About Us

Mission

One Warm Coat’s mission is to provide free coats to children and adults in need while promoting volunteerism and environmental sustainability.

Since 1992, One Warm Coat has facilitated more than 53,000 coat drives across the country, collecting 8.35 million coats that have been distributed through more than 1,500 nonprofit partners, and keeping nearly 21 million pounds of clothing put of landfills.

Individuals and organizations can get involved by donating coats, organizing coat drives, and making financial donations, where every $1 donated warms 1 person.  One Warm Coat partners with nonprofit organizations and schools in local communities across the United States to distribute coats to children and adults in need.

One Warm Coat believes in each person’s right to shelter from the elements and is committed to sharing warmth, without discrimination, one coat at a time. 

Shelter from the elements is a basic human need along with nourishing food, drinkable water, and a safe place to sleep.

  • We believe in the basic right to protection from the cold.
  • We provide coats to people in need, free of charge and without discrimination or obligation.
  • We treat the people we serve with dignity and respect.
  • We promote sustainability through the reuse and repurposing of outerwear.
  • We create connections in local communities by fostering volunteerism.
  • We appreciate and honor our volunteers and donors.

One Warm Coat is committed to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment where all board members, staff, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and agency partners feel respected and valued regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or identity, disability, education, or any other bias.

Read One Warm Coat’s Statement Of Purpose, Equity, and Response to COVID-19.

  • Create an opportunity for more than 500,000 individuals to receive a warm coat
  • Touch the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals
  • Support more than 4,000 coat drive organizers by providing free instructions, materials, tools and resources
  • Host and maintain a searchable database of coat drive events across North America
  • Assist over 1,500 nonprofit partner organizations in receiving the coats they need
  • Work with over 1,000 companies and brands to engage employees and customers to give the gift of warmth
  • Develop customized campaign strategies that support our partners’ goals and initiatives
  • Help our partners make a tangible difference in the lives of others

  • Focused exclusively on one need for more than 30 years
  • Hosted 53,000+ coat drives to date
  • Facilitate coat drives in all 50 states & 10 countries
  • Collected 8.3 million coats to date 
  • Efficiently used funds – 97% of every $1 supports programs

3,803

Coat Drives in 2023/2024 Season

53,230

Coat Drives Since 1992

503,527

Coats Distributed in 2023/2024

8.35M

Coats Given Since 1992

20.9M

Pounds of Clothing Kept Out of Landfills Since 1992

As global concern about textile waste and sustainable practices continues to grow, One Warm Coat is proud to be part of the solution, offering a nationwide option for fashion circularity with programs that reduce waste and maximize the lifespan of outerwear:

Giving Coats A Second Life with the Coat Drive Program

Working with The Fashion Industry to Reduce Waste through the Zero Waste Initiative

How We Work

One Warm Coat creates awareness of the vital need for warm coats. This awareness brings volunteers, coat donations and monetary donations to One Warm Coat. One Warm Coat then passes the coat donations to nonprofit partners across the United States, who serve children and adults in need.