Funding and donations
Money and help for kitchens around Birmingham and Hoover: rebates and loans for restaurants, grants for soup kitchens and pantries, and how to donate food safely. Every item was checked against its own website on October 2, 2026. Programs change, so check the link before you apply.
Half Pan doesn't give out money or apply for anyone. This page points you to the people who do. If you know a program we missed, message Sai on Instagram and we'll check it and add it.
For restaurants
Money a restaurant can get or keep. None of it needs a grant writer.
Alabama Power cooking equipment rebates
Who: Alabama Power business customers
Up to $1,000 per unit for new electric fryers, griddles, and ovens, or for switching one from gas. Up to $1,500 per unit for ENERGY STAR fryers, griddles, and ovens. Other equipment gets a rebate per kilowatt.
Open. The current offer sheet took effect January 1, 2026.
Tax deduction for donated food
Who: Any business that donates food to a charity that feeds people in need
Donated food inventory can count for more than what the food cost you: up to twice the cost, within a cap of 15% of income, with five years to carry the rest forward (26 U.S.C. 170(e)(3)). Corporate giving rules changed for tax years starting in 2026, so ask your accountant how it works for your business.
In effect.
The law, 26 U.S.C. 170IRS: charitable contribution deductions
Too Good To Go
Who: Restaurants, bakeries, cafés, and stores
Sell end-of-day food as discounted surprise bags through the app. Birmingham stores already list bags on it.
Active in Birmingham.
¡HICA! Camino Loan Fund
Who: Latino, immigrant, and low- to moderate-income business owners, including people with an ITIN
Small business loans from $1,200 to $100,000 at fixed rates of 4% to 9%, for 1 to 6 years, plus one-on-one help and business workshops. Applicants need an SSN or ITIN, proof of income, and two years of tax returns.
Open.
Urban Impact: Birmingham Community Impact Fund
Who: Women- and minority-owned businesses in Birmingham
Loans from $500 to $25,000 at rates of 5% or less.
Listed as available. Call to confirm.
For soup kitchens, pantries, and other nonprofits
Grants for the kitchens that feed people. A nonprofit that weighs its waste can report cost per meal and pounds saved, which is what these funders ask for.
The Daniel Foundation of Alabama, operating grants
Who: 501(c)(3) nonprofits for at least two years, with revenue of $5 million or less and at least one paid employee, in 17 counties including Jefferson and Shelby
Grants up to $25,000. Health and human services, including basic needs, is one of its focus areas. It starts with a letter of intent, and invited groups send a full proposal.
Letters of intent for the next operating cycle are accepted October 19 to 30, 2026.
Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, competitive grants
Who: 501(c)(3) nonprofits, religious institutions, and government entities serving Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, or St. Clair counties
Grants that have ranged from $5,000 to $100,000. Two stages: a brief proposal, then a full proposal if invited.
Dates for the next cycle aren't posted yet. Check the page.
Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, partner agencies
Who: Nonprofits and churches that serve food, operating for at least six months on a set schedule
Partner agencies get food from the food bank to serve. New partners may be put on a waiting list.
Partner interest form is open.
ADEM Alabama Recycling Fund
Who: Local governments, solid waste authorities, and nonprofits. Restaurants can't apply.
Reimbursement grants for recycling programs. The 2027 round gave about $2.5 million to 20 groups, including Birmingham, Jefferson County, and Shelby County.
Applications are due March 1 each year.
Donating food
Not making the extra food is better than donating it, because donated food was still bought and cooked for nothing. But when there is good food left over, here is who takes it and what protects you.
Magic City Harvest
Food rescue in Birmingham. Refrigerated trucks pick up from restaurants and caterers and bring the food to about 20 agencies that feed people.
Donate excess food(205) 591-3663
FeedBHM, run by Grace Klein Community
The Birmingham site for Food Rescue US. Volunteers pick up from stores and restaurants with the Food Rescue US app. Donors start by contacting the site director.
The federal Good Samaritan law
The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act protects businesses that donate food in good faith to a nonprofit that feeds people, as long as the food meets food safety and labeling rules. Since 2023, restaurants are also protected when they give food straight to people in need for free. It doesn't cover gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
Before the first donation
- Call your health department and your pickup partner before the first donation, and ask what they need from you.
- Only donate food that never left temperature control. The FDA Food Code, which state food rules are built on, keeps hot food at 135°F or above and cold food at 41°F or below.
- Cover it, label it with what it is and the date, and keep a quick temperature note at handoff.
- Get a receipt for every pickup. You need it for the tax deduction.
- Log it in Half Pan as Donated, so it counts as rescued, not thrown out.
Health departments to call:
- Jefferson County Department of Health, Food Protection, (205) 930-1260
- Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Services, (205) 685-4178
Hoover sits in both Jefferson and Shelby counties. Call the one that inspects your kitchen.
How Half Pan helps
- Restaurants: log food as Donated and it counts as rescued, not thrown out. The Today tab shows pounds donated and what the food cost, which is the record you want for the tax deduction and for telling the story.
- Soup kitchens and pantries: weighing what gets thrown out gives you cost per meal and pounds saved, the numbers grant applications ask for. Half Pan is free for you too. Pick "Soup kitchen or shelter" when you set up.
- Everyone: Ask Half Pan answers questions about this page in English, Spanish, or Telugu.
Not open right now
These come up a lot in searches, so here is where they stand.
- USDA Composting and Food Waste Reduction cooperative agreements. For local governments and schools, not restaurants. The last round closed September 4, 2024, and no new round has been posted.
- EPA Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grants. For governments and Tribes. EPA says it isn't accepting applications right now.
We aren't lawyers or accountants. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.