Coat Drive Resources

What is the Coat Drive? 
The Coat Drive is a city-wide effort run by New York Cares which aims to collect 85,000 coats this year and distribute them to New Yorkers who need them most in the colder months. The Coat Drive has been running for more than 35 years, having collected and distributed 2.7 million winter coats to date, thanks to generous New Yorkers. 

When does the Coat Drive begin and end? 
The 36th Annual Coat Drive officially launches on November 1^st and runs through February 29th. As a collection, you can begin collecting coats in mid-October and drop them off once the Coat Drive kicks off in early November.  

What does New York Cares do with the coats collected?  
New York Cares works hand-in-hand with a wide variety of organizations across New York City to make sure donated coats are distributed to New Yorkers who need them as quickly as possible. With the help of volunteers, coats are sorted in our Coat Drive Warehouse (located across from Penn Station at 157 W 31st St, New York, NY 10001), and then distributed to nonprofits, public schools, religious institutions, and transitional housing shelters - all of which serve some of our city's most vulnerable populations.  

How do I donate a coat?  
Visit our Coat Drive Map to find a location near you accepting coats. Check back in early November for a live map listing coat drop off locations across NYC.  

Will I be able to volunteer to support the Coat Drive?  
We anticipate potential coat sorting and distribution projects throughout the season and will share more information about these projects as they are planned. If we have available opportunities, find them by using our advanced search and typing COATDRIVE in the project code field.  

Is my donation tax-deductible? Can I get a receipt?  
Yes and yes! The value of any coat you donate to the Coat Drive is tax deductible. Please note: New York Cares does not appraise coats. Values are assigned by the donor up to a maximum of $5,000.  
 

How do I start a collection?  
Register your collection here. Detailed instructions will be emailed after you register.  

Does New York Cares provide coat collection boxes?  
While New York Cares provides you with printable posters for your collection (and has printed posters available to pick up in our office), we unfortunately cannot provide boxes. We recommend checking in with your local grocery or drugstore, which often have extra boxes. If this option doesn't work for you, cardboard boxes can be purchased from a variety of companies, including shipping supply companies or hardware stores. To spread the holiday cheer, consider decorating your box with wrapping paper as well! 

Do the coats need to be new? Can I donate old coats with a broken zipper/button/etc.?   
As long as the coats are in good condition and an individual could walk outside wearing the coat and feeling warm, then we would gladly appreciate the donation! If dirty, we encourage donors to launder or dry clean their coat before donating.  

Does New York Cares accept clothing items other than coats?  
At this time, we can only collect clean, gently used or new winter coats. For other clothing items, such as sweaters, hats, and gloves, we recommend checking donateNYC for organizations with the capacity to distribute these items to those in need.  

Can New York Cares pick up my donation?  
We truly appreciate all contributions, but unfortunately do not have the capacity to coordinate donation pick-ups. As a nonprofit, we appreciate your support in our efforts to keep costs low. We encourage you to find a location on our Coat Drop Off Map near you to drop off your donation. 

Where can I drop off one or two bags of coats?  
Refer to our handy online Coat Drop Off Map, where you can find your nearest drop-off location. Please keep in mind, these locations are specifically for individual donors and often have limited capacity to accept donations of more than two garbage bags. If your donation is larger, please follow directions for sending directly to our warehouse (located across from Penn Station at 157 W 31st St, New York, NY 10001).