Co-op Seeks 5% Friday Applicants for 2026!

2024 marked the 20th year of the Co-op’s 4% Friday Community Shopping Day, and at the end of the year, our all-time giving total reached over $550,000! That’s hundreds of organizations supported and thousands of lives impacted, just because you decided to shop on 4% Friday.

And in 2025, we upped the ante! The Skagit Valley Food Co-op Board approved a generous increase to this already-flourishing giving program: from 4% to 5% of sales being donated to one group each month. We are only halfway through the year, but 5% Friday Community Giving Day has already resulted in some big, big checks and happy recipients. Our accompanying $5 Community Meals are an exciting addition to the circle of giving, with meal proceeds also being donated to 5% Friday groups. 

1st Quarter Giving Groups + Totals

• Skagit Meals on Wheels: $3,726

• Upper Skagit Library Freedge: $3,717

• Help Me Grow: $4,120

Now that it’s July, the Board of Trustees is currently accepting non-sectarian, non-partisan charitable applicants for the Co-op’s 5% Friday Community Giving Day Program in 2026. Groups chosen, one per month for the calendar year, receive 5% of the day’s gross receipts at the Skagit Valley Food Co-op. These community groups are selected for their service to the community in the following areas: local community service, organic food, natural health, environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural practices, human rights, environmental preservation, and other areas that reflect “like-minded” mission statements. 

Applications are due September 30 and can be downloaded from our website: skagitfoodcoop.com/apply-for-5-friday

Once all applications are received, a small selection committee meets in October to select the new 5% Friday recipients. All groups will be notified of their application status by November. The selected 2026 groups will be announced to the public in the January issue of the Natural Enquirer.