Faith community preparedness ยท Donations
Disaster Donations and Supply Distribution
Move verified resources to verified needs, and keep generosity from becoming a second problem.
After a disaster, people give. A faith community is where much of that giving lands, wanted or not. This guide shows how to steer it: why money comes first and how to publish a short list of what is truly needed. It covers how to receive, count and store goods, how to hand them out fairly, and how to stop before the hall is full of things nobody asked for.
General U.S. guidance. Financial controls, tax treatment, restricted gifts, product safety, traffic and waste rules need review by your institution and local advisers.
By Dan Whelan, founder of New World Survival
Researched from government agencies, university extension services, and other published sources. See our sources
The five-minute answer
Start with a confirmed need, not an open call.
Generosity arrives fast after a disaster, and most of it arrives as things. FEMA's guidance to donors explains the problem plainly: sending the wrong items, or too many, can overwhelm communities that are already struggling, and needs change quickly.[1]
A house of worship that announces "we are collecting donations" can have a full hall within days, much of it things nobody asked for, with volunteers sorting it who could have been doing something else.
A donation helps only when someone can accept it, check it, store it, account for it and get it to a person who asked for it. Pick the smallest of the four roles on the right that fits what is actually needed.
Realistic effort, in our estimate: role 1 takes about an hour a day. Roles 2 and 3 need people for as long as intake is open: two for every count of money, and someone at the receiving table for every staffed hour. Role 4 takes a site, a trained team and a partner, and belongs in your plan well before the event.
A small congregation, or one that rents its space, can stay with role 1 or 2. That is a full contribution to the response.
Role 1
Share verified requests
Pass along what a qualified relief organization has asked for, and how to give to it directly.
Needs: a named partner and a daily check that the request is still current.
Role 2
Receive money
Collect gifts into an institutional fund with a stated purpose.
Needs: an approved account, two people on every count and a report at the end.
Role 3
Receive requested goods
Take in only listed items, during staffed hours, for a recipient who is expecting them.
Needs: a receiving table, storage, a count and transport to the recipient.
Role 4
Run a distribution
Hand supplies directly to households from your site.
Needs: everything in role 3, plus a safe site layout, a trained team, and coordination with emergency management.
Cash first
The most useful gift rarely fits in a box.
FEMA's first line of advice is "Cash is best." Giving money to trusted disaster relief organizations is usually the fastest and most effective way to help. Those organizations know what is needed, can buy in bulk, often at a discount, and when possible buy from local businesses, which helps the local economy recover.[1]
National VOAD's members agree: donations should go primarily to voluntary organizations active in disaster, with cash being best.[2] The federal plan says the same from the government's side.[3]
Many members would rather give something they can carry. Give that impulse somewhere to go: a specific, short list of goods a partner has asked for, alongside a clear way to give money.
The sequence, start to finish
Choose one role
Share another organization's requests, receive money, receive requested goods, or run a distribution. Start with the first.
Confirm the need and the recipient
Before asking for anything, know who will receive it, what they have asked for and how it gets to them.
Publish a short, dated list
What you need, in what condition, where and when to bring it, and what you cannot take.
Control every item from curb to handoff
Receive at one table, sort, count, store safely and record where each lot goes.
Close intake and account for it
Stop when storage or staff is full, pass on the surplus, reconcile the count and the money, and tell donors what happened.
Where you fit
The federal plan gives state, local and tribal governments the primary responsibility, working with VOADs, for plans to manage donated goods and volunteer services.[3] National VOAD describes donations management as a team effort that includes government, voluntary organizations, businesses and faith-based organizations.[2]
You are one member of that team. Call your county emergency manager or local VOAD and ask who is running donations and what they need from a congregation.
What to tell your members
"The most helpful gift this week is money to [partner], which is buying what families have asked for. If you would like to bring something, here is the short list they gave us this morning. Please do not bring anything that is not on it."
FEMA's six tips for goods
- Only donate items a relief organization has requested.
- Verify there is a recipient to receive the donation.
- Give new and clean items.
- Sort and label your donations.
- Coordinate delivery before sending.
- Donate with dignity: nothing expired, broken, used, unclean or inappropriate.
Written for donors.[1] Turned around, they are your acceptance policy.
Know your capacity
FEMA's self-assessment for faith organizations asks what types and quantities of donations you can accept.[5] Answer in square feet of dry, lockable storage and in volunteer-hours per day, before the first car pulls up.
The acceptance policy
Tell donors exactly what yes and no mean.
National VOAD treats public messaging as critical to donations work: it has to be well structured, timely, planned and coordinated, and it has to explain how to give cash, goods and time.[2] For a congregation that means one dated list, posted in one place, updated every day and taken down when you are full. The two lists below are our own starting point.
Open this sectionClose this section: The acceptance policy
The list says
- the item, the size or type and the quantity still needed
- condition: new, sealed, in original packaging
- where and when to bring it
- who it is for
- the date the list was last checked
- what you cannot accept, and where those offers can go
- how to give money instead
Decline
- anything not on the list
- used clothing, bedding and toys, unless a partner has asked for them
- opened, damaged, expired or unlabeled items
- medicines and medical equipment
- anything needing refrigeration you do not have
- furniture and appliances with nowhere to go
- anything left outside the staffed hours
This list is our starting point. Your partner and your own storage set the real one.
How to say no
Turning down a gift feels rude, and most volunteers find it the hardest part of the shift. A set script makes it easier.
"Thank you for thinking of them. We can only take what is on today's list, because we have to be sure every item reaches someone who asked for it. The thrift store on Main Street is taking clothing, and a gift to the fund will buy exactly what is missing."
Say it warmly and every time. One exception at the curb quickly invites the next.
Food has rules of its own. Before you list any, read the emergency feeding guide.
Receiving and inventory
Keep custody from the curb to the handoff.
National VOAD names fiduciary accountability, responsibility and transparency as key parts of any donations plan.[2] For goods, that comes down to being able to answer one question: where did the forty cases of water go?
Open this sectionClose this section: Receiving and inventory
A paper tally is enough. Opening count, plus what came in, minus what went out and what was discarded, equals what is on the shelf. Count the shelf at the end of each day and write down any difference.
01
Receive
One table, staffed, at one door. Check each item against the list. Log the date, the donor or source, the item and the count. Thank the donor.
02
Sort
Keep three areas physically apart: accepted, held for a decision, and declined or damaged. Label boxes by contents and size as you go. The receiving lead clears the held area by the end of each day.
03
Store
Our rule: dry, off the floor, locked, away from exits and walkways. Heavy boxes low. Nothing stacked higher than a volunteer can reach safely.
04
Release
Record what left, how many, to which organization or distribution, who approved it and who carried it.
FEMA asks donors to sort and label before they deliver.[1] Ask for the same on your list: one kind of item per box, contents written on the outside. It saves real work at your table.
The distribution site
Lay out the whole path before the stock arrives.
Handing out supplies from your own parking lot is the largest of the four roles. National VOAD counts points of distribution among the facility types that need strategic and proper use,[2] and FEMA's guide lists a free online course, IS-26, as a guide to running one.[5] Have your site lead take it.
Open this sectionClose this section: The distribution site
The layout and checklists below are our own starting point.
Tell emergency management before you open. They may already have sites nearby, and a second line a few streets away splits the supplies and the public's attention.
Approach
Cars, walkers and buses arrive without blocking the street. Signs at the road. A marked accessible space and drop-off. Volunteers in vests direct traffic away from the people on foot.
Information
Before anyone joins a line they learn what is available, the limit per household and the closing time, on a large sign and from a person, in the languages spoken locally.
Service
A table or a drive-through lane where items are handed over. Enough space that a person using a wheelchair or pushing a stroller moves through the same line as everyone else.
Exit
A way out that does not cross the way in. A card with other help: the county line, the food bank, the next distribution date.
Before the gates open
- count the stock and divide by the household limit, so you know how many households you can serve
- set the closing time and the rule for when stock runs out
- walk the route in a car and on foot
- check that fire lanes, exits and the neighbors' driveways stay clear
- brief the team, including who decides to pause the line
- tell your governing body and your insurer the date and the plan
When something goes wrong
- the line backs onto the road: pause entry and reset
- stock is running out: tell the line now, with the number still available, not at the last box
- tempers rise: one calm person explains the limit and the next date. Do not argue at the table
- someone is unwell in the heat or cold: stop, help, call 911 if needed
Fair and dignified service
Help without asking for a story.
One of National VOAD's first points for donations work is that its members will treat disaster survivors with respect, courtesy and non-discrimination.[2] Its mass care standard adds that relief supplies are distributed in an equitable and coordinated manner, with priority on items related to basic survival, health and sanitation.[4]
Open this sectionClose this section: Fair and dignified service
People in a supply line have usually had a very bad week. The way the line is run is part of the help. The practices on the right are our own.
Say the rules first
Who the distribution is for, how much each household receives, the hours and what happens when stock runs out. Post it, announce it, and apply it the same way to the stranger and the longtime member.
Ask for very little
A household count is usually all a distribution needs. Do not require identification, proof of address, immigration status, a reason, a photograph or attendance at anything. If a partner or funder requires a record, ask what the minimum is.
No conditions
Nobody is asked to pray, listen to a message or join a mailing list to receive supplies. Offer spiritual care at a separate table, to those who walk over to it.
Make the line usable
Seating and shade or shelter for people who cannot stand long. A way to serve someone who cannot leave their car. Service animals stay with their handlers. A proxy pickup rule for neighbors who are homebound.
Money
Keep disaster giving inside your normal controls.
Money raised in a hurry is where trust is most easily lost. These controls are our own, and nothing below is new: it is the control your treasurer already applies on a Sunday, kept in place when everyone is tired and the need is urgent.
Open this sectionClose this section: Money
Purpose
Before collecting, publish one sentence on what the fund is for, who decides how it is spent, and what happens to money left over when the need is met.
Two people
Two unrelated people count every collection and sign the count. Money goes into the institution's account, never a personal account or payment app.
Evidence
Keep each request, the approval, the receipt and a note of who received the help. Pay vendors and partners directly where you can, in place of handing out cash.
Report
Reconcile promptly. Tell the governing body and the congregation how much came in, where it went and what remains.
This guide makes no statement about tax deductions, receipts or the handling of restricted gifts. Those depend on your institution's status and your state. Ask your treasurer, denomination or accountant before you promise a donor anything about them.
Unrequested goods and closing out
Plan for the pile nobody asked for.
However clear the list, unrequested goods will come, some of them left at the door overnight. National VOAD's mission statement for donations management covers both solicited and unsolicited gifts, and its members commit to helping communities donate responsibly through education.[2]
Open this sectionClose this section: Unrequested goods and closing out
Decide before you announce anything where surplus and unsuitable items will go. If you have no answer, you are not ready to collect goods.
Before you open
- a partner who will take usable surplus
- a thrift outlet or textile recycler for clothing
- a plan and a budget for trash
- a sign for the door when you are closed: where to take donations instead
Closing intake
Close when storage is full, when you can no longer sort what comes in on the same day, or when the partner says the need is met. Announce it everywhere you announced the collection, with the date, the reason and the cash alternative.
National VOAD asks for a flexible approach that adapts as the size and scope of an event change.[2] The list on day ten should not be the list from day one.
Winding down
- final count against the tally
- remaining stock to the partner, with a signed handoff
- the hall cleaned and returned to normal use
- a short report to donors: what came in, where it went
The long tail
FEMA reminds volunteers that recovery can take months or even years.[1] Needs change from water and diapers to tools, furniture and rent. Ask your partner what month three looks like before you spend every gift in week one.
Requests you cannot fill
Match what you have, refer what you do not.
People will ask for things that are not on your shelves: a generator, a hotel room, a ride to dialysis, help with a claim. A volunteer who says "we will see what we can do" has made a promise the institution may not be able to keep.
Open this sectionClose this section: Requests you cannot fill
Use a one-line request slip and a referral card. The slip goes to the coordinator, who either fills the request, passes it to a partner or tells the person plainly that you cannot help with it.
The request slip
- first name and a phone number
- what is needed, in a few words
- by when
- passed to whom
- outcome and date
No diagnosis, no account of what happened to them. Keep the slips where the money records are kept, and at closeout handle them under your records policy.
What the volunteer says
"We do not have that here. I am writing it down for our coordinator, who will call you by tomorrow evening either way. In the meantime this card has the county help line."
Then the coordinator calls by tomorrow evening, either way. The recovery navigation guide covers where longer-term requests go.
Stop conditions
Close intake before the site loses control.
The sign of trouble is a room where nobody can say what is in the boxes. By then volunteers are sorting, not serving, and the hall is out of use for anything else.
Give the receiving lead the authority to put up the "closed" sign without a meeting.
Next step: write it down in the workbook
The workbook holds the acceptance list, the tally sheet, the site layout, the request slip and the closeout report. Then return to the faith community preparedness guide.
Questions leaders ask
Settle these before the first box arrives.
What is the best thing to donate after a disaster?
Money to a trusted relief organization. FEMA says cash is usually the fastest and most effective way to help, because those organizations know what is needed and can buy in bulk, often at a discount, and when possible buy locally.
Should our congregation collect clothing and supplies?
Only items a relief organization has asked for, for a recipient who is expecting them. FEMA warns that the wrong items, or too many, can overwhelm a community. Publish a short dated list and decline everything else.
How do we turn down a donation politely?
Thank the person and explain that you can take only what is on today's list, so every item reaches someone who asked for it. Then offer two alternatives: where that item can go, and how to give money.
How do we keep track of donated goods?
Receive at one staffed table, log each delivery, keep accepted, held and declined items apart, and keep a running tally: opening count plus receipts minus releases equals what is on the shelf. Count at the end of each day.
Can we require people to show ID or attend a service to get supplies?
Our rule is no. National VOAD's members commit to treating disaster survivors with respect, courtesy and non-discrimination. We read that as: a household count is usually all a distribution needs, and help is never tied to worship or membership.
How should we handle money given for disaster relief?
Inside your normal controls: a stated purpose, the institution's own account, two unrelated people on every count, receipts for every payment and a report to the congregation. Ask your treasurer or accountant about tax questions.
What do we do with donations nobody needs?
Decide before you collect. Line up a partner for usable surplus, an outlet for clothing and a budget for disposal. If you have nowhere for surplus to go, share another organization's requests and do not collect goods yourself.
Should we run our own supply distribution?
Only with a safe site layout, a trained team and emergency management's knowledge. FEMA lists a free course, IS-26, on points of distribution. Otherwise send your volunteers and supplies to a site that is already running.
Primary sources
Planning references
Each source below was opened and read on October 12, 2026. FEMA's donation tips were written for donors, the National VOAD statements for its member organizations, and the federal annex for governments and their partners. The acceptance lists, the site layout and the money controls are our own and are marked as such.
- FEMA, Volunteer and Donate. Accessed October 12, 2026.
- National VOAD, Points of Consensus: Donations Management (ratified May 2011). Accessed October 12, 2026.
- FEMA, National Response Framework, Volunteer and Donations Management Support Annex (May 2013). Accessed October 12, 2026.
- National VOAD, Points of Consensus: Mass Care (ratified May 2011). Accessed October 12, 2026.
- FEMA, Engaging Faith-Based and Community Organizations: Planning Considerations for Emergency Managers (April 2025). Accessed October 12, 2026.
This guide is educational. Donation law, tax receipts, restricted gifts, product safety, waste, traffic and financial reporting require review by your institution, your insurer and local counsel.
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