Winter coat and clothing drive playbook for a PTA or PTO

Steps

1. T-6 weeks: get board and principal approval. Confirm district rules on on-campus collections and any student competitions.
2. Find a distribution partner before you place bins. Options include a local shelter, school counselor network, or a registered One Warm Coat drive that connects you to their Nonprofit Network. Ask which sizes are scarce, whether hats/gloves/scarves are wanted, and how/when they accept deliveries.
3. T-4 weeks: set a clear one-sentence goal and a short window (about 2–4 weeks). Recruit a coordinator, 2–3 bin checkers, and a delivery driver. Line up dry indoor storage the custodian approves.
4. T-2 weeks: announce in the newsletter and school app with the partner's wish list (clean, wearable coats; note what not to donate). Place labeled bins in high-traffic spots the office agrees to.
5. During the drive: empty bins on a fixed schedule, reject damaged or unsanitary items, and keep coats dry. Sort by size before delivery if your partner wants that.
6. Delivery: contact the partner, drop off on their schedule, and get a count or receipt. Recycle truly unwearable coats through a textile recycler rather than dumping them.
7. After: share the total with families, thank volunteers and the partner, and note what to change next year.

Keep it simple

• Optional: list your drive on One Warm Coat's public map if you want community drop-offs beyond the school (up to their site limit per registration).
• Don't ask students to identify families who need coats; privacy comes first. Let the partner handle distribution.
• If you run a class challenge, keep prizes small and non-clothing (for example extra recess) with the principal's OK.
• New coats are great when budgets allow; gently used clean coats are the usual ask.

Sources

One Warm Coat: Organizer Guide — https://www.onewarmcoat.org/organizer-resources/plan/organizer-guide/

One Warm Coat: home / find a drive — https://www.onewarmcoat.org/

Related

• Holiday food drive playbook for a PTA or PTO
• Giving Tuesday playbook for a PTA or PTO
• Volunteer request email that gets replies
• Post-fundraiser thank-you note