About Us

One Warm Coat is a national cloud-based nonprofit organization that provides free coats to children and adults in need while promoting volunteerism and environmental sustainability. For 32 years, One Warm Coat has been providing coats to people in need across all 50 states through an extensive network of 1,500 local nonprofit organizations. To date, more than 50,000 individuals and organizations have held coat drives in communities across the country, collecting over 8 million coats. In addition, One Warm Coat’s focus on fashion circularity and reducing textile waste is keeping millions of pounds of textiles out of landfills each year.

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 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