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In conjunction with
ONE WARM COAT
Tips,
Tools and
Resources for
Individuals
How to
Hold a
Coat Drive
Help those in need stay warm this winter. Organize a
gently used coat drive in your community.
INCLUDED IN THIS TOOLKIT:
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Overview
The Basic Steps
7-21-11
How to Hold a Coat Drive
OVERVIEW
Help those in need stay warm this winter. Organize a gently used coat drive in your community.
The Problem
Many people lack enough warm clothing to stay protected throughout winter, and lack the money to buy
that clothing.
The Solution
One Warm Coat (www.onewarmcoat.org/) helps volunteers organize coat drives to collect gently used
coats. Organizers customize each coat drive to meet their own local needs.
Time Commitment
Three to four hours to plan. A half day to a few days to run the coat drive.
Special Considerations
None.
Who can do this?
Everyone! Often grandparents will plan coat drives with their grandchildren as a wonderful
intergenerational activity.
Great Reasons to do this Project
• Help people in need stay warm throughout winter.
• Get more involved with your local charities.
• Use the coat drive as a reason to get together with neighbors.
• Help people recycle clothes they aren’t using from their homes.
Visit CreateTheGood.org for more opportunities, tools and ideas to help improve your community.
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How to Hold a Coat Drive
THE BASIC STEPS
STEP 1: SELECT THE DATES OF YOUR COAT DRIVE
There is no bad time to help people in need, but coat drives are traditionally timed for fall or early winter.
The holiday season – from Thanksgiving through New Year’s day – is a traditional time to collect items for
people in need. January is OK as well: People often find they have too much stuff in their houses after the
holidays and could be more inclined to donate a coat. You could try a spring or summer date, but bear in
mind that the receiving agency may not be able to store the coats over the summer.
Allow ample time for the drive so people who forget their coats can participate. Many drives are one to
two weeks in length. You may want to leave one drop-off box at the location for about a week following
the drive so that people who were out of town can donate.
Consult One Warm Coat’s guidebook (www.onewarmcoat.org/docs/2010guidebookv3.pdf) for detailed
information on how to plan and execute a successful coat drive.
STEP 2: PICK THE AGENCY TO RECEIVE THE COATS
Use One Warm Coat’s
guidebook
for planning your coat
drive.
The coats must be given to the agency for free, and must then be distributed
to people in need for free.
Agencies/people to consider include:
• Homeless shelters
• Halfway homes
• Youth shelters
• Women’s and children’s shelters.
One Warm Coat maintains a searchable database (www.onewarmcoat.org/agencies.php) of more than a
thousand agencies across the United States that have indicated that they have a need for coats. This is
only a partial list; there are thousands of agencies across the country that can accept and distribute
coats. You may already have a local organization you support – check with them if they have a need for
coats.
STEP 3: PLAN YOUR COAT DRIVE
You can structure the coat drive in any number of ways: For example, you could solicit directly from
families and friends, ask local merchants or schools to allow coat drop-offs, or arrange for a drop-off at
your work place.
Visit CreateTheGood.org for more opportunities, tools and ideas to help improve your community.
2
How to Hold a Coat Drive
A school collection: You can create flyers to go home to parents, posters for the school and make
presentations in class. One Warm Coat has a selection of flyer templates you can use (
www.onewarmcoat.org/flyers.php).Then collect coats on a designated day or have a collection box in
the office.
A community collection: At a community-sponsored event, your group could host a coat drop-off booth.
It could be promoted via local newspapers, radio, email lists, etc.
A work place coat drive is an easy and convenient way for employees to connect with their community,
knowing that men, women and children in need will receive a warm coat.
STEP 4: PUBLICIZE YOUR COAT DRIVE
Many publications need a
month or more advance
notice to promote your
event. Plan accordingly.
You might want to publicize your coat drive as widely as possible, using local
publications (print and online), radio, flyers posted in your community and
email lists or electronic bulletin boards. Don’t worry that you might get too
big a response: that is rarely a problem with any charity-related event.
Here’s some suggested language to communicate the purpose and scope of One Warm Coat when you
want to promote your coat drive:
“Hello! I’d like to tell you about a community project in which our organization will collect clean, reusable
coats and jackets to be distributed free to children and adults in our community. We are asking for your
support of the One Warm Coat project.”
One Warm Coat has large banners available to identify the drop-off sites. The organization also provides
publicity tools (www.onewarmcoat.org/tools.php) to help you get the word out.
STEP 5: TELL ONE WARM COAT ABOUT YOUR COLLECTION PLANS
Complete the Share Your Plans (http://www.onewarmcoat.org/plans.php) form. One Warm Coat will
send you a banner, box labels stickers and more to help plan and run your coat drive.
STEP 6: HOLD YOUR COAT DRIVE!
Leave extra time to get to the drive location, and make sure you have all cell
phone numbers of any volunteers helping with the drive. Consider providing
refreshments and snacks for your volunteers. Make sure – in advance – that
everyone has clear directions on how to find the coat drive location and that
parking/transportation instructions are clear.
If you are using a school,
community center or
other location as an
un-manned drop-off, let
the administrators know
when you will pick up the
coats.
Visit CreateTheGood.org for more opportunities, tools and ideas to help improve your community.
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How to Hold a Coat Drive
Be sure to smile at and thank people who drop off coats and ask your volunteers to do the same.
STEP 7: ARRANGE FOR DELIVERY OF THE COATS TO YOUR AGENCY
Contact the agency before collecting coats to learn any specific requirements they may have and to
arrange a drop-off time. The agency may be willing to pick the coats up from you, which will significantly
reduce the hours involved in this service project.
After your drive, drop off your coats as arranged. Be sure to keep an
Consider using the
accurate count of the coats you collected so you can tell us about your
agency’s name (with their
project.
permission) when
promoting your coat drive.
STEP 8: TELL ONE WARM COAT ABOUT YOUR
COLLECTION EFFORTS
About one week after your coat drive, One Warm Coat will email you asking you to complete the Share
Your Success (http://www.onewarmcoat.org/success.php) form.
When you enter your Coat Drive Number, all of your contact information is automatically filled in. The
form gives you a chance to share stories about your coat drive. What worked well? What other resources
would you like? How can the process be improved?
STEP 9: INSPIRE OTHERS ON CREATETHEGOOD.ORG
TELL US WHAT YOU DID!
We want to hear stories (www.CreateTheGood.org/stories) about how you helped give back to your
community. You just might inspire others to do the same.
SHARE FEEDBACK
We are always looking for feedback on our materials, so please let us know how this guide was helpful or
additional information you wish we could have included. Share lessons learned and tips for others who
want to hold a coat drive at www.aarp.org/createthegoodgroup.
KEEP UP THE GOOD!
Remember, whether you’ve got five minutes, five hours or five days, you can make a positive impact in
your community. And if you have more time, consider organizing another service activity, finding local
opportunities and posting your events at www.CreateTheGood.org.
Visit CreateTheGood.org for more opportunities, tools and ideas to help improve your community.
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