Donate Locally

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind donations can be very valuable for relief operations, but restrictions apply to what, where and how such gifts can be given.

The American Red Cross strives to treat every person equally; therefore, we can only accept products donated in quantities large enough to ensure we can distribute similar items to everyone we are assisting. In this way, the Red Cross may only accept bulk donations of products that are expressly needed on a disaster relief operation, such as bottled water, toiletries and food products.

Some donations, though well-intentioned, have hidden costs and pose many complications. These include such items as clothing, furniture, toys and canned goods or small, individual donations of items of any sort. The Red Cross can't accept these unsolicited, spontaneous donations because:

1. There needs to be enough of a particular item supplied for it to be distributed equitably. Small donations and collections don't meet these criteria.
2. The Red Cross makes every attempt to procure items locally to help the economy of the area affected, ensure the cultural appropriateness of the items, save transportation and storage costs and keep the roads clear for priority items and travel.
3. The Red Cross can't guarantee the usability and safety of such products. We don't know the origins, conditions and expiration dates of collected items.
4. Collections require time, money and personnel to process, all precious resources in disaster relief. Following disasters, all relief workers and resources focus on the people affected and meeting their emergency needs. There are no resources available for examining, sorting and cleaning.