Prepare a coordinated food donation handoff

For grocery and food-service teams routing potential surplus through an approved donation program.

Start with the approved reference for the location, resolve questions through the designated trained role, then coordinate the partner handoff and required record. This fictional example follows North Market, a grocery operator coordinating store donations with a community partner.

Know when to proceed and when to pause

These scenarios clarify the coordination boundary; they do not determine food eligibility or handling requirements.

Potential surplus covered by the approved program

Consult the approved reference for the location and operation, then coordinate the handoff through the established local process.

Eligibility or handling is unclear

Pause the donation decision and refer the question to the designated trained role. Do not infer eligibility from this page.

Waste-reduction activity

Use the organization's separate waste-reduction process; this page covers donation coordination, not waste measurement or disposal.

Employee volunteering

Use the relevant volunteering process. Volunteering is separate from routing surplus through the donation program.

Coordinate the handoff

Use the responsible role for decisions this guide cannot make; follow the approved local process.

  1. 1

    Find the applicable reference

    Identify the approved donation and handling reference for the specific location and operation.

  2. 2

    Resolve open questions

    If eligibility, handling, or the applicable reference is uncertain, pause and ask the designated trained role before arranging the donation.

  3. 3

    Coordinate with the assigned partner

    Use the established local process to confirm the partner, timing, and handoff details with the responsible contact.

  4. 4

    Complete the required record

    After the handoff, enter the details required by the approved local process in its designated recordkeeping system.

Coordination reference

Illustrative routing aid only—not an eligibility table, live queue, or system of record.

Coordination question Approved source or responsible role Next action
Which donation route applies at this location? Applicable approved program reference Use the reference for the location and operation before arranging a handoff.
Is this item or situation covered? Designated trained role and applicable approved handling reference Pause the decision and ask the trained role; do not assume eligibility.
Who is the assigned partner and when is the handoff? Established local partner-coordination process Coordinate timing and handoff details through that process.
What must be recorded after handoff? Approved local recordkeeping process Enter the required details in the designated system after the handoff.

Worked example: a North Market store handoff

In this fictional North Market example, the Harbor store’s current partner list names Community Pantry, while an older handoff note names Neighborhood Table. The store lead records: location: Harbor; question: which assigned partner applies; references: current partner list and older handoff note; status: partner confirmation pending.

The lead sends both references to the Retail Operations program owner through the established channel. The owner confirms Community Pantry as the current assigned partner and corrects the superseded note. The store lead then uses the approved partner-coordination route to confirm handoff arrangements and records the owner’s clarification in the designated system.

This resolves the partner-reference mismatch only. The designated trained role must separately resolve any food eligibility or handling question under the applicable approved process before donation proceeds. No food eligibility, temperature, retention period, or completed physical handoff is implied.

Who owns each part

Use these roles to route questions and coordinate the handoff. Retail Operations owns program guidance in this fictional example.

Retail Operations

Program guidance owner (fictional example)

Designated trained role

Resolves local eligibility or handling questions using approved references

Store or food-service lead

Coordinates the partner handoff and completes the required record