Rules for Donating Wild Game

February 26, 2009

Question: I want to donate some albacore and wild game to my church to use as part of a charity barbecue. If I do, can the church group then charge for the food if it includes donated sport-caught fish and game? What about for the albacore cook-off events held in northern California every year? (Jim M., Santa Barbara)
Answer: It is acceptable to donate sport-caught fish and game to non-profit charity events as long as only a donation is requested of the patrons and not a specific charge placed on each meal. To charge a specific amount for a dinner consisting of sport-caught albacore would be a violation of Fish and Game Code (FGC) 7121.

The non-profit organizations can suggest a donation amount. However, if someone does not want to contribute they cannot deny that person a meal. In that case, the host organization would need to allow the person to eat the donated sport-caught fish/game but they could still charge for everything else (side dishes, paper plates, utensils, cups and drinks, and place to sit and eat). This is what most non-profits do for these fundraising events. If the church or host organization asks for a donation of $10 a plate for the meal, it must be a charge for everything else that is provided with the “free” part of the meal.