In-Kind Donations

American Red Cross In-Kind Donation Policy

The American Red Cross does not accept or solicit small, individual donations or collections of items for emergency relief purposes. Small items such as collections of food, used clothing, and shoes often must be cleaned, sorted, and repackaged which impedes the valuable resources of money, time, and personnel that are needed for other aspects of our relief operation. The Red Cross, in partnership with other agencies, suggests that the best use for those types of donations is to support needy agencies within our local community.  See list below.

The Red Cross does accept sizable, bulk donations only when they meet the service delivery needs of a particular relief operation. These donations typically come from companies that can package the items in bulk, palletize them, and ship them directly to the disaster site.

The best way to help a disaster victim is through a financial donation to the American Red Cross. Financial contributions allow the Red Cross to purchase exactly what is needed for the disaster relief operation. Monetary donations also enable the Red Cross to purchase relief supplies close to the disaster site which avoids delays and transportation costs in getting basic necessities to disaster victims. Because the affected community has generally experienced significant economic loss, purchasing relief supplies in or close to the disaster site also helps to stimulate the weakened local economy.

The Red Cross strongly encourages any individual or business that is considering starting a collection or shipping goods to a disaster site to first locate a reliable relief organization that is willing and able to receive the donation, and can guarantee transportation and distribution.

Click Here to see our Wish List
The Durham office of the American Red Cross is currently soliciting specific items to support our office's day to day operational needs. Please click on the link above to see a list of those items.