The Red Cross is unable to accept small, individual donations or collections of items such as clothing, food or cleaning supplies. The cost to sort, package and distribute these types of donations to disaster victims is almost always greater than the cost of purchasing the items locally, and it is logistically impossible to distribute a wide variety of individual items in a meaningful way. Because of these cost and logistical concerns, we recommend that you support your community by donating these items to an organization that is equipped to put them to the best possible local use.

Offers of sizeable, bulk donations are reviewed to determine if they meet a current need for disaster victims that can be addressed by the Red Cross. Bulk donations are typically new, shrink-wrapped and palletized items, and they are transported by the donor.