Donations

The Co-op regularly makes donations to organizations doing good work in the community. To apply for a donation, please fill out the donation request form (PDF) and do one of the following

Drop it off at the service desk.
Mail: Community Food Co-op, 1220 N. Forest St. Bellingham WA 98225, Attn: Donations
Fax: (360) 734-6816

Please submit your request at least 14 days before your event. Most donations are given in the form of gift certificates in the $10 to $35 range. Because of the volume of donation requests, not all requests can be filled.

Community Shopping Days

Community Shopping Days (CSDs) offer shoppers a way to directly support the work of local, environmental, and socially responsible groups.

CSDs are held the third Saturday of each month. On that day, the designated group receives 2 percent of Co-op sales (approximately $850–$1100). Community groups educate Co-op shoppers about their programs by setting up a bulletin board display for the month of their CSD and with an info table at the front of the store on their shopping day. A feature article in the Co-op newsletter highlights each group’s activities.

CSDs are awarded to organizations with a focus on food and sustainable agriculture; peace and human rights; ecological issues; education; health, and well being; and community health and social justice. The Board of Directors approves 12 groups recommended by the Member Affairs Committee, based on the policies of the Co-op and member input.

All applications must be submitted electronically. The deadline is in early September each year and is noted in the current CSD Instructions and Application Form. The  CSD application form will be available online in July of the year preceding the upcoming CSD program year.

CSD 2009 Application process

To learn more about applying for a 2009 CSD, download the
CP 09 Instruct-Application 7-2-08.doc, complete the application, and email it to Jean Rogers at jeanr@communityfood.coop.

Applications must be submitted electronically; hard copies will not be available at the sevice desk. The deadline for submitting applications is September 5, 2008.

We don’t want to miss any worthy organizations and would love to hear of groups you would like the Co-op to support with a Community Shopping Day. You can download
CSD 09 Recommendation Form and email it to Jean or fill one out at the Service Desk. The deadline for submitting recommendations is August 22, 2008.

Farm Fund

The Co-op's Farm Fund was established in 2001 to benefit the local farming community and to encourage ecological and socially responsible stewardship of local farmland. A portion of the Co-op’s donation budget is set aside each year for support of local, sustainable agriculture.

With the help of an advisory committee of farmers and Co-op members, the Farm Fund helped launch the Whatcom Fresh labeling program and assisted the Bellingham Farmers Market with a countywide marketing program. The Farm Fund’s program “Food to Bank On!,” which we supported for four years, created partnerships between new growers, experienced farmers, and area food banks to provide fresh, organic, and locally grown produce to the community. Food to Bank On!

In 2007, the Farm Fund will partner with Just Food, a pilot program sponsored by Growing Washington. The Just Food Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project distributes food from Whatcom County farms to local, low-income families and shelters through a charitable CSA system while offering farms a fair price for CSA shares.

Watch for Farm Fund updates in the Co-op newsletter, or pick up a Farm Fund brochure next time you’re at the store.

How to get involved

Join the Farm Fund Committee, or contact Jean Rogers.