How to Run a Winter Coat and Warm Clothing Drive

The first cold night is when you find out what's missing: a line at the door, a rack of donated coats, and none of them in the sizes people are asking for. Knowing how to run a coat drive mostly comes down to starting from your own records, not from what people happen to have in their closets. Here's how to plan a winter coat drive that brings in the sizes you need, when to start, whether to accept used coats, and how to fund buying new ones in bulk.

How to run a coat drive, step by step

1. Pull last winter's numbers. How many people did you serve, and which sizes did you run out of or turn people away for? That record is your list.
2. Decide new, used, or both. More on this below. It changes everything about collection, storage and sorting.
3. Set a goal by size. "40 adult large, 25 adult 2XL, 30 children's 6 to 8" is a list. "Coats" is a wish.
4. Add the extras. Price out hats, gloves, scarves and thermal layers alongside coats. A warm clothing drive that covers all of them gives smaller donors a way in and keeps people warm from head to toe.
5. Pick your timing. Launch well before the cold arrives. More on this below.
6. Plan distribution. Where people pick coats up, how you'll let them choose, and who helps with sizing.

Which sizes to plan for

Your own records are the most reliable answer, so start there. When you list sizes:

• Cover the full range. A generic list built around adult medium leaves out the people at either end, so include the largest adult sizes and the smallest children's sizes you serve.
• Separate children's sizes by age. Check last year's sizes against this year's ages before you copy the list forward.
• List gloves and hats by size too. Children's gloves and adult gloves are different items.
• Ask your front-line staff. The people handing out coats know which sizes go first and which sit on the rack.

New or used coats?

Used coats are fine for many programs. New York Cares accepts coats that aren't new as long as they're in good condition and will protect against winter weather,^[1] and asks donors to launder or dry clean dirty coats first.^[1]

If you accept used coats, plan for the work they bring: someone has to inspect them, make sure they're clean, sort them by size, and store what doesn't fit anyone this year. If you buy new, you pick the sizes on your list before anything arrives. One option is to do both: accept good used coats for adults and buy new for children and the hardest-to-find sizes.

Whatever you accept, say so plainly in your ask: "new or gently used, clean, no rips, zippers working".

When to run a winter coat drive

Earlier than feels natural. One Warm Coat says its nonprofit partners like to receive coats before the cold weather sets in, and that summer and early fall are good times to hold a drive.^[2] Corrections1 recommends launching six to eight weeks before winter.^[3] Big programs run long: New York Cares' 37th annual drive ran from October 2025 through February 2026.^[1]

A simple calendar:

• October: set your size list and launch.
• November: push hard before the first cold snap. Giving Tuesday, on December 1, 2026, is a good moment for a final ask.^[4]
• December to February: keep a smaller ask open to restock the sizes you run out of.

How to fund bulk purchases of new coats

Buying new coats in bulk gets you the right sizes, but it needs money up front. Some ways to fund it:

• Turn the drive into a funding drive. Ask donors to fund coats instead of bringing them. New York Cares, for example, tells donors that every $25 keeps 10 New Yorkers warm.^[1] A clear unit like that makes giving easy.
• Price one coat and ask for it. Work out what a child's coat costs you, and ask for exactly that: "$40 buys a child's winter coat" is concrete and repeatable.
• Ask a local business to fund a size range. "Sponsor every children's coat" is a clear ask for a company.
• Split the list. Hats and gloves give donors with less to spend a way in.

Run a coat drive online, without the sorting

On Aid Registry, a charity lists the exact coats, sizes and quantities it needs. Donors fund them, and once the drive is funded, Aid Registry buys those items and ships them to the charity in one delivery. Items can come from Amazon, Home Depot or Walmart, or any product by pasting its link. If the drive falls short by its deadline, the charity has already chosen whether to buy what was raised or extend. There are no collection bins and no sorting night.

For more seasonal options, see these holiday donation drive ideas, and how Aid Registry works for emergency shelters. When your size list is ready, build your campaign step by step. Aid Registry is free for charities: register your charity and launch your winter campaign.