American Red Cross of Central Florida 

Donation Help Center

How can my company donate to the Red Cross?

The American Red Cross of Central Florida is grateful for the generous support of the following organizations. Through their contributions, we are able to help Central Floridians prepare for and respond to emergencies everyday in our community. If you would like information about how your company can support the American Red Cross in Central Florida call (407) 894-4141.

Does the Red Cross offer any corporate partnership opportunities?

Yes, we do. Click here to learn more.

What are the benefits to donating to charity?

In addition to the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping the Red Cross to do important work, there are tax benefits to making significant gifts. For example, when you make a contribution of appreciated securities, you are eligible for a tax deduction and may be able to avoid paying capital gains tax. Please call (407) 894-4141 for further information.

Does the Red Cross accept "in-kind" (food, clothing, supplies) donations?

The American Red Cross only accepts NEW, BULK donations, which are shrink-wrapped, palletized, undamaged and can be transported by the donor, when they meet the specific needs of a disaster relief operation or program, either domestically or internationally. Even if all these criteria are met, not every in-kind donation is accepted, as it must first be reviewed, matched with current, identified needs, and be appropriate to the situation for which it is intended. These guidelines save the Red Cross significant time, money and resources that can otherwise be directed towards helping victims of disasters and providing other vital services.

Why doesn't the Red Cross accept in-kind donations?

The Red Cross is not able to accept small, individual donations or collections of items such as used clothing, furniture, or canned goods for the following reasons:

The Red Cross helps individual families to assess their needs and provides vouchers so that they can purchase goods to meet those needs. This starts the process of empowering disaster victims to begin the recovery process, rather than feeling that they must accept the charity of others by taking used clothing, etc.

Individual donations often need to be cleaned, sorted, and repackaged and handling them can require extensive money, time, and personnel, which are needed for other aspects of a disaster relief operation. Therefore monetary donations are the most effective for rapid relief.

In most cases, supplies are available locally, either in the affected area or in neighboring areas. While canned goods collections make sense for local New York soup kitchens and food pantries, it is not practical to ship collected goods to a far-off disaster site.

When serious disaster strikes, the distribution networks are not in place to sort and distribute goods to those in need.

We have heard unfortunate stories about landfills full of clothing that well-meaning people had sent for victims of Hurricane Andrew in Florida. Without means of distributing the clothing, piles of clothing became wet and moldy and were eventually of use to no one.

Does the American Red Cross of Central Florida accept donations of used vehicles?

Unfortunately, the American Red Cross of Central Florida does not accept donations of vehicles. Contact the Heart of Florida United Way at (407) 835-0900 or visit http://www.hfuw.org.

My company would like to donate items such as office equipment and furniture. Would you accept these donations?

Please call our Office of Financial Development at (407) 894-4141 to discuss your in-kind donation.

I want to help raise money for a specific family that has been affected by disaster or tragedy, but I would like to do this through a charity so that I get a charitable deduction. Can I make my gift through the Red Cross?

We applaud your desire to help a family at a difficult time, but unfortunately gifts for a specific family or person cannot be made through the Red Cross. This is because we are committed to helping every family in need recover from emergencies by providing food, clothing, shelter and other essential services and supplies. We provide help to each family based on need. If we received special contributions for a specific family, that family might receive more assistance than others in similar circumstances, which would violate our principles of providing help equally to all who need it.

I would like to write letters and/or send care packages to the soldiers in Iraq. What do I need to do?

The American Red Cross of Central Florida is not collecting letters or care packages to be sent to soldiers. The Department of Defense (DoD) has advised us of heightening security concerns and transportation restrictions, and has further cautioned us against collecting a large amount of goods. In the past, the military and DoD have accepted care packages directed to "Any Service Member". However, the DoD has suspended its own "Any Service Member" services due to security and logistical concerns. Finally, because the public has been so generous with quality of life items, there are more than enough goods currently in the distribution pipeline to last an estimated four months. However, electronic messages of support and gratitude can be sent through "Operation Dear Abby" here: http://operationdearabby.net

How can I donate blood or organize a blood drive in Central Florida?

To learn more about blood donation opportunities, visit the American Red Cross blood donation web site at http://www.givelife.org or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543). Individuals wishing to make a blood donation in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties can also contact the Central Florida Blood Bank at http://www.floridasbloodcenters.org.

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Headquarters: 5 North Bumby Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32803 Phone: (407) 894-4141

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