The Real Junk Food Project in Armley, Leeds needs more than Â£100,000 after its premises were put up for sale.
The project has served 3,000 people hot meals in the cafe, and intercepted more than 10,000 kilos of waste since opening in December 2013.
Founder Adam Smith now hopes to buy the cafe building and keep it open.
The cafe takes edible food destined for landfill from supermarkets, restaurants and market stalls across Leeds.
Its success led to similar projects starting up elsewhere in the country.
A cafe in Yorkshire which became the first in the country to serve food destined for landfill is in danger of closing down.