How to run a donation drive at work, start to finish

Tell us before you announce anything

Send the Get Involved interest form and tick "Donating kit items." In the message box, say how many people are in your office, school or congregation, which items you have in mind and your dates. Jody, who handles drives for us, will tell you which items the January pack needs most and how the delivery will work. A drive planned around her answer collects what goes into kits.

Pick two or three items

A drive for "anything on the list" tends to come in as dozens of small piles, and kits get packed from big counts of the same item. Two or three items get you there.

Good drive items, all from the kit list1:

• Socks
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste
• Winter hats, scarves or gloves
• Deodorant
• Lip balm and hand sanitizer
• Hand warmers

Put at least one item on the list that costs a few dollars. Some of the people you work with earn a lot less than others, and a pair of socks or a toothbrush lets everyone take part at the same level. Every item has to be new1.

Set a window and a number

Two to three weeks gives everyone a chance to see it, and a reminder three days before the end catches the people who meant to bring something. Make the goal a count ("400 pairs of socks") so everyone can see how close you are.

The kits are packed on January 16, 2027, and every item has to be in hand before then1. For most groups that means a drive in November or early December; Jody will give you the last delivery date.

Have someone senior send the kickoff

When the Australian Government's behavioural economics team tested ways to raise workplace giving, a simple sign-up process plus a message from a senior manager raised participation, and adding gifts as an incentive made no difference2. Their trial was about payroll giving, but both moves cost nothing to try at your office. Ask your CEO, principal or faith leader to send the first note, and skip the prize draw.

Put labelled boxes where people already walk

Use one box per item, labelled with the item and the word NEW, at the front door, the kitchen or the elevator. Post the running count once a week in the team chat or at the staff meeting.

In a hybrid office, let people order online and ship straight to the office, which also means every item arrives new.

Printable drive box label

Check, sort and count

Go through every box before it leaves. Pull anything used or opened. Keep items loose and don't assemble them into kits, because company teams pack the kits on the day and homemade kits can't be accepted1. Pack each box with one item, write the item and the count on the side, and keep a one-page total.

Deliver once

The organizer delivers the whole drive in one load, at the time agreed with Jody. Staff, students and congregation members don't bring items to us themselves; we take bulk deliveries from the group, never drop-offs from individuals.

Then tell everyone where it went. On January 16, company teams pack 3,500 kits in a single day, and they go out to more than 200 front-line agencies across the GTA, including shelters and outreach programs1. Send that to everyone who gave.