One Warm Coat provides resources specifically for our Nonprofit Partners to help raise awareness of the need for warm coats and increase the amount of coats collected and distributed each year.
If your nonprofit organization is in need of coats and has not already registered with One Warm Coat, please register now.
You’re an Official Partner! Now what?
- Check your organization’s listing on the Nonprofit Locator Map
- Follow @onewarmcoat on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn)
- Explore the resources available for you on this page
- Add the Official Nonprofit Partner Seal to your website
Ways to Receive Coats
- Register here to have your organization’s coat drive displayed on the Coat Drive Map
- Place collection boxes in your community
- Promote your need for coats and provide details about your drive using a Press Release and additional resources available to our volunteer Ambassadors
- Distribute the coats you collect directly to those in need
- Please note: fundraising is disabled on our partners coat drive pages. One Warm Coat does not grant funds to our partner agencies.
- Through the Coat Drive Program, volunteer Coat Drive Ambassadors (individuals, groups, organization, businesses) hold coat drives in their communities
- Ambassadors use the Nonprofit Locator Map to find and select a local nonprofit agency to receive collected coats
- Confirm your organization’s information on the Nonprofit Locator Map is correct and up-to-date. If you need to update your information, log into the portal or email Jen.
- Respond quickly and work with the Ambassadors who reach out to you to coordinate a time for them to drop off the coats they collected
- Each year, different retail stores hold coat drives. Participating locations are matched with a partner agency nearby that receives the coats they collect (Priority is given to agencies that offer pick-up)
- One Warm Coat will send an email to let you know if your agency is matched with a store
- If you are unable to pick up coats from the retail location, email Jen as soon as possible.
- A store manager will reach out to schedule coat pick-ups as needed (Pick-ups may be needed multiple times during a coat drive)
- To increase the number of coats you receive, share on social media that the local store will be collecting coats for you.
- Retailers and manufacturers donate samples, overstock, irregular coats, and other outerwear
- Your agency may be asked to pick up donations from a warehouse in your area
- Corporate donors will sometimes ship coats directly to your agency
- Agencies receiving coats must provide pictures and acknowledgments
- One Warm Coat will contact you if this opportunity arises
- One Warm Coat responds to natural disasters that put children and adults at risk due to the cold weather.
- To provide disaster relief, One Warm Coat relies on:Outerwear donations from retail and manufacturing partners
- Financial contributions from individuals and organizations to fund expedited shipping to affected areas
- OWC relies on YOU, our partners, to assess the immediate needs of the impacted community and distribute the donated items
Making The Most Of Your Partnership
One Warm Coat presents a live webinar each fall to help our nonprofit partners receive the most benefit from their partnership with One Warm Coat. Topics Include:
- What you can expect from the Coat Drive Program
- How to hold your own coat drive and engage your constituents
- Details about regional and national retail drives
Promotional Resources
Press releases are a great way to bring awareness to the need for warm coats in your community.
- Personalize the press release with details about your organization and your need
- Share press release to encourage your neighbors to hold coat drives with One Warm Coat and name your organization as as the beneficiary
Let your community know how they can help your organization receive coats by working with One Warm Coat.
Below are sample social media posts which you can personalize to fit your organization. Be sure to follow One Warm Coat Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @onewarmcoat. Visit the Posters & Graphics page to choose an image to accompany the posts below!
- We need coats for those we serve, now, before winter arrives! Please consider holding a coat drive with @onewarmcoat and choosing <insert Your Org Name> to receive the coats. Learn more at onewarmcoat.org. #sharewarmth
- We are facing very cold winter months and are in need of warm coats. Please consider holding a coat drive with @onewarmcoat and choose <insert Your Org Name> as your beneficiary. #sharewarmth
- <insert Your Org Name> is holding a @onewarmcoat drive to benefit the people we serve. Drop off your gently worn coats <insert date range, time, location> to help us #sharewarmth.
- We are excited to be working with @onewarmcoat this year to receive coats for those we serve. You can hold a coat drive to benefit us directly! onewarmcoat.org
- So thankful for @onewarmcoat and our generous neighbors. Today we picked up/received a <truckload/amount/pile> of gently worn coats! Thank you to everyone who #sharedwarmth!
FAQs
Coats must be given for FREE to recipients, without discrimination or obligation. Coats cannot be sold in thrift stores.
Once you complete the registration process, your agency will be listed on the Nonprofit Locator Map. One Warm Coat staff will review your application for accuracy and to ensure your organization meets the guidelines. Applications are generally processed within 3 business days. Once approved, an email will be sent notifying you that your organization is approved.
No, registration to become a nonprofit partner is free for all organizations.
Unfortunately, One Warm Coat is not able to guarantee your organization will receive coats each year. Because coats are delivered by volunteer Coat Drive Ambassadors, One Warm Coat cannot know in advance where coat drives will be held. You can increase your chance of receiving coats by holding your own coat drive – as a registered agency you would keep all coats you collect to distribute. One Warm Coat provides many free tools to help your organization spread the word about your need for coats in your community.
If your agency is in a crisis situation and in immediate need of coats, please let us know. We may be able to provide assistance.
If during the fall and winter collection months your organization can no longer accept coat donations, please email us and we will “hide” your agency from the Nonprofit Locator Map for the remainder of the season. Your information will be retained and will be displayed on the map again next year, as long as you complete the renewal process.
One Warm Coat asks our Ambassadors to only donate clean and wearable coats. If you receive coats that are unusable, please recycle them through a textile recycling program by googling “textile recycling near me” or contact a Goodwill in your area. Many Goodwill locations will accept items that are stained or ripped and recycle the textiles to keep items out of local landfills.
In addition to your listing on the Nonprofit Locator Map, One Warm Coat will send you emails and newsletters about once a month. One Warm Coat will never sell your information to any third party or sponsor.
Yes. If you no longer wish to receive coats please email us.
Please email us with any changes to your organization’s profile.
Yes! One Warm Coat’s logo is available for your use in publicizing or promoting the coat collection or distribution process. Please share articles and press releases with us and tag us in your social media posts @onewarmcoat.
All financial donations to coat drives go to One Warm Coat, but all coats collected during your coat drive are retained by your agency to distribute to your clients.
No, One Warm Coat is not a grant-making organization. Any funds raised for One Warm Coat as part of a coat drive, stay with One Warm Coat and support the Coat Drive Program. If your organization holds a coat drive, and choses to use the personal coat drive page to fundraise, those funds stay with One Warm Coat and are not dispersed to your organization.
How One Warm Coat Works
One Warm Coat creates awareness of the vital need for warm coats which generates volunteers, coat donations, and financial donations. One Warm Coat directs the coat donations to nonprofit partners across the United States who serve children and adults in need.
