Good Samaritan Act

The Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act

This Act went into effect in 1996, to encourage donation of food and grocery products to non-profit organizations for distribution to individuals in need. This law:

  • Protects you from liability when you donate to a non-profit organization;
  • Protects you from civil and criminal liability should the product donated in good faith later cause harm to the recipient;
  • Standardizes donor liability exposure. You or your legal counsel do not need to investigate liability laws in 50 states; and
  • Sets a floor of "gross negligence" or intentional misconduct for persons who donate grocery products. According to the new law, gross negligence is defined as "volunteer and conscious conduct by a person with knowledge (at the time of condut) that the conduct is likely to be harmful to the health or well-being of another person."

Click here for more details on the Good Samaritan Act.

For more information: Feeding America.

Benefits of Donating Crops to a Food Bank

There may be tax credits for your donation to our Gleaning program. Please consult a tax professional to learn about what's possible for your situation.

If you would like donation poundage totals, whether for a single drop-off or a tax year total, please make sure you ask for a receipt every time you drop off produce to us at our facility, and leave us with your name and mailing address in the process. It will be noted in the carbon copy of the receipt, so that we can track your specific donation(s). Typically if we come to your farm, orchard, or location, we already have and track this information.