garrett Park and Olney
• Our Kentlands, Maryland store supports: Gaithersburg, Germantown, Washington Grove and Laytonsville

Which organizations are eligible to receive donations?
Whole Foods Markets of Montgomery County accepts donation request applications from local non-profit organizations with 501(c)3 status. The event, fundraiser or program must serve the local community. Whole Foods Market cannot make donations to political or religious organizations unless the donation will be used for a local, non-secular, community service-related event or program. Whole Foods Markets of Montgomery County does not donate food to individuals, individuals seeking pledges, multiple requests from the same organization or causes outside the Montgomery County region. Past support does not guarantee future support.

What is acceptable documentation of my organization’s non-profit status and why is this necessary?
In order to accept and review your donation request application, it must be accompanied by a copy of the federally issued statement of your organization’s 501(c)3 status and your 9-digit Federal Identification Number. This letter is obtained from the Federal Treasury and is different from a tax-exempt form. For accounting purposes, documentation, including non-profit status, of every donation request application processed must be kept on record for 7 years.

How will I know if my donation request application has been approved?
Correctly completed donation application requests are reviewed in a timely manner. If your application is approved for a donation, you will generally receive notice at least 2–3 weeks prior to your event, fundraiser or program date. Due to the number of applications received, phone calls in reference to donations under review will not be returned.

Susan Lennon
Marketing Specialist/Community Liaison
Whole Foods Market, Rockville
1649 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
301.984.4880
301.816.1897 Fax
e-mail: Susan.Lennon@wholefoods.com